Track and field is back, taking place in New Providence with a couple meets this past weekend. That, along with an odd distance meet in Grand Bahama, represented the first time for competitive track and field in The Bahamas since the COVID-19 pandemic halted sports back in March.
The long break did not stop seven athletes from unofficially qualifying for the 2020 CARIFTA Track and Field Championships, set for April 3-5, 2021, in Hamilton, Bermuda. The performances are unofficial qualifying marks because the standards stem from last season, and haven’t been altered as yet. There is no telling if they will be altered.
The seven performances came in field events at the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Meet at the old Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium on Saturday morning. The second meet in New Providence was the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Odd Distance Meet at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in the afternoon.
The throwers who had the performances were Calea Jackson, Tarajh Hudson, Rhema Otabor, Carnitra Mackey, Kamera Strachan, Kaden Cartwright and Keyshawn Strachan. All are from Blue Chip Athletics. Head Coach for the club Corrington Maycock said he was happy to see the progress the throwers made, particularly with no access to an weight rooms during the pandemic period.
“It is an awesome feeling. In a way, I was happy with the COVID-19 situation because it changed our perspective on training. I do not like COVID-19 itself but it allowed us to do more technical work. We have not been in the weight room. The kids responded to the technique part of it. They did it on pure technique and no strength. When we get back in the weight room on Monday (today), I expect them to do a lot better,” Maycock said.
He added that he expects them to throw personal best marks as the season progresses.
Defending CARIFTA Champion in the under-20 girls (U20) javelin, Otabor, was brilliant as she threw 47.15 meters (m) (158’ 8-1/4”). The Florida International University (FIU) student-athlete made that throw on her second attempt, and easily surpassed the 2020 standard of 38.39m (125’ 11-1/2”).
Joining Otabor in that event was Mackey who threw a distance of 38.53m (126’ 5”).
Keyshawn Strachan was brilliant as usual as he threw the javelin 64.45m (211’ 5-1/4”), well above the 2020 CARIFTA qualifying mark of 60.94m (199’ 11-1/4”) in the under-20 boys division. He is a senior at St. John’s College.
Keyshawn’s younger sister, Kamera, met the 2020 standard of 34.36m (112’ 8-3/4”) for the under-17 girls javelin throw when she threw 34.47m (113’ 1”). However, she is too young to participate in CARIFTA.
Hudson is no stranger to the CARIFTA scene, having been a part of the team before. His throw of 53.66m (176’) was more than enough to surpass the 2020 qualifying distance of 52.13m (171’ 0-1/4”) in the under-20 boys discus throw.
Jackson was a qualifier for the 2018 CARIFTA Games held in The Bahamas but like Kamera Strachan this year, she was too young to be on the team at the time. Now with a chance to make the team, she wasted no time to surpass the 2020 qualifying mark of 36.88m (121’) in the under-17 girls discus. She had a best throw of 37.34m (122’ 6”).
Cartwright recorded a distance of 51.38m (168’ 6-3/4”) in the under-17 boys javelin throw. It was enough to put him over the 2020 qualifying distance of 50.65m (166’ 2”).
In the odd distance meet that afternoon, the other athletes got their competitive juices flowing. As the meet’s name suggests, it showcased odd events such as the 150m, 300m and 600m races which are not CARIFTA races. There were also the long, triple and high jump events but with a twist.
Olympic and CARIFTA hopefuls such as Kaiwan Culmer, Ryan Ingraham, Charisma Taylor, Tamara Myers, Anthaya Charlton, Otto Laing, Lecarthea Cooper, Paige Archer, Kendrick Thompson and Wanya McCoy all competed.
Culmer, who jumps under the Leap of Faith banner, participated in the open men’s triple jump event and working from a short run-up, he leapt 15.26m (15’ 0-3/4”). His goal is to jump at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games next summer. He was able to finish ahead of Keianno Rolle from the University of The Bahamas (UB). Rolle finished with a best leap of 14.15m (46’ 5”).
“It was good. I got two jumps in the same range which is good. The odd distance meet is a good meet to see where you are… The main goal is the Olympics. That is the only thing we see in front of us right now. It is what we have been training for and with everything else, once you shoot for Olympics, everything else will come,” Culmer said.
The 2021 Summer Olympics is set for July 23 to August 8, in Tokyo, Japan.
Culmer is looking to get into the gym and resume weight training.
Taylor, who is home on Christmas break from Washington State University (WSU), competed in three events – the long and triple jump, also the 150 meters race.
The Leap of Faith Club athlete was able to take down three other competitors in the long jump event in which she recorded a best jump of 5.59m (18’ 4”). Her teammate, Andira Ferguson, and Star Trackers’ Anthaya Charlton, finished tied for second with a leap of 5.20m (17’ 0-3/4”) each.
“This event is just to have fun and see where I am at,” Taylor said. “I haven’t done long jump in years, but for long jump, I felt pretty good about my form. This is a short approach so I felt if I did a long approach, I probably would have had a personal best. I felt really good about my form.”
Charlton said she is looking to work on her form so she can hold her jumps longer. She hopes to get a personal best of at least six meters (19’ 8-1/4”) in the long jump.
Taylor and Myers, both teammates at Leap of Faith, are looking to participate in the Olympics. They were the only competitors in the open female triple jump event over the weekend. Taylor finished first, posting a leap of 12.81m (42’ 0-1/4”). Myers was right behind her as she recorded a jump of 12.70m (41’ 8”).
Charlton got the better of Taylor on the track in the open women’s 150m race. The St. Augustine’s College (SAC) senior ran a time of 18.25 seconds to finish ahead of Taylor who ran 18.61 seconds. Laila Cleare from Fast Forward Athletics was third with a time of 18.67 seconds.
McCoy blazed his way to two wins in the open men’s 150m and 300m races. The Fast Forward Athletics athlete sped away in the 150m with a top time of 16.08 seconds. DTSP Wolfpack’s Lamont Moss was second with a time of 16.26 seconds. Antoine Andrews from Bahamas Speed Dynamics finished third with a time of 16.39 seconds.
In the 300m race, McCoy darted his way to victory when he recorded a time of 34.59 seconds. Andrews was second in this race as he finished the race in 34.92. Andrews teammate from Bahamas Speed Dynamics, Auston Clarke, grabbed the third spot with a time of 35.25 seconds.
The meet took on a different look as the BAAA looks to put on meets in line with the COVID-19 protocols as mandated by health officials in the country. There were no fans in the stands, but the meet was streamed online. Wearing of masks and social distancing protocols were in place. There was even social distancing on the track as there was an empty lane between the runners, creating more heats per race. The high jump bed was sanitized after each jumper. It is the “new normal” as in-person sports are slowly resuming. Last weekend, the Bahamas Aquatics Federation (BAF) held a two-day meet in New Providence.
Next up on the local track and field calendar is the T-Bird Flyers Track and Field Classic set for Saturday January 9, 2021, at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
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