By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THEY’RE not one of the top ranked track and field clubs, but coach Dexter Bodie said they are extremely proud to have three of their athletes making the Bahamas’ 80-member team that will compete at the Oaktree Medical Center’s 50th CARIFTA Games this weekend.

Selected to compete in the under-17 boys’ 100 metres is Trent Ford, while Tamia Taylor will compete in the 400m and Akaree Roberts will be competing in the 800m in the under-17 girls division.

All three athletes are making their first appearance on the team, but they are all confident that they will do very well. “I’m very excited because the last time I missed making the team by one second and now I am here and I am very proud of myself,” Taylor said. “I had more motivation and I had more of a push. I wanted to make this team and I did.”

Taylor, an 11th grader at St John’s College, goes into the meet from Saturday to Sunday with a lifetime best of 57.25 seconds, but she opted not to put a time on her performance, other than to say “I hope to make the top three and to make my parents, my coaches and my old pace teachers and students proud.”

The 16-year-old said she’s not concerned about any “pressure competing at home.” She noted that she just wants to go out there and perform to the best of her ability and once she does that, she will be “very content. I just want to do my best.”

As the lone male selected to the team, 15-year-old Ford, who has ran a personal best of 11.01 in the 100m and 22.5 in the 200m, said he can’t wait for the games to get started.

“I’ve already put in all of the work, so I just want to go out there and have fun,” he said. “I’m looking forward also to the competition from the rest of the Caribbean Islands.”

From a mental perspective, Ford said he’s there, but he’s still working on his physical aspect in time for the competition.

“With the crowd here at home cheering us on, I think it will give me more motivation,” he pointed out. “So I have to go out there and perform for the home crowd.”

Ford, an 11th grader at St Augustine’s College, said he wants to thank the people in Roadrunners who made him what he is today and he advised the Bahamian public to “come gold with us.”

Roberts, who will turn 16 on May 8, said her goal is to break two minutes and 16 seconds when she competes.

“I feel honoured and I’m very excited,” said Roberts, an 11th grader at CR Walker Secondary High. “It’s been a good experience so far. I got to meet and interact with some new people. I hope that I can meet some more new friends from the other countries and enjoy the competition.”

As for the team, she noted that she feels pretty pleased with her team-mates and she’s hoping that they all “perform to the best of our abilities.”

Bodie, who coaches all three athletes, thanked God for allowing the club to prepare the athletes for this transition in their youthful lives. He mentioned coaches Shawn Lockhart, Edwina Missick, Christian Black, Stephanie Stubbs, Cephas Whylly, Sara Mackey and Mildred Adderley for their efforts in assisting the athletes.

“At the end of the day, hard work pays off and we know they are going to do extremely well,” Bodie stated.

“I’m expecting Tamia in the 400m and Akaree in the 800m to really go out there and perform.

“I have high hopes for both of them, along with Trent.”

Bodie said all of the efforts of the athletes could not have been achieved without the tremendous support of their sponsors, including You Buy We Sell, D’Albenas Agency, Harrison Petty and the Colony club, William Delancy, Summit Insurance and Pastor Dianna Francis of First Baptist Church, for their investment in their young athletes.