By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

ATHLETES turned in winning performances to qualify for the 2025 CARIFTA Games at the second edition of the Red-Line Field Events Classic hosted on Saturday at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Event organiser Tito Moss was pleased to have another successful hosting of the event. 

“I am really excited about it and it has great potential because we are offering field events to kids that do not normally have the opportunity to do field events. We have club meets where kids are not offered any field events in the under-11 and under-13 divisions so it is very exciting to offer an event that gives kids an opportunity that is not very often offered.

“We have about 300 athletes that participated. We have a few of them who have qualified and requalified. The performances were really good and we found some kids blossoming in some areas that they did not know they had talent in,” he said.

Jade Ferguson, of Red-Line Athletics, went over the CARIFTA-qualifying mark of 2.60m in the under-20 girls’ pole vault event. She posted a winning mark of 2.75m in the event. Her clubmate Nevaeh was a distant second-place finisher at 2.15m.

CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs requalified for the CARIFTA Games once again in the under-20 girls’ javelin throw. 

Stubbs threw a season’s best 49.92m to earn the victory. Her heave was well above the CARIFTA standard of 39.75m. Her clubmate Dior-Rae Scott secured the second spot with a toss of 40.15m to also requalify in the event. 

Dahija Mesidor, of Jumpers Inc Global, came third with a throwing distance of 28.06m.

The top three finishers in the under-17 boys’ javelin throw event all eclipsed the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 44.95m.

Ahkeel Williams, representing Air Assault, posted a winning throw of 50.82m to requalify for the 2025 CARIFTA Games.

Air Assault’s Wyatt Cartwright also requalified in the event with a heave of 50.73m for second place. Sherman Ferguson, who competed unattached, turned in a throw of 45.00m for a third place finish.

Two jumpers hit the qualifying standards in the under-17 girls’ long jump event but their marks were wind-aided. The CARIFTA standard for the event is 5.45m.

Keely Deveaux, of Fast Forward, leapt to 5.56m for the first position in the event. 

Second place went to Taree Forbes, of Red-Line Athletics, with her final mark of 5.48m.

Her clubmate Caitlyn Smith settled for third at 5.24m.

The wind also played a factor in the under-20 girls’ long jump event.

Bayli Major emerged victorious with a wind-aided jump of 5.64m which was above the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 5.58m. 

Alexis Roberts, of Red-Line Athletics, placed second at 5.44m and Speed Capacity’s Synia Lockhart was third overall at 5.31m.

Demian Brice and Carlin Archer exceeded the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 14.29m in the under-20 boys’ triple jump event.

Brice, representing Bahamas Speed Dynamics, cleared 14.52m to win the event. 

Carlin Archer, PVS Sports, fell to the second spot with a jump of 14.35m.

Nicholas Knowles, of Jumpers Inc, was third in the event with a jump of 13.60m.

Annae Mackey, of Blue Chip, requalified in the under-20 girls’ discus throw event with a heave of 42.81m.   

The CARIFTA qualifying mark for the event is 40.36m.

Additionally, she placed first in the under-20 girls’ shot put event with 11.42m.

Javan Missick, of Panthers Track Club, came close to the CARIFTA standard of 1.87m in the under-17 boys’ high jump event. He soared to 1.80m to finish in first place.

Jahcario Wilson, of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, settled for second place at 1.75m. 

Dario Butterfield, of Noble Preparatory Academy, took the third spot at 1.60m.

Next up on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) calendar is the BAISS High School Championship set for March 5-7.