The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas’ 19-member team to the XXI Pan American Under-20 Track and Field Championships at the Jose A. Figueroa Freyre Stadium in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico over the weekend returned home with a medal of each colour.

The team, managed by Dionne Britton and coached by Daron Lightbourne, brought home a gold, silver and bronze, a performance that left assistant coach Jamieson Pratt singing the praises of everybody. “I would say that the competition was surprisingly challenging but we went in with a small team and performed to the best of our abilities,” said Pratt, who is following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Peter Pratt, a former highly acclaimed Bahamian triple jumper turned coach.

“Normally a smaller team would have a less chance of getting medals but this team was able to get three medals. We had some circumstances that happened with the team but we collectively worked together to perform this well.”

With the United States being qualified, the Bahamas moved up to the gold in the men’s 4 x 100m relay with the team of Zion Campbell, Carlos Brown, Jeremiah Adderley and Adam Musgrove winning the protest race in 39.75.

Jamaica also got disqualified, which enabled Puerto Rico to get the silver in 40.15 and Argentina took the bronze in 40.26.

Kaden Cartwright secured the silver in the men’s javelin with his heave of 214-feet, 80-inches or 65.43 metres behind American Mike Stain, the gold medalist wirth 234-2 (71.38m). American Blake Orr got the bronze with 213-7 (65.12m).

And Brenden Vanderpool got on the podium with the bronze in the men’s pole vault with his best height of 15-7 (4.75m). Tyler Cahs got fifth with 14-7 1/4 (4.45m). American Jack Mann took the gold with 5.00m (16-4 3/4) and Brazil’s Aurelio Leite for the silver with 16-0 3/4 (4.90m).

There were a few final appearances and some close chances to advance out of the preliminary rounds for a couple other athletes during the meet that ran from August 4-6.

Shimar Bain ended up fifth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 53.55. American Bryce Tucker took the gold in 51.36 with Yan Vazquez of Puerto Rico got the silver in 52.57 and American Damon Frabott goetting the bronze in 52.19.

In the men’s 200m final, Adam Musgrove clocked 20.94 for fifth. Brazil’s Renan de Lima Gallina took the gold in 2,044, American Garrett Kallaud (20.57) got the silver and Jose Figuerora Acevado (20.63) of Puerto Rico got the bronze,

Musgrove had the fifth fastest qualifying time of 20.94.

Lacarthea Cooper had the sixth fastest qualifying time of 24.89 in the preliminaries of the women’s 200m, but she didn’t contest the final that had an American sweep with Shawnti Jackson (22.35) and Elise Cooper (22.80) with the gold and silver over Canadian Emily Martin (23.75) for the bronze.

Carlos Brown, who had only arrived at the meet the night before, just missed out on a lane in the final of the men’s 100m after he placed ninth in the preliminaries in 10.77. Zion Campbell was 14th in 10.91.

Mateo Smith had to settle for fifth in the men’s long jump with 23-11 1/2 (7.30m) with Stephan Farquharson eighth with 22-7 1/4 (6.89m). American Juriad Hughes won the gold with 24-11 3/4 (7.61m), Jamaican Royan Walters got the silver with 24-6 1/2 *(7.48m) and American Ashton Torns got the bronze with 24-3 (7.39m).

Calea Jackson picked up seventh in the women’s discus with her heave of 147-11 (45.10m). Canadian Julia Tunks got the gold with 186-11 (56.98m), Jamaican Abigail Martin got the silver with 182-0 (55.47m) and American Maddie Fey got the bronze with 172-10 (52.70m).

Also taking seventh was Grand Bahamian Erin Barr in the women’s 1,500m in 5:16.18. American Ellie Shea won the gold in 4:16.61 over Anita Poma Mendoza of Peru in 4:18.28 with Kyla Martin of Canada getting the =bronze in 4:25.95.

Otto Laing came up with seventh as well in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.91. American Blaise Atkinson won the gold with 13.46, Jamaican Daniel Beckford got the silver with 13.52 and Brazilian Jose Mendes da Silva got the bronze with 13.55. Laing had the seventh fastest qualifying time of 13.88, while Tayshaiun Robinson was 10th in 14.52.

Lanaisha Lubin had a best of 39-1 3/4 (11.93m) for seventh in the women’s triple jump. Canada took gold and silver with Asia Philips clearing 43-0 1/2 (13.12m) and Tolu Akinduro 452-9 (13.03m) respectively American Agur Dwol got the bronze with 41-10 (12.75m).

Shaunece Miller finished seventh in the women’s heptathlon with 4,074 points. The United States got gold and silver from Jaicieonna Gero-Holt (5,463) and Abby Elmore (5,186) with Julia Leite of Brazil taking the bronze (5,067).

Anaiah Rolle, making history as the first Bahamian female to compete in the pole vault, ended up seventh with her best leap of 9-4 1/4. Americans Kenna Stimmel (14-1 1/4) 4.30m and Ella McRitchie 13-11 1/4 (4.25m) got gold and silver and Alyssa Quinones Mixon of Puerto Rico got the bronze with 13-5 1/4 (4.29m).

Also traveling with the team were Myriam Stapleton, an assistant coach; Dr Kent Bazard as the physician and Lisa Armbrister as the chaperone.