By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SHE’S only in the eleventh grade, but Dior-Rae Scott has been throwing the javelin to unprecedented distances for just an under-18 competitor.

The St Augustine’s College student, a member of the Blue Chips Throwing Club, will celebrate her 16th birthday on Thursday.

She had her lifetime achievement on Friday when she won the under-17 girls’ javelin on the final day of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

In the process, throwing the 500g spear, she had a toss of 49.83 metres to erase the previous meet record of 42.00m set by her teammate Kamera Strachan.

As it turned out, the distance was also a national under-18 girls’ record, shattering the previous mark of 47.68m that was thrown by collegian Rhema Otabor.

It’s also listed as the farthest throw by any female in the Caribbean for the javelin 500g in this age group and has now ranked Scott at number four in the world.

For Scott, who started playing softball and basketball, it wasn’t until she was in grade seven that one of the coaches at St Augustine’s College advised her of her strength and encouraged her to try the javelin.

“I didn’t know anything about the javelin at all,” she pointed out. “I throw it and I made it to BAISS and coach (Corrington) Maycock saw me and he got me totally involved in the event.”

Since joining his club in 2021, Maycock said for a thrower with such a small stature, she has improved tremendously.

“Dior-Rae has a huge heart. She’s a hard worker. As a coach that’s the only thing you could ask for,” Maycock stated. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work.

“But she works her butt off to overcome her limitation with her height. You can’t ask for anything more from an individual like her,

Having decided to take a break from basketball and softball to concentrate on throwing the javelin, Scott said she felt she made the right choice because it’s paying off right now.

“I knew I had a big PB (personal best) in me, but I didn’t know it was going to be 49m,” said Scott of the feat that came on her third attempt in the competition.

“I started off with a good warm-up. I felt good. I knew what I went there for and I had my mind set. Before the competition, coach just told me to rip the javelin because he knows I have it in me. I did exactly what he told me.”

With her mission complete, Scott said she was still in shock.

“The only thing I could say, thank you God.” Scott lamented.

And while she’s pegged at number four in the age group, Scott said the goal is to get to number one.

“Hopefully at CARIFTA (Games in Grenada over the Easter holiday weekend), I can get another PB and throw about 55m and that would get me to the top,” said Scott, who now prepares for the final CARIFTA trials this weekend. “My goal right now is to qualify for CARIFTA again at the trials and then I can get ready for CARIFTA.”

Maycock said prior to the BAISS Championships, Scott was in a rut, having hit a wall with a back injury.

But he was just as surprised the way she performed during the meet. When I saw the javelin leave her hand, I said ‘thank you Jesus,’ her back is good,” Maycock said.

“So we’re back at 100 per cent. The record was something she wanted to secure.

She wanted the under-17 record before she goes into grade 12 and she will only have one year to go for the senior girls’ record.

She’s definitely on the right path to venturing from high school to college.”

Having already produced a cadre of throwers, including open men and women javelin national record holders Keyshawn Strachan and Otabor, Maycock said he doesn’t want to be considered a “one-time wonder,” so he’s constantly improving his skills as a coach so he can share his expertise with his athletes as they continue to excel.

In addition to pursuing the under-17 record at CARIFTA, Scott revealed that another one of her goals is to make it to the World Junior Championships in the under-20 girls’ division. “I’m just going to see where God takes me,” she stated.

She said having someone like Otabor as a team-mate and the standard bearer to follow, she’s pushing hard every day. Otabor is the also the reigning NCAA outdoor champion.

With “God’s help,” coach Maycock, her parents, Hiltina and Daniel Scott, her older brother, Uymani, her aunt Aniska Adderley, other family members and friends, Scott said she will prevail.

“I’m looking forward to us having a great team to represent the Bahamas and I want to set that (CARIFTA) record,” summed up Scott as she prepares for the games, scheduled for Grenada over the Easter holiday weekend.

Proud mother Hiltina said the sky is the limit for her daughter under coach Maycock.

“I’m really ecstatic. Maycock has been able to pull out of her a talent that she didn’t know she had and what I didn’t even know she had as her mother,” she said. “I didn’t know nothing about the javelin. But I believe after she qualified for her first CARIFTA in 2022, we knew she was on to something.

“She was only training with coach Maycock for about 10 months. He did wonders for her. He has the best throwing club. It’s quite evident that his technique is working.”