The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KEYSHAWN Strachan, in rewriting his Bahamian national javelin record, led a list of nine athletes who achieved the qualifying standards for the 2022 CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, set for the Easter holiday weekend.

All of that came after the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ Star Performers Time Trials on Saturday was interrupted for at least one hour and 30 minutes to sort out some COVID-19 safety protocol matters involving police and COVID officers.

As the meet was going through the under-13 girls’ 100 metres, Royal Bahamas Police Force officers and two COVID-19 officers forced officials to halt the meet, saying they were not given permission to stage the meet with an estimated 2,500 participants in the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

But after the BAAA got the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Mario Bowleg, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe and Minister of Health, Dr Michael Darville, to intervene in conference calls, they were allowed to resume competition.

The meet, the first full-fledged competition in all disciplines, was used as a qualifier for the BAAA for the team heading to Jamaica for the return of the CARIFTA Games, the top regional track and field meet, after a two-year hiatus, due to COVID-19.

Strachan, who extended his national javelin record to 236-feet, 7-inches or 72.13 metres at the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica on Independence Day last year, pushed it further with his winning heave of 247-5 (75.41m) to surpass the under-20 boys’ CARIFTA standard of 199-11 (60.94m).

“I feel great. Coach (Corrington Maycock) and I have been working on this and we just came out here and let it happen,” said Strachan, who last year signed a scholarship deal to attend Auburn University this year. “I really expected it to come, but I didn’t expect it to come today. I expected it to come later in the year.”

With the performance and moving up to the under-20 division, Cartwright said he’s confident that he can go to Jamaica and come out with the gold medal. He noted that he’s working on throwing at least 80m by the World Junior Championships.

“I think I would have been well ahead of where I am if it wasn’t for COVID- 19,” Strachan said. “But I was a little frustrated after they had planned to stop the meet, so I had to take out my frustration in competition.”

Coming in second and third were Strachan’s team-mates with Kaden Cartwright throwing 185-53/4 (56.23m) and Nathaniel Zervos trailing with 161-11 (49.35m).

Strachan’s 14-year-old sister Kamera Strachan led a Blue Chips Athletics’ sweep of the top three spots in the under-17 girls’ javelin with her toss of 122-2 (37.25m) to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 112-10 (34.39m) along with her team-mate Dior- Rae Scott, who did 120-11 (36.86m) for second.

Taysha Stubbs got third with (25.05m) for third, but she fell short of qualifying.

The younger Strachan said her brother, Keyshawn, has really inspired her.

“I felt good, but I have to pick up a few things with it,” she said. “I have to work on my hand and my crossover.”

Scott, a 13-year-old ninth grader at St Augustine’s College, said she has only been competing in the event for eight months, but she’s very proud of her achievement. “I came in with the intention of qualifying for CARIFTA and that is what I did,” she said. “The competition was good, but I’m looking forward to throwing over 40m with the competition at CARIFTA.”

Lubin soars in triple jump

First year competitor Lanisha Lubin, competing for the DTSP Wolfpacks, was the lone competitor in the under-17 girls’ triple jump, but that didn’t deter her from her goal. She cleared 38-1 ½ (11.62m) to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 38-01/4 (11.60m).

“I really like jumping, so I just decided to see if I can do it,” said Lubin, a 15-year-old student at Queen’s College.

“My coach Mr J Pratt has really pushed me. I didn’t expect to qualify right away, but I’m very satisfied that I did. I’m really happy and excited and looking forward to it. “I just need to develop my step phase and my landing so I can go even longer because I feel that I could do better.”

Former triple jumper Jameison Pratt, now teaching physical education at Nassau Christian Academy, said he knew that she had the potential to qualify for CARIFTA. “She was way off the board and she qualified,” said Pratt, who is following in the footsteps of his legendary father Peter Pratt, one of the top triple jumpers now a coach.

“If she can hit the board, she has the potential to go 12m and win CARIFTA. We just have to see what the other competitors bring.”

Sprinters in fine form

Grand Bahamian Shatalyn Dorsett, competing for the Kenyan Knights, set the stage in the under-17 girls’ sprints, pulling off the double dose of victory. First she did 11.94 seconds in the 100 metres to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 11.96. Then she came back and duplicated the feat in the 200m. Her time of 24.55 was faster than the qualifier of 24.58.

Both Quick Step’s Andrew Brown (11.08) and Red-Line Athletics’ Tamani Skinner (11.21) went under the B qualifying time in the under-17 boys’ 100m of 11.24. They both failed at the A standard of 11.02. Skinner won the 200m in 22.60 with Brown second in 22.78, but they both missed the standard of 21.84.

In the under-20 girls’ division, Fast Forward’s Paige Archer ran 11.80 for a B qualifying time of 11.92 in the 100m. The A standard is 11.69. She also won the 200m in 24.80, but it was off the standard of 23.95.

And in the under-20 boys’ century, Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ Antoine Andrews pulled off the win in 10.39, followed by Carlos Brown of Swift Athletics in 10.44 as they both dipped under the qualifying standard of 10.50.

Just shy of standards

Hurry Murray’s Raywind Winder clocked 2:04.99 to win the under-17 boys’ 800m, but he was shy of the qualifying standard of 2:00.14 and Johnathan Rodgers came close to the under-20 boys’ triple jump qualifying mark of 14.89m with his leap of (14.69m).

“It was good. I just tried to remember the things that my coach taught me,” said Rodgers, an 11th grader at CI Gibson. “I kind of bummed out when they said the meet was called off, but I’m happy that they didn’t call it. I wished it could go back to the way it used to be, but I know that won’t happen.”

Elite athletes’ presence felt

A couple of Leap of Faith elite athletes also competed with Tamara Myers winning the open women’s triple jump with 44-103/4 (13.68m). Ryan Ingraham was back in action with a height of 6-6 3/4 (2.00m) in the men’s high jump and Kaiwan Culmer took the open men’s long jump with 22-9 1/4 (6.94m).

National decathlon record holder Kendrick Thompson, competing for the University of the Bahamas, won the open men’s shot put with 46-0 (14.02m) and former national record holder Ken Mullings, competing for Power Athletics, took the discus with 147-6 (44.96m).