Bahamian athletes continue to perform well

It was a busy weekend for track and field athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and among them were several Bahamians who came away with strong performances.

The Purdue University Boilermakers Tamar Greene successfully defended his Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships triple jump title in Champaign, Illinois. A wrist brace could not slow him down as he used his fourth attempt to leap for a season’s best 16.11 meters (m) (52’ 10-1/4”).

Greene is at number 20 in the NCAA Division I (DI) rankings. He now has his fifth career Big Ten medal and third gold medal.

The junior was able to hold off the University of Iowa Hawkeyes’ James Carter who posted a leap of 16.08m (52’ 9-1/4”) for the silver medal. Finishing third was the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers Papay Glaywulu after he posted a jump of 15.84m (51’ 11-3/4”).

After winning gold medals in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles earlier in the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Shakeem Smith picked up a third gold medal of the meet. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners senior did it in the men’s 4x100m when he and teammates Sean Bailey, Dennis Johnson and Jevaughn Powell turn in a season’s best time of 40.03 seconds to take home the gold medal.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers finished a close second with a time of 40.07 seconds. Finishing third was the University of Southern Mississippi Eagles who clocked 40.30 seconds.

University of Colorado Bears freshman Wendira Moss ran a steady final leg for her 4×400 relay team, helping them to pull off an upset at the Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Ogden, Utah. She and teammates Mackenzie Petit, Olivia Whitaker and Ruby Ann Gregory ran 3:44.30. They ranked fifth coming into the meet.

The Weber State University Wildcats were second after posting a time of 3:45.55. The bronze medal was captured by the Idaho University Vandals after recording a time of 3:49.15.

Moss, Gregory, Whitaker and Dawniell Lewis won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay after clocking 46.20 seconds. Winning that race was the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks when they recorded a time of 45.96 seconds. The Wildcats left with the bronze medal after crossing the finish line in 46.36 seconds.

Qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and securing gold medals in the 200 and 400m at the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Track and Field Championships in Tampa, Florida, was not enough for University of Houston’s redshirt senior Brianne Bethel. She went on to help her 4x100m team secure a gold medal and helped the 4x400m team win a silver medal.

She teamed up with Camille Rutherford, who is of Bahamian descent, Cecilia Tamayo-Garza and Tristan Evelyn for the meet and program record of 42.84 seconds in the 4x100m relay. They are ranked at number three in the NCAA DI rankings. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats were second after posting a time of 45.12 seconds. The Tulane University Green Waves took home the bronze medal, finishing in a time of 45.68 seconds.

Bethel anchored the 4x400m relay team of Zarie Dumas, Aliyah Taylor and Payge Side to a silver medal in 3:35.84. Winning the gold medal was the University South Florida Bulls with a time of 3:35.03. Crossing the finish line after the Cougars was the Southern Methodist Mustangs who ran 3:37.15 for the bronze medal.

Washington State University (WSU) Cougars’ senior Charisma Taylor leapt 13.37m (43’ 10-1/2”) to come away with a bronze medal at the Pac-12 Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Los Angeles, California.

Winning that event was the University of Oregon Ducks’ Dominique Ruotolo who posted a jump of 13.66m (44’ 9-3/4”). The University of Southern California’s (USC) Temitope Ojora placed second after posting a jump of 13.58m (44’ 6-3/4”).

Kyle Alcine helped his Kansas State University Wildcats secure two podium positions in the men’s high jump event when he came away with a bronze medal at the Big 12 Track and Field Championships. His school, located in Manhattan, Kansas, hosted the meet. Alcine was able to clear 2.11m (6’ 11”).

Alcine’s teammate Tejaswin Shankar won that event after he cleared 2.28m (7’ 5-3/4”). Coming away with a silver medal was the Oklahoma Sooners’ Vernon Turner, clearing 2.25m (7’ 4-1/2”).

At the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Track and Field Championships in Duluth, Minnesota, in the NCAA Division II (DII), Shyrone Kemp won the triple jump event. The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons’ sophomore recorded a jump of 15.03m (49’ 3-3/4”) to win that event with an NCAA DII provisional mark.

The University of Mary Marauders Astley Davis was second with a jump of 14.61m (47’ 11-1/4”). Rounding out the podium finishers was the University of Upper Iowa Peacocks’ Jaylen Hobson who posted a jump of 14.53m (47’ 11-1/4”).

In the high school ranks, Calea Jackson was victorious in the shot put and discus events for Rabun Gap School at the NCISAA (North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association) Division I State Championships in Cary, North Carolina.

The former Queen’s College student was dominant in the discus. She launched the device 38.1m (125’) and was the only competitor to throw over 30m (98’ 5”). Charlotte Christian’s Jordan Montgomery placed second with a throw of 28.14m (92’ 4”). Lucie Mahl from the Cannon School came way with the third-best throw of the meet when she threw 27.84m (91’ 4”).

Jackson went on to win the shot put event with a throw of 10.20m (33’ 5-3/4”). Sofia Rooney from the Cannon School was second with a throw of 9.87m (32’ 4-1/2”). Finishing third was Charlotte Christian’s Zaliyah Emmanuel who posted a throw of 9.53m (31’ 3-1/4”).

Jackson was a qualifier for the 2021 CARIFTA Games which is now canceled. She thanked all her coaches who have helped her on her journey.

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