By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

It was Shaunae Miller’s Day at St Augustine’s College as the Rio Olympics’ women’s 400 metre gold medallist returned to her alma mater for another celebration yesterday.

The administration, faculty, staff, students and alumni association hosted a special ceremony on the Bernard Road campus as they showed their appreciation to Miller for diving across the finish line in a personal best of 49.44 seconds on Monday, August 15 to snatch the victory from American Allyson Felix, who had to settle for the silver in 49.51. Jamaican Shericka Jackson was the bronze medallist in 49.85.

The celebrations started in the morning with Miller being escorted to the waiting audience in the special assembly in the parking lot and after being hailed, serenaded and feted, she ended the day signing autographs and taking selfie photos with as many persons as possible.

Accompanied by her parents, Maybelene and Shaun Miller, and uncle Joel Stubbs, president of the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation, Miller was decked out in her specially designed white t-shirt that read: “S.A.C. celebrates Shaunae! SACER 4 Life!.”

Principal Sonia Knowles, who was eventually asked by Miller for her autograph, said she had predicted at their last celebrations for Miller last year that they would be back honouring her for winning the gold medal at the Olympics.

Knowles reflected on the day that the ‘tall, shy and soft spoken” Miller walked into the office at SAC with her mother to register for grade nine in 2009 after she transferred from Christian Heritage School, she wasn’t aware who she was.

Recalling their initial meetings, Knowles said Miller always had two words that she echoed to her: “Yes ma.” Even if she tried to change the question, it was the same response. And when she contacted her last week, Miller still had that same polite reply to her question.

She noted that once she settled into her new environment, the physical education teachers struggled to find the niche for Miller, who was nicknamed “6-5”, trying her out in a number of sports, including basketball and volleyball.

But after they discovered that it was amusing watching her try to play the other two sports, they eventually saw the “real deal” emerge out of Miller’s physique in track and field where she started to excel for Seton House, BAISS, Nationals and the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

And Miller was so versatile back then that she competed in the 100, 200, 400, 300m hurdles, shot put and high jump as she did what was necessary to help the Big Red Machine to get over the hump.

Knowles said this was the third such celebrations for Miller. The first came on September 6, 2011 for the World Youth Championships and that was followed on September 23, 2015 for the World Championships.

On Shaunae Miller’s Day yesterday, Knowles said they are hoping to come back for another celebrations for Miller and other SAC students after the 2020 Olympics in Korea, Japan.

Mike Sands, the immediate past president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, called it a “red letter day” for SAC to take the time out to celebrate something as important as Miller’s accomplishment.

“Celebrating Shaunae Miller provides us with the opportunity to reflect on the role that sports and student athletes plays in building a nation and what is equally important is it begins in your high school career.”

And although she may have been of the campus of SAC for four years now, Sands said some of the students might not know of her achievements before the Olympic gold.

He took the audience down memory lane, highlighting some of her successes including winning the Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete at Carifta; back-to-back gold medalist at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2010 in Moncton, Canada and the IAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France in 2011; the IAAF World Indoor Championships bronze medalist in 2014 in Sopot, Poland and the IAAF World Championships silver medalist in 2015 in Beijing, China.

Sands, who never attended SAC, but had three students who graduated from the institution, called Miller a “class act” for the Big Red Machine, her family and the nation.

Former SACer and track and field historian Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson, in a surprised brief statement, said the Big Red Machine has had a history of producing outstanding quarter-milers, including Hugh Bowleg, who ran in the Olympics in 1960 when he was still a student at SAC.

Finlayson called for all persons associated with SAC to resolve to join in making sure that Miller is not the last Olympic gold medalist. He hinted that one way that can be achieved is by recommitting to bringing back the glory days of the track and field facility on campus.

Among the list of other dignitaries in attendance was Hubert Chipman, the Member of Parliament for St Anne’s; attorney Malcolm Adderley, Geno Nairn, former Alumni Association president; Bishop Arnold Josey; legendary coach Martin Lundy and Oralee Fowler, who was perhaps the greatest female sprinter to compete for the Big Red Machine.

The ceremony was highlighted by a performance from SAC’s parent Dysen Knight; a selection by a Rake & Scrape band led by Gabrielle Kelson of grade 11; a dramatization called “Strive for gold” by two more grade 11 students; a rap performance, led by versatile athlete Deshan Stubbs and an address by 400/800m specialist Glen Knowles, who has wowed to be the next Olympian to come out of SAC.

Marco Munnings, an art teacher, presented a portrait of Miller’s accomplishment; the Student Council presented a bouquet of flowers and Stephen Robinson, president of the Alumni Association, presented a gift bag fill of goodies.

Miller, in response, tried to riled up the crowd, saying that she know there are two classes that she hear the thunderous responses from – grade seven, who are excited to be enrolled in SAC for the first time and grade 12, who can’t wait to make their exit.

However, she couldn’t leave out the other classes and got the students from grades 11-8 to give their chats. She also got the various Big Red Machine sports teams from basketball, softball, swimming, volleyball, soccer and track and field to show their enthusiasm for the new school year.

One of the main concerns that Miller expressed her displeasure in is the fact that the Big Red Machine got beat for the second year in a row by the Queen’s College Comets in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championships.

“I think it’s about time. We let QC have their fun,” said Miller about losing the title to the Comets for the past two years. “I think it’s about time that we take the title back. We let them celebrate for two years. I think it’s time to take it back.”