By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The 32nd T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic was a success not only for event organisers but also athletes vying to compete at the 2024 CARIFTA Games scheduled to take place in St George’s, Grenada. Three athletes unofficially qualified for the regional competition at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Odd Distance Meet held late last year while more were added to the count over the weekend at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

After being unable to join last year’s historic 80-member CARIFTA team due to her age, Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas made sure to check all boxes this time around. The now 14-year-old athlete, who recently celebrated her birthday on Friday, got a sweet birthday treat when she unofficially qualified in stunning fashion for the under 17 girls high jump.

Thomas placed first in the event soaring to a height of 1.70m. Not only did she surpass the under 17 girls qualifying standard of 1.63m but she also cleared the 1.65m distance established for the under 20 girls. Additionally, she took home first place finishes in the 200m and 400m events in the same age group.

Thomas, who is new to the high jump event, was grateful to qualify early.

“I feel good, last year I could not go but I watched and felt like when I do go in I would do extremely well so I am proud that I can go in it this time. I just want to thank God for giving me the strength and allowing me to have an injury free competition. I thank my coach for teaching me what I did and for starting high jumps last year. I will do well at CARIFTA,” she said.

The rising performer’s expectations for her season is to drop her times so that she is able to medal in all events she plans to compete in at the 51st CARIFTA Games.

Joining Thomas in unofficially qualifying for the under 17 girls high jump was Alexandria Komolafe of Bahamas Speed Dynamics. She landed exactly on the qualifying mark with 1.63m for second place and a new personal best in the event. Paris Rolle, representing Leap of Faith, placed third with 1.55m. For the under 17 girls 200m finals Komolafe trailed for second in 26.66 seconds. The top three athletes smashed the previous meet record of 1.50m set by Koi Adderley in 2021.

Komolafe was impressed with her efforts at the two-day meet.

“I was very happy that I was able to qualify this early. I have been working really hard towards this for a couple months in the offseason trusting my coach, trusting the approach and trusting God so I am really happy I was able to qualify at the first meet,” the 14-year-old said.

Her expectation for the season is to continue to work towards getting better ahead of the CARIFTA Games.

Koi Adderley jumped past the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 1.65m in the under 20 girls high jump. Adderley notched 1.70m in the event to collect a victory and new personal best. She along with Tylah Pratt, of Andros Heats, bested Sheronika Simeon’s previous meet record of 1.40m. Pratt finished with a distance of 1.60m.

The newest CARIFTA qualifier shared how it felt to get the job done.

“It was a huge relief so that I can just focus on my other events and also my technique. After I cleared 1.65m I was relieved because that’s my qualifying standard but I really started to get excited when I jumped 1.70m because that’s a personal best for me. I got a little disappointed after I didn’t clear 1.75m because I was so close but that just means I have to work on my form a little bit with more practice but I will get it,” she said.

In the boys event, Jelani Morrison landed on the qualifying distance of 2.00m. Anthony Sweeting, of X-Treme Athletics, earned second and Jaidyn Brown, of the University of The Bahamas, fell to third. The top two finishers in this event said goodbye to William Hart’s meet record of 1.85m.

Annae Mackey and Cailyn Johnson both unofficially qualified in the under 20 girls discus throw. Finishing third in the event was Garette McIntosh of Quick Step Athletics.

Mackey blew past the standard of 40.36m after she earned 44.46m for first place. Johnson, who came second, pulled off a throwing distance of 43.80m to join the other CARIFTA qualifiers. Both competitors downed Shelby Knowles’ former meet record of 28.11m.

Mackey, of Blue Chip Athletics, is yet another athlete to meet the criteria from this respective club.

“I am grateful, just gotta trust the process in God’s timing. I followed through with what my coach said by executing and being aggressive and was surprised with my results,” she said.

Although she was successful in unofficially qualifying in the discus throw event, her focus will now shift to the shot put event where she hopes to earn a personal best over 50m.

Johnson was happy with her performance but felt she still has a lot left in the tank for the season.

“It definitely feels great to qualify but I also feel like I left a lot out there and next time I will come back with a better PB,”

“I got aggressive because I wanted to qualify and feel like I had the ability to do so I just went out there and did what I wanted to do. I have a lot of building left to do this season,” she said.

Jaylen Stuart, also from Blue Chip Athletics, not only unofficially qualified for CARIFTA with his throwing distance of 14.40m but also set a new meet record. He cleared the standard of 14.03m in the under 17 boys shot put and also Zyon Evans’ meet record of 10.05m. Kashawn Russell, of Andros Heats, came second with 11.63m which also cleared the previous meet record.

Stuart fell behind Lynwood Brown Jr, who set a new meet record, in the under 17 boys discus throw. The former notched a 29.98m distance in the event.

The under 17 girls javelin throw was a must see at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium. Kamera Strachan, who is now unattached, along with Dior-Rae Scott and Valiyah Farquharson all went over the qualifying distance of 25.00m. Strachan ended in first with a distance of 43.70m while Scott qualified for the second straight meet with 43.32m. Both ladies obliterated G’Shan Brown’s previous meet record of 28.81m in the event. The third place Farquharson sealed the deal with 26.45m.

Next up on the 2024 track and field schedule will be the DTSP WolfPack meet on January 20 at the original Thomas A Robinson stadium.