The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE it was another record breaking performance for decathlete Kendrick Thompson on Saturday in Miami, Florida, sprinters Steven Gardiner and Anthonique Strachan surged to victories in the men and women 200 metres in Devonshire, Bermuda.

The trio led an array of Bahamian elite and collegiate athletes in action in various meets overseas.

In another fiercely showdown with arch rival and former national record holder Ken Mullings at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at the University of Miami in Florida, Thompson accumulated a total of 7,762 points to erase his previous national and University of The Bahamas record of 7,734 in the men’s decathlon.

Mullings, the University of the The Bahamas graduate who previously held the national record, finished second with 7,657 points. Jason Rotger, a junior at FIU, came in third with 6,096 points.

“I feel great. I really was pushing myself for this,” Thompson said. “I want to thank my family, cousins, friends, the UB Athletics Department and coach (Ednal) Rolle for helping me to get through this. “To open up like that, I really feel like I am going to have a great year.”

Also at the meet, Florida International University’s Rhema Otabor won the women’s javelin with a heave of 176-5 (53.79m) on her second attempt. Princeton’s sophomore Kate Joyce was second with 165-2 (50.34m).

Four Bahamians contested the men’s 400m with Alonzo Russell taking second place in 46.53, while Kinard Rolle was eighth in 48.27; Andre Colebrook was 20th in 49.90 and UB’s Donya Richards was 23rd in 50.86.

Rolle also competed in the 200m in 22.03. Great Britain’s Xavier Coakley, competing unattached, was seventh in the men’s 110m hurdles in 14.74. Mayowa Osunami, a senior at Northeastern, won with 14

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Brittany Lundy of the University of the Bahamas was 21st in 15.51 Tia Jones, representing adidas, was the winner in 12.90.

Romica Josey of the University of The Bahamas was 27th in the women’s 400m in 59.74 and her team-mate Sierra Sears was 35th in 1:03.94. The winning time was 52.57 by Gabby Scott of Puerto Rico.

Paige Stuart of UB ran 12.69 for 33rd overall in the women’s 100m. Mayowa Osunsami, a senior at Northeastern, won in 11.94.

GARDINER AND STRACHAN TRIUMPH IN BERMUDA

At the USATF Bermuda Games at the BDA National Sports Centre in Devonshire, Bermuda, Gardiner opened his outdoor season with a come-frim-behind victory in the men’s 200m in 20.79 seconds, well ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who trailed in 20.86.

Strachan, running out of lane seven, also powered from behind to win the women’s 200m in 23.24. American Dezerea Bryant was second in 23.72, followed by Jamaica’s Briana Williams in third in 23.82.

Strachan, training in Jamaica with the MVP Track Club, noted that the meet was a very good one for her and she doesn’t any complaints right now, except for the strong head wind.

“All in all, it was good. I got in an awesome performance once again,” said Strachan, who prior to the meet ran her lifetime best of 10.99m in the 100m and close to her personal best in the 400m in 52.84 in Jamaica in two separate meets.

“It just let me know that the work I’ve been putting in is actually been shown so I’m happy with having excellent performances in all of my openers in the 100, 200 and the 400, but especially in the 200m because I love the 200m differently from the way I love the other two events.”

The 28-year-old Strachan said would have preferred not to have to do with the negative wind, but it’s an element that all of the competitors had to deal with. She would have loved to see how fast she could run under normal circumstances. but hopefully in her next meet, she can achieve the time that she has in her mind, but to share publicly.

In the men’s triple jump, Kaiwan Culmer had to settle for third place with a leap of 51-feet, 11-inches or 15.82 meters on his sixth and final attempt. American Chris Benard won with 54-4 1/2 (16.67m) on his fourth try. Jamaica’s Jordan Scott got third with 53-8 1/2 (16.37m) on his initial leap.