By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

IT was another double dose of victory for the University of Tennessee’s javelin throwers Rhema Otabor and Keyshawn Strachan over the weekend.

The pair pulled off their victories at the Drake Relays at the Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, while a number of high school teams participated in the Penn Relays 

Otabor, 22, won the women’s javelin throw WACT with her best distance of 190-feet, 11-inches or 58.20m on her sixth and final attempt.

Her series of throws were 172-1 (52.47); a scratch; 189-6 (57.78m); 178-0 (54.27m) and 189-5 (57.34m).

American Madison Wiltrout was second with 190-9 (58.14m) on her first try for second place.

With a long season ahead of her, Otabor said she’s taking it one meet at a time.

“The weather was really nice, but we did have to change our time of competing and so it took a little bit of mental adjustment,” Otabor said. 

“But I feel like I’ve been in competition where I’ve had to make some adjustments, so it wasn’t such a big deal.

“But it wasn’t what I was hoping for in terms of distance. I definitely think I could do a little bit better because my series was a little bit all over the place. But it was just one of those meets and I just took what I got and will make the adjustments for next time.”

Otabor, whose collegiate eligibility is over, but is in grad studies at Tennessee, said the competition wasn’t as stiff  as she anticipated from their performances.This was just her second meet for the year and while she was more content with her first meet, Otabor said she expects her performances to improve, considering that she will be preparing to compete in a series of meets in Germany on May 24 and June 1 as she looks at qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September. 

The qualifying standard for Worlds for Otabor is 209-11 (64.00)m).

Strachan, a junior transfer from Auburn University to Tennessee, won the men’s javelin throw WACT with 265-9 (81.01m) on his second attempt. 

He opened up with 240-1 (73.19) and followed after his winning throw with a scratch on his third; 238-6 (72.71m) on his fourth; 238-4 (72.64m) on his fifth and 253-3 (77.21m) on his sixth and final jump.

Curtis Thompson was second with 265-4 (80.88m) on his second try.

Strachan, 21, is making his way back to form after having to sit out most of last year with an injury. 

He said he’s not allowing the pressure to get to him.

“I feel pretty good about this one,” Strachan said. “I didn’t have too many high expectations for the meet. The weather was cold, so I just went out there and gave it my best. No pressure. Just wanted to have fun.

“The competition was good. It was my first pro meet. It was my first taste of the competition. I know most of the guys from their college days, so it was a good meet competing against the professional athletes.”

While he didn’t qualify for the World Championships, Strachan said this performance puts him in the quota for the qualifying list, so as long as he continues to produce the marks in the 80m, he should be able to secure his berth if he doesn’t throw the qualifying standard of 280-6 (85.50m).

Also at the meet, Denisha Cartwright got second in the women’s 200m hurdles final in 12.98. She trailed American world champion Masai Russell, who won in 12.74.

Penn Relays

The St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, the Queen’s College Comets, St John’s Giants and Grand Bahama’s Jack Hayward Wildcats and Bishop Michael Eldon made their presence felt at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

SAC got a 1-2 punch and a 1-2-3 sweep from the Bahamas as CARIFTA silver medallist Dior-Rae Scott had the winning heave of 159-4 (49.56m) in the high school girls’ javelin championship on her sixth throw.

Scott’s team-mate Kamera Strachan came in second with 153-4 (46.74m) on her second toss. 

But on the track, the Big Red Machine had one of the performances to remember as CARIFTA multiple medallist Jahcario Wilson slipped and fell on the first leg of the high school boys’ 4 x 400m relay.

But he still managed to get back into the pack and passed off Jireh Woodside to Dylan Simon before another CARIFTA multiple medallist, Eagan Neely, ran down the field to win in 3:20.55.

In the high school boys’ 4 x 100m international race, the quartet of Nijae McBride, Wilson, Terrin Beckles and Neely ran 41.19 for second place.

In the high school boys’ 4 x 100m heats, the Big Red Machine was 33rd with the team of McBride, Rrent Ford, Terrin Beckles and Shevano Nixon ran 43.01.

The high school girls’ 4 x 100 international relay saw the team of Khylee Wallace, Bayli Major, Madison Moss and Caitlyn Smith was fifth in 47.90. In the high school girls’ 4 x 400m, Dean, Syrmiah Crawley, Daveigh Farrinton and Alexis Roberts clocked 3:50.27 for fourth place. And the Big Red Machine’s team of Wallace, Major, Moss and Darvinique Dean ran 47.41 for 13th in the high school girls’ 4 x 100m heats.

Also on the field, Demian Brice was 11th in the high school boys’ triple jump with 45-4 1/2 (13.83m) and Carlin Archer was 12th with 45-1 3/4 (13.76m).

Queen’s College had their best showing on the field as CARIFTA team captain and double medallist Annae Mackey got second in the high school girls’ shot put with 47-10 3/4 (14.60m).

CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs got third in the high school girls’ javelin championship with her beest toss of 146-10 (44.76m) on her third attempt. Davon Davis was fourth in the high school boys’ long jump championship with his best leap of 23-2 3/4 (7.08m).

And Ethan North was sixth in the high school javelin throw championship with his best of 187-4 (57.11m) on his second attempt. On the track, Queen’s College’s team of Zion Davis, Zion Miller, Leviticus Levarity and Andrew Brown ran 3:21.16 for second in the high school boys 4 x 400m relay in 3:21.16.

Everette Fraser, Ishmael Rolle, Daniel Strachan and Rohman Rolle were fifth in the high schools boys’ 4 x 100m international relay in 41.85.  The same team of Fraser, Rolle, Strahan and Rolle combined for  20th in the high school boys 4 x 100m relay in 42.40.

The Comets’ team of Brion Ward, Zara Fraser, K’Leigh Davis and Kei-Mahri Hanna ran 47.33 for 12th place in the high school girls’ 4 x 100m heats. 

In the high school girls’ 4 x 400m relay, the team of Hanna, Taylor Robinson, Alexandria Komolafe and Akaree Roberts was sixth in 3:54.01.

Grand Bahama’s Bishop Michael got a second place in the high school boys’ 4 x 100m relay in 43.30. The team of Dishon Dean, Alexander Coleby, Takeo Stubbs and Arcady Thompson ran on the team.

And the combo of Thompson, Dean, Stubbs and Coleby finished fifth in the high school boys’ 4 x 400m in 3:35.57.

Jack Hayward also from Grand Bahama competed in the high school boys’ boys 4 x 400m where they placed 11th in 3:28.50 with the team of Shawn McFlall, Lemorn Moxey, Tyrone Conliffe and Zion Shepherd.

St John’s out of New Providence was 10th in the high school boys’ 4 x 400m with the team of Isaiah Knowles, Cordell Munroe, Shawne Ferguson and Kayden McKenzie running 3:38.02.

And the Giants was also 95th in the boys 4 x 100m relay in 44.95 with the team of Makhi Wiliams, Maxwell McNeil, Aiden Musgrove and Kkyro Williams.