By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Queen’s College Comets have all intentions of dethroning the defending champions - St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine - at the 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championships and they appear to be on track to do just that.

For the second straight day of competition, the Comets are leading the charge with 716 points.

The Big Red Machine is not roaring too far behind with 701.50 points for second place.

The Temple Christian School (TCS) Suns are comfortable in the third spot at 260.50 points.

It is still a close battle for fourth between the Anglican schools St Anne’s Blue Waves and the St John’s College (SJC) Giants. The Blue Waves own the fourth spot with 138 points but the Giants are on their heels with 135.50 points.

Although the Comets are not entirely happy with SAC shaving a 30.5-point lead down to under 15 points, head coach Everette Fraser said it is still good to have the advantage heading into the final day of the meet.

“I feel good. It is always good to be in front so I feel good about it. I didn’t like how they closed the gap but it is what it is. We are going into day three in front and for me I am going to tell the kids it is zero to zero so we just have to execute tomorrow. 

“We have relays, 200m, 800m and hurdles so we have strong events. I am looking for the 200m and 800m to be our strongest events along with the relays,” he said.

Despite some minor hiccups in the sprints, coach Fraser remains confident that once his athletes execute there could be a new champion crowned today. 

“Tomorrow is a different day. Let’s just wake up tomorrow and see what happens. If the kids come out and we execute the relays we should be in a good position,” he said.

Athletes continued to hit the CARIFTA-qualifying marks in their respective events while also setting new BAISS records along the way on day two of the track and field championships.

Field Events 

SAC’s Bayli Major not only won the under-20 girls’ long jump event but also qualified for her third CARIFTA Games event in the process. She leapt to 5.65m for first place. Her mark bested the CARIFTA-qualifying standard of 5.58m. Placing second overall was her schoolmate Alexis Roberts who finished at 5.19m. 

Jamaya Rolle, competing for QC, dropped to third at 5.08m.

Major spoke about how it felt to get the win for the Big Red Machine. “It feels really good to represent my school well and take home a gold,” she said.

She has now qualified in the under-20 girls’ long jump, triple jump and 100m hurdles events this season.She said it feels great to have a shot at representing her country.“It feels really good to know I have a sure spot on my team and I have a chance to represent my country well,” she said.

Annae Mackey, representing QC, had a standout performance in the under-20 girls’ shot put event.

She posted a winning mark of 14.27m for not only first place but a new BAISS record and to surpass the CARIFTA qualifying mark of 12.49m.

The previous BAISS record of 13.52m belonged to Serena Brown and it was set on February 11, 2016.

Mackey was not only grateful to get the victory for QC but also to leave her mark in the shot put event.

“I’m feeling honored to be used in God’s glory and being able to leave my mark in shot put. It feels great to contribute and lead the team, especially for our younger athletes so they can feed off our energy and do their best out there,” she said.

Her schoolmate Farrah Saunders was a distant second place finisher at 9.02m. Third place went to Kamera Strachan, of SAC, at 8.91m.

Terrin Beckles, representing SAC, landed exactly on the CARIFTA qualifying standard of 6.51m for the first spot in the under-17 boys’ long jump event.

Kamron Henfield, competing for QC, came away as a second place finisher at 6.18m.

The Big Red Machine’s Daniel Hepburn was third in the jumps at 6.09m.

Ethan North pulled off the victory for the Comets in the under-20 boys’ javelin throw event.

He won with a heave of 52.58m. His teammate Ashton Moxey took the second position at 45.76m. Quinn Scott, of Nassau Christian School, placed third overall with his throw of 41.03m.

The Comets doubled up in the under-17 girls’ triple jump and discus throw events.

Tarjahnaye Green and Malia Strachan made the Comets look good in the under-17 girls’ discus throw event.

The former notched a throw of 31.31m while the latter posted a mark of 29.60m.

SAC’s Paris Leonce settled for third at 28.92m in the event.

Seraphima Maillis and Caitlin McWilliam provided the perfect one-two punch in the under-15 girls’ javelin throw event.

Maillis came first with her toss of 25.13m and her schoolmate dropped to second at 22.33m.

Shimya Wilson, of Charles W Saunders, rounded out the top three at 22.15m.

CARIFTA triple qualifier Jazae Johnson made some noise for St John’s in the under-15 girls’ high jump event.

The Giants placed first thanks to Johnson’s leap of 1.63m. Her recorded mark was just below the BAISS record of 1.65m set by Janice Ezegbunam back in 1997.

Taree Forbes came second for SAC with a jump of 1.54m. Logan Johnson, of Kingsway Academy, soared to 1.42m for third.

Track Events

The Big Red Machine won three out of the ten track events on Thursday evening. 

Jahcario Wilson, representing SAC, ran a swift time of 10.97 seconds in the under-17 boys’ 100m finals. 

QC’s Henfield clocked 11.02 seconds for the second position and Beckles came third at 11.25 seconds.

SAC’s Khylee Wallace was flawless in the under-20 girls’ 100m finals. She stopped the clock at 12.21 seconds along with QC’s K’Leigh Davis.

The Comets’ Shekinah Johnson clinched the final podium spot in 12.52 seconds.

Nijae McBride delivered for the Big Red Machine in the under-20 boys’ 100m finals. 

He held off QC’s Ishamel Rolle with his winning time of 10.94 seconds. Rolle was just a few steps behind at 10.97 seconds.

K’Juan Johnson, of Nassau Christian School, crossed the line third at 11.09 seconds.

Charles W Saunders’ Kyden Thurston picked up his second victory of the BAISS meet in the under-17 boys’ 3,000m event.

He executed a perfect run to finish in 9:44.85. The second best finisher was SAC’s Johanathan Marsh at 10:58.60.

His teammate Caylen Brown collected a third place finish in 11:02.21.

Thurston was pleased to get the victory for not only himself but also the Cougars.

“It feels good. I thank my coaches for being here. I am thankful for setting a new record between coaches and God. I did that. My strategy was just to run and keep moving forward. I didn’t have my exact strategy of what I could do but I just ran and went with God,” he said.

St Anne’s racked up a pair of wins in the 100m finals.

Philip Ferguson turned in a winning time of 13.93 seconds in the under-13 boys’ 100m finals. SAC’s Javari Edgecombe and Evan Deal clinched the second and third spots with times of 14.22 seconds and 14.24 seconds respectively.

The Blue Waves got another victory this time from Macnair Beneby in the under-15 boys’ 100m finals. Beneby bested his competitors with a time of 11.97 seconds.

SAC’s Zylen Burnside placed second and Jordan Prince William’s Khari Ramsey finished third.

SAC head coach Jason Edwards was happy that defending champions made up ground but expects it to be a fight to the finish line on the final day.

“Day two was a lot better for us, that means the field did a lot of work…We did a lot in the field today and we needed that boost,” he said.

“The mindset going into day three is the same thing we had today — cut into the lead, try to get it to zero and then just leave it all on the track,” he said.

If the ending of last year’s BAISS Track and Field Championships is any indication, this one will come right down to the wire between the Comets and Big Red Machine.

Day three commences at 9am at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Remaining BAISS Track and Field Results can be found on www.tekresults.net.