The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER earning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Volleyball Player of the Year for the Benedict College Tigers last week, Bahamian Ras Jesse Delancy showed his versatility as he made the transition to track and field where he competed in the high jump.

Over the weekend at the SIAC Championship, Delancy competed for the Tigers’ track team, coached by Frank Hyland, and finished third in his debut in the men’s high jump with a leap of 6-feet, 4 1/4-inches or 1.90 metres behind winner Sundi Washington with 6-8 3/4 (2.05m). Daeshaun Logan was third with 6-4 3/4(1.95m).

In the process, Benedict College won its second consecutive SIAC title with a dominating performance with 226.5 points, 62.5 points more than runners-up Morehouse College on Saturday at the Winthrop University’s Irwin Belk Track. “Honestly, the high jump situation was very last minute,” he said.

“Coach Hyland saw me in the gym exercising and he commented that I should do high jump for him. I laughed the first few times he asked because I thought he was joking. He asked a few more times and called my volleyball coach (coach Rouse) and she said it was okay so I thought ‘Well, why not?’”

On the same day that Benedict College was competing for the championship title in the SIAC on Thursday, the track meet began, but that allowed Delancy to get in some practice with coach Hyland to compete in the high jump.

“Coach Hyland didn’t have any male high jumpers. He saw potential in me for the event. It was a win-win situation,” Delancy said. “I didn’t expect to jump good enough to get a medal honestly. I expected to earn a few points and help Benedict earn a championship again.

“The entire track team was very supportive and always hyped me up. I really enjoyed it honestly. I have intentions of continuing. I’ll do it next season as long as it doesn’t interfere with my volleyball season.”

Delancy, however, said if he had to make a decision on which sport he would prefer to compete in, he emphatically stated that it will be volleyball and his choice would be made in a heartbeat.

“I just need to work on my technique and I’ll be so much better, I cleared 1.95 but my calf hit the bar on my last attempt,” he said. “Technically, I didn’t clear but I’m counting that 1.95 metres with two days of training? That’s amazing, I might add track to my sports résumé.”

Just after being named the SIAC Player of the Year, Delancy and the Tigers reached the final of the inaugural SIAC championship where they had to settle for second place with a 30-9 loss to Edward Waters in the final.

Delancy, who led the attack for Benedict College all season long, finished 12 kills, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers wrapped up their impressive season with a 9-15 record.