By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

WITH one last chance to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo next month, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations has named a 37-member team for the North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships.

The championships will be staged at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex August 16-17 and will provide a final chance for athletes to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, September 16-21. 

The BAAA assembled its team following the completion of its National Open Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium over the weekend.

Although there are some athletes who have qualified in individual events, the BAAA is still hoping that they can get one or two relay teams qualified to compete in the World Championships.

Named to the team are the following: 

Men - Terrence Jones, Wanya McCoy, Adam Musgrove, Ian Kerr, Steven Gardiner, Wendel Miller, Alonzo Russell, Donald Thomas, Shaun Miller Jr., Keyshawn Strachan, Kaiwan Culmer, Laquan Nairn, Jonathan Rodgers, Samson Colebrooke, Lamar Williams, Gregory Seymour, Andrew Styles, Andrew Brown, Abner Johnson, Jalen Cadet, Kendrick Thompson, Kenny Moxey Jr., Jonathan Turner, Antoine Andrews, Oscar Smith, Rollie Hanna and Dennis Williamson.

Women - Katrina Stamps, Anthaya Charlton, Camille Rutherford, Printassia Johnson, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Rhema Otabor, Dior-Rae Scott, Anthonique Strachan, Javonya Valcourt and Denisha Cartwright.

Andrew Tynes, who will serve as the head coach, assisted by Rupert Gardiner, Patrick Adderley, Ronald Cartwright, James Rolle and Corrington Maycock, said it’s a very solid team with some of the top athletes in the country. “We have a lot of our very best competing, so I expect a lot of high expectations for the team,” he said. “As the days go on and we prepare for the meet, I just hope everybody stays injury-free and we go to Freeport and do the best we can.”

The Olympic sprinter turned coach said the team was just selected on Monday, so they didn’t have a chance to meet with everybody yet. But he said they hope to analyse who is available to run on the relay teams. “Once we figure that out, we can start working on our relay exchanges,” he said. “But this is a senior team and the relay team should not be that difficult because many of them have been through it in college or on the national team.

“We just need to get everybody to commit so they can assemble the tight combinations, they should be able to at least get the men and women 4 x 100m relay teams qualified.”

Attempts will also be made for the mixed gender 4 x 400 and possibly the men’s 4 x 400m, but Tynes said it may be more difficult for the women’s 4 x 400m. 

In any event, Tynes said the coaches will meet with the athletes and work out the best possible scenarios in trying to get the relay teams qualified for Tokyo with the deadline set for Monday, August 18.