By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahamians showed up and showed out at the 51st CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada to return to the second city with multiple CARIFTA medals.

Grand Bahama’s top performers rounded up 10 total medals at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Grand Bahama native Joshua Williams left the CARIFTA Track and Field Championships as the only member of Team Bahamas to pick up two gold medals.

He collected his hardware in the under-17 boys’ long jump and high jump events. His performance in the long jump was particularly impressive as he progressed from not placing at the 50th CARIFTA Games to wearing a gold medal on the podium. He soared to a personal best of 7.03m in the long jump and 2.00m in the high jump.

Williams said it felt good to be taking two gold medals back to Grand Bahama.

“It feels good to get two medals for my hometown. Nassau has a lot more facilities and coaches than us but being able to get two medals coming from Grand Bahama makes me feel good,” he said.

The 16-year-old basketball player and field athlete was happy to get over the hump in both events.

“It feels good. Last year I only got one medal but this year getting two medals feels great.

“My jumps over time kept getting better. It felt good to get over the seven-metre mark in the long jump and 2m mark in the high jump,” the double gold medallist said.

Grand Bahamians took up the top two podium spots in the high jump event.

Claudius Burrows joined Williams to complete a perfect one-two punch.

Burrows finished the event with a 1.95m mark in his CARIFTA debut.

He described the feeling as a great one and was grateful for his CARIFTA experience.

“It feels great but getting my own medal in particular felt like overcoming a milestone. It was awesome. I got to see a lot of new things and explore the country,” the silver medallist said.

Keyezra Thomas was also a CARIFTA first-timer. She ran away with two silver medals earned in the under-17 girls’ 400m finals and 4x100m relay event.

She stopped the clock at 54.59 seconds in the quarter-mile event. She teamed up with fellow Grand Bahamian Kianna Henchell along with Khylee Wallace and Darvinique Dean. The quartet ended the relay event with a time of 46.28 seconds.

She talked about her performance in the 400m finals and how fulfilling it felt to medal at her first CARIFTA Games.

“The start was alright. It could have been better but I am glad and I thank God for allowing me to place in the top three for my first year in CARIFTA.

“I am happy about what I did in the 400m. I was a bit nervous but I just realised that I had to do what I gotta do and, once God is in my life, I can do anything,” she said.

Grand Bahama native Shatalya Dorsette teamed up with Nya Wright, Shayann Demeritte and Nia Richards in the under-20 girls’ 4x100m relay for a bronze medal. They ran a time of 45.40 seconds.

Dorsette, a CARIFTA veteran, expressed how it felt to be among the crop of Grand Bahmians to medal.

“It feels good to be honest because in Grand Bahama we do not have a lot of people on the team so I am glad, with the small amount of people we have, we are actually contributing to the team and medalling,” she said

Rizpah Thompson teamed up with Dean, Alexis Roberts and Jasmine Thompson to win a silver medal in 3:47.13 while competing in the under-17 girls’ 4x400m relay.

Shania Adderley claimed a bronze medal along with other relay members in the under-20 girls’ 4x400m event. The team ran 3:49.82.

Aaliyah Evans also picked up a bronze medal in the girls’ heptathlon (open) with a total of 4,181 points. She competed in the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m.

Shamar Davis posted an identical jump of 2.00m with Bernard Kemp in the under-20 boys’ high jump event for a bronze medal.

Eighteen Grand Bahamians were selected to Team Bahamas.