By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

CARIFTA bronze medallist Lanaisha Lubin has signed a contract for a full ride scholarship for the University at Albany in Albany, New York. She basked in the moment along with her family and friends, former coaches and officials yesterday at Empire Fitness Bahamas.

The long and triple jump athlete plans to study sports medicine at the division one school. She had countless offers from other universities but spoke on what drew her to the Albany Great Danes.

“The reason that I chose Albany is because I truly bonded with the jumpers’ coach that was recruiting me. I feel like his coach style is very similar to the coach I have been training with my entire life. He is very welcoming, bubbly and reminds me of myself a bit.

“The school itself is a beautiful campus and they have what I wanna study, which is sports medicine. The programme there is very good and there have been countless students that have graduated and are very successful in that area so I am sure I am gonna be good there,” Lubin said.

She was grateful for the coaches, family members and friends that helped her on the journey as a field athlete.

“To my previous coaches, I just want to extend my gratitude to you all. You’re very much the foundation of my track and field career.

“Coach Ingraham who introduced me to the sport, coach Clarke, who was my first club coach, coach Riley, who’s always there and coach Sears, who was my second club coach. I just want to thank you all for pouring into me for the time that you did. I hope you all know how important the role that you played in my life was to development and my overall achievements.

“To my mother, I thank you and I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you truly. To my family, thank you for being there for me and continually pushing me and lifting me up. I appreciate you guys. To my spiritual family, thank you guys for constantly uplifting me and being there for me and pouring into me, it’s appreciated. To my peers and friends, you guys are just as important as all my coaches and my supporters,” she said.

Denise Munroe emphasized the value of having a great support system in her daughter’s corner.

“A team gets you this far. It is not one person and God is first. Lanaisha’s father’s presence was not here but thank God for the finance backing because I could not do it without him. Lanaisha has a supportive brother and prayer warrior sister. Thank you all coaches and BAAAs,” she said.

Jamieson Pratt, of Jumpers Inc, was first introduced to Lubin in 2019 through DTSP Wolfpack head coach Larry Clarke. He said he knew she would be something special in the upcoming years. “From the minute I noticed this girl could bounce I was like she could do some serious damage in the years to come. We were really focusing on the long jump because the triple jump was out of the question but, when we worked on it, I was like she is gonna be my first CARIFTA qualifier in the triple jump so said, so done,” he said.

Recently, Lubin won the bronze medal in the under-20 girls’ triple jump event at the 51st CARIFTA Games. One year prior, she took home the silver medal at the 50th CARIFTA Games with a leap of 12.40m in the under-20 girls’ triple jump event.

“Moving forward I know she is gonna do much more things for The Bahamas, for herself and for the school she is attending. I am super proud of her. She has worked endlessly for it. I am proud of mommy Lubin, Jumpers Inc, Bahamas Speed Dynamics, and the BAAAs…I just want to wish her the best of luck and to keep pushing,” coach Pratt said.

Lubin’s final coach Daron Lightbourne, of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, said he knows that she will do well on the next step of her journey.

“I want to thank her parents, coach Jamie Pratt for introducing me to Lanaisha. I am thankful to her coach prior to me for getting her to this point. I just want to congratulate her on this journey. I am looking forward to her going to the college of choice and she will do absolutely best there. She was a great athlete to work with. It was a privilege and pleasure to have her with me for this year,” coach Lightbourne said.

Drumeco Archer, president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, said moments like this are what track and field are really about.

“Lanaisha has proven to be an outstanding athlete but I think that the proudest moment that we can all attest is that one can get beyond track and field and achieve excellence professionally. She has already made a declaration that she intends to become a sports medicine physician.

“I think that is just so good for our sport because it tells us that we produce more than just athletes. We produce gamechangers and people who will change this country.

“I am especially proud of Lanaisha because for every family there is also someone who will be the first. When I spoke to her father Samson, he indicated that this will be the first in his family to go off to university.

“I believe that’s a powerful message because it means that track and field has the ability to change the life of not only individuals but it’s an inspiration to the legacy of a family. This is what track and field is all about,” he said.

The 17-year-old will begin her college experience this fall at the University at Albany.