The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones got off to a scorching, record-breaking start in his indoor debut for the Texas Tech Red Raiders to highlight a weekend filled with a number of Bahamians competing for their respective colleges and universities in various meets around the United States of America.

After he posted the school’s second fastest time of 6.53 seconds in the semi-finals of the men’s 60 metres at their Texas Tech Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas, Jones came back and erased the record of 6.52 by Divine Oduduru by setting the new standard of 6.45.

In finishing well ahead of his teammates Jasolby Shelton (6.61) and Daniel Omah (6.68), Jones clocked the fastest time in the world as well as tied the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record co-held by Tennessee’s Christian Coleman in 2017 and BYU’s Leonard Myles- Mills in 1999 and erased Warren Fraser’s Bahamian national record of 6.54 set at the Auburn Invitational on January 18, 2014.

“It was my first indoor meet event,” said Jones, who is coming off his first outdoor season last year for the Red Raiders where he competed in eight meets that included a NCAA Championships appearance, while becoming an All-American. “I just wanted to get through the meet, execute, do what my coaches tell me and then just produce results.”

The 19-year-old graduate of Tabernacle Baptist Academy is expected back in action at the Red Raider Open on Friday, January 21 in Lubbock before they close out the month at the same venue at the Texas Tech Open & Multis over the weekend of January 28-29.

Three years ago in 2019, Jones had a sensational season, winning the under- 20 boys’ gold medal in the 400m and the bronze in the 200m at the CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands before he went on to qualify for the World Championships in Doha, Qatar where he ran in the first round of the men’s 200m.

Charlton led by example for Bahamian connection

At the University of Kentucky at the Jim Green Track and Field Invitational in Lexington, Charlton, competing for Puma, won the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.02. She had the fastest qualifying time in the semi-final, running 8.00 and in the preliminaries, she did the second fastest time of 8.37.The 27-year-old Kentucky volunteer assistant coach at Purdue also ran in the preliminaries of the 60m, clocking 7.54. Jaida Knowles, running as a freshman after she sat out last season with an injury, had the sixth best time of 7.63 and Charlton’s younger sister, Anthaya Charlton, in her freshman season, came in ninth in 7.66.

While Devynne Charlton went on to win the semi-final in 7.42, Knowles, 19, was tenth in 7.77. Anthaya Charlton, also 19, didn’t contest the semi’s and even though she qualified as the top seed, Devynne Charlton didn’t run in the final.

“I felt really good about my races today,” Devynne Charlton said. “This is the fastest 60 hurdles opener I’ve ever had and second fastest 60m dash opener. I think it speaks a lot about the type of shape I’m in, but I’m excited because I still have more work to do, things to improve on.”

As for competing against Knowles and Anthaya Charlton, Devynne Charlton said it would have been fun going head-to-head with them, but her little sister pulled out of the semi-final and Knowles was in a different heat.

Anthaya Charlton, however, went on to compete in the 200m where she was 12th in 25.74.

Sophomore Megan Moss, the other member of the Bahamian connection, was second in the 300m in 37.87 just behind her junior team-mate Alexis Holmes, who won in 37.37. Knowles also competed in the event, coming in ninth in 41.90.

Moss also ran the third leg on Kentucky’s victorious women’s 4 x 400m relay team of Alexis Holmes, Karimah Davis and Dajour Miles in 3:33.02.

Moss, 19, is coming off her international debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in August for the women’s 4 x 400m relay, but they didn’t get to finish their preliminary race.

On the field, Anthaya Charlton got tied for third in the women’s long jump with a leap of 18-feet, 5-inches or 5.61m with Cincinnati’s sophomore Juliet McGregor. Cincinnati’s freshman Anaya Dees soared 18-09 (5.71m) to nip out Kentucky’s sophomore Annika Williams, who did 18-08 ½ (5.70m).

The Bahamian quartet, all graduates of St Augustine’s College and now coached by Bahamian Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene and assisted by “Golden Girl” Debbie Ferguson- McKenzie, are expected to be back in action in Lubbock, Texas where they will compete at the Red Raider Open hosted by Texas Tech on Friday, January 21.

Cartwright and Gibson trade places

At the Arkansas Invitational on Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Bahamian duo of Indea Cartwright and Gabrielle Gibson placed higher than each other in the two races they competed in for Oral Roberts University.

In the women’s 60m hurdles, Cartwright, a graduate of St John’s College now in her sophomore year, placed second in 8.42 seconds, while Bahamas Academy graduate Gabrielle Gibson, now in her senior year, trailed in third in 8.55. Adidas Cindy Sember won the race in 8.19.

In the preliminaries, Gibson had the third fastest qualifying time in 8.50 with Cartwright fifth in 8.61.8.55.

The duo came back in the 200m with Gibson getting the edge in 10th in 24.92, while Cartwright got 11th in 25.17.

The other member of the Bahamian connection at Oral Roberts, junior Lakelle Kinteh had to settle for 27th place overall in the preliminaries of the women’s 60m.

Kinteh, another St Augustine’s College graduate, also contested the women’s long jump, but she fouled out.

Oral Roberts will be back in action on Saturday, January 21 at the Deloss Dodds Invitational in Manhattan, Kansas before they compete in their final meet this month at the Jayhawk Classic on Friday, January 28 in Lawrence, Kansas.

Curry makes presence felt

At the Badgers B1G Ten Midwest Invite at the Gately Indoor Track in Chicago, Illinois, Ohio State’s freshman Adrian Curry clocked 6.76 for third place in the men’s 60m final.

Wisconsin’s junior Lawrence Johnson won the race in 6.70, the same time as Ohio State’s junior Tyler Johnson as both competitors along with Curry ran under the facility record of 6.77. In the preliminaries, Curry had the second fastest time of 6.80.

Curry also moved up to the 300m where he struggled to place 17th in 36.36. The winning time was 32.55 by Tyler Johnson.

Curry, also a St Augustine’s College graduate, is expected to be back in action for the Buckeyes at the South Carolina Challenge over the weekend of January 21-22 in Columbia, South Carolina before they end the month at the Rod McCrary Memorial in Lexington, Kentucky from January 28-29.

Wells makes her transition

After starring for Oral Roberts University as a sprinter/hurdler, Sasha Wells has transferred to the University of Florida where she made her debut for the Gators in the women’s 60m hurdles at the Clemson Invite at the Clemson Track and Field Complex in Clemson, South Carolina.

Wells, who joins Bahamian Olympic quarter-miler Donesha Anderson on the Gators’ roster, was 13th in 8.41 for the tenth all-time in Florida’s history, but it wasn’t good enough to get her into the final.

Anderson, a junior at Florida, competed in the 300m where she was 11th overall in 38.80.

Running a split of 53.88 on the third leg on the women’s 4 x 400m relay team, Anderson helped Florida to the victory in 3:33.11.

The other members of the team were Taylor Manson, Sterling Lester and Vanessa Watson.

Anderson, another graduate of St Augustine’s College, is coming off an appearance on the women’s 4 x 400m relay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although they didn’t get to complete the race.

Wells, Anderson and shot put/discus thrower Serena Brown, who did not compete over the weekend, are expected to be back in action for the Gators at the Bob Pollock Meet at the Clemson Track and Field Complex in Clemson, South Carolina. The event is set to be held over the weekend of January 28-29.