The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

"I'M taking my talent to the University of Kentucky," stated Devine Parker, the Bahamas' top junior female sprinter, as she revealed her choice of college for 2018.

Last Monday, November 6, Parker said she made her decision after visiting several other colleges to continue her athletic career after graduating from St Anne's High School in June. "I selected UK because of the excellent programme that they have," she told The Tribune. "I watched how the coach interacted with the athletes and observed their training. "The facilities there are amazing and everything about the school was fantastic, especially the people. I also selected there because I want to excel and I personally feel like being art UK would help mew not only to excel athletically, but academically."

With the assistance of her coach Pauline Davis, Parker

"They are expecting me to just do my best," she said. "Train hard everyday and get get my degree."

Once she enroll in the University of Kentucky, she plan on majoring in Sports Phycology. But she admits that she has to take care of some unfinished business at St Anne's first.

"My plans, as I prepare for college, is to continue to work hard in practice and to enter college as one of the top freshmen," she projected. "Also, I want to stay committed to my school work these few months I have left in high school and do well in my national examinations."

Parker, 17, is coached by Golden Girl Pauline Davis, whom she feel has prepared her well for the journey ahead of her.

"My expectations for the upcoming season is to accomplish the impossible and to excel in every racer that I can," Parker stressed. "I want to continue to represent my Bahamaland to the best of my ability and to drop my personal times as low as I can."

Her personal best times are 11.51 seconds in the 100 metres and 23.54 (wind-aided) and 23.72 (legal) in the 200m, but she hope that she can improve on them before she head to Kentucky.

And having represented the Bahamas at the past two Carifta Games in St George's, Grenada in 2016 and in Willemstad, Curacao last year, Parker said she's eager about competing next year, not only because it's her first time in the under-20 division, but because it will be coming back to the Bahamas for the eighth time, the last being in 2013.

"Yes, I'm definitely looking forward to Carifta with it being here at home," she stated. "It's an indescribable feeling to represent your country, but nothing compares to the feeling of competing in front of your home crowd.

"The chants, the junkanoo music, the Bahamian people are just amazing."

Parker remembered how she got a taste of the experience when she got the exposure running the first leg of the women's 4 x 100m relay at the IAAF World Relays in April when she said the crowd gave her the goosebumps.

"It was at a point where even if I was a little nervous, it went away as soon as I heard the crowd. I look forward to winning my individual gold medals and hopefully breaking those Carifta records in my first year in the under-20 division."

The century record is shared jointly by Jamaica's Aileen Bailey and Bahamian Tamicka Clarke, who both ran 11.03 in their heats in 1998 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. The half-lap record is held by Bahamian Shaunae Miller, who clocked 22.77 in 2013 here at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.

With her college destination all set, Parker said she's going to go out and enjoy her final year in high school and represent the Bahamas to the best of her ability.