CARIFTA hopefuls shine at T-Bird Flyers track invite

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

CARIFTA hopefuls Denvaughn Whymns and Anthaya Charlton were triple winners, while Raymond Oriahi and Doneisha Anderson were among the double winners circle that also included senior competitors Stephen Newbold, V’Alonee Robinson and Drexel Maycock at the T-Bird Track and Field Invitational.

The two-day meet, which was hampered by the rain, was held on Friday and Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium and was the first meet on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ 2018 track and field season with the emphasis being placed on the hosting of CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday.

“We had a good turn out with about 7-800 kids participating,” said meet director Foster Dorsett, the head coach of the T-Bird Flyers. “It was a two-day meet and the purpose for that is to allow the coaches to see what condition their kids are in going into this busy season.

“Seeing that we are hosting Carifta, we want to give them a heads up to see what they need to do to get ready. Most coaches took advantage of the two-day meet by putting their athletes in a number of events, so it was very successful, despite the fact that we had some rain on Saturday and some people left before it cleared up.”

Whymns, of Club Monica, took the under-20 boys 110m hurdles in 14.09, ahead of SunBlazers’ Oscar Smith, who did 14.22. Jahmaal Wilson of the Star Trackers was third in 15.01. Whymns also posted victory in the long jump with his leap of 7.22 metres or 23-feet, 8 1/4-inches. High Performance’s Dante Higgs was second with 5.63m (18-5 3/4) and Jahmal Brown of the Roadrunners got third with 5.27m (17-3 1/2).

And to top off his appearance at the meet, Whymns got a third victory in the 200m with his time of 22.21. Nastario Williams of the Heats Athletics from North Andros was second in 22.59 and Andreas Seymour of the BSD Juniors was third in 22.77.

Anthaya Charlton of the Star Trackers was the winner of the girls’ under-17 high jump with a leap of 1.39m (4-6 3/4), followed by her team-mates Tanisha Floyd and Robyn Barnett with 1.36m (4-5 1/2) and 1.30m (4-3 1/4) respectively.

The trio also contested the long jump and finished in that same order as Charlton outleaped them with 5.23m, while Floyd did 4.87m for second and Barnett was third with 4.73m.

And Charlton completed her triple threat with her triumph in the 200m with her time of 12.28. Jaida Knowles, her team-mate, was second in 12.29 and Paige Stuart of the SunBlazers trailed in 13.13.

Oriakhi, a member of Club Monica, opened up with his triumph in the boys’ under-17 one-lap race in 50.72 as he out-classed the rest of the field that was followed by Deshon Joseph of the Heats Athletics from Andros in 52.92 and Reuben Cooper of Quick Step in 53.03.

Before he was done, Oriakhi did the same thing in the half-lap race where he dominated, stopping the clock in 22.58. His nearest rival was Andrae Lightbourne of the Bahamas High Performance in 23.55. Joseph had to settle for third this time in 23.60.

Quarter-miler Anderson showed her versatility as she sprinted to the line in 12.35 in the 100m on Friday ahead of SunBlazers’ Gabrielle Gibson (12.58) and Lakelle Kinteh (12.61).

Anderson came back on Saturday to take the 200m in 24.23. Tanae Dorsertt of the Star Trackers got second in 25.62 and Amber Taylor of the DTSP Wolfpack was third in 27.01.

Newbold, competing for Bahamas Speed Dynamics, picked up his first victory in the men’s open 400m with his time of 48.77 seconds as the first day of competition concluded on Friday night. His Bahamas Speed Dynamics’ team-mate Bradley Dormeus was second in 49.13 and Michael Stuart of the University of the Bahamas was third in 49.37.

On day two on Saturday, Newbold again crossed the line first in the 200 metres in 21.32 over Dormeus (21.73) and Yurick Dean of the University of the Bahamas (21.99).

Robinson, representing the Bahamas Speed Dynamics, sped to victory in the women’s open 100m in 11.99. Kristen Clarke of the Bahamas High Performance was second in 12.61 and Alexandria Strachan of the University of the Bahamas got third in 12.79.

Robinson added her double in the 200m when she clocked 25.42 for the win over Clarke, who did 25.88 and Gabrielle Shannon of the University of the Bahamas in 26.04.

Maycock, back home from school in Jamaica, doubled up in the open men’s throws. He won the shot put with a heave of 12.82m (42-0 3/4) over Ken Munnings of the University of the Bahamas, who did 10.93m (35-10 1/2). Maycock, competing unattached, was the lone competitor in the discus as he got a toss of 47.18m (154-9).

Adrian Curry of Club Monica was the winner of the boys’ under-20 100m in 10.94. Javughn Culmer of the University of the Bahamas was second in 11.41 and Lavardo Hendfield of Bahamas High Performance got third in 11.42.

Another double winner was Lanique Thompson. Competing unattached, she won the girls’ under-13 100m in 14.17 over Shayann Demeritte of Club Monica, who did 14.25 and Shakinah Finlayson of Silver Lightning with her time of 14.31.

Thompson added the 200m title to her collection as she finished in 28.72. Hailey Robinson of Kids Athletics was second in 29.23 and Malynte Clarke of BSD Juniors got third in 29.60.

Also on the field, Jamal Wilson won the men’s open high jump with a leap of 2.20m (7-2 1/2) as the lone competitor. Kyle Alcime had fewer knockdowns as his team-mate Benjamin Clarke as they both finished with a leap of 1.90m (6-2 3/4).

Dachya Stubbs led a sweep of the under-20 girls’ shot put for the Blue Chip Athletics with a toss of 10.69m (35-1). Latia Saunders got second with 9.32m (30-7) and Acacia Astwood was third with 9.19m (30-2).

Astwood, however, won the javelin with her feat of 39.44m (129-4), Stubbs picked up second with 31.93m (104-9) and Gabrielle Hanna of the Roadrunners was third with 27.61m (90-7).

Taylor Walters of Triple Threat Athletics took the discus with 37.84m (124-1). Saunders was second with 31.69m (103-11) and Angel Butler, her team-mate, was third with 25.14m (82-50).