Archer thrilled with team’s performance

Back home from one of the more successful performances from a national junior squad in recent memory, The Bahamas’ team at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-18 (U18), Under-20 (U20) and Under-23 (U23) Championships is now looking forward to continued progression and improvement.

A 35-member team won 42 total medals at the National Stadium of Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica, over the Independence Day weekend – that in itself speaks wonders.

The team won 17 gold, 18 silver and seven bronze medals. Young javelin thrower Nathaniel Zervos set a new NACAC under-18 boys record, turning in a toss of 67.96 meters (m) – 222’ 11” – in the javelin, breaking Keyshawn Strachan’s mark of 62.70m (205’ 8”) that was set at the 2019 NACAC U18 and U23 Championships in Queretaro, Mexico. Strachan himself broke his own junior and senior national records. Competing in the under-23 men’s division, he had a silver-medal winning toss of 72.13m (236’ 8”) to break the record of 71.62m (234’ 11”) he did at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium three weekends ago. Rhema Otabor was a record breaker, breaking her junior national mark in the girls javelin. She had a winning toss of 55.06m (180’ 7”) for the gold medal, breaking the record of 54.19m (177’ 9”) she turned in at the Hurricane Invitational at Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Florida, earlier this year.

Additionally, The Bahamas had double individual gild medal performances from Wanya McCoy, Tarajh Hudson and Camille Rutherford, double individual medal performances from Acacia Astwood, Carnitra Mackey, Terrence Jones, Charisma Taylor, Shimar Bain, Lacarthea Cooper and Kaden Cartwright, and five relay medals – one gold and four silver.

BAAA President Drumeco Archer said he couldn’t be more pleased with the team’s overall performance.

“Team Bahamas more than exceeded its expectations. Almost every athlete would have come back with a medal and I just want to congratulate all of them for their fantastic performances,” he said. “This is a testament to the kind of program that we continue to produce here in The Bahamas. I believe that the quality of performances speak wonders to the level of competition that there was in Costa Rica. This is a prelude of what’s to come at the world junior championships in Nairobi, Kenya. I’m looking forward to even better performances from our athletes.”

The World Athletics (WA) World Under-20 Championships is set for August 17-22, at the Nyayo Sports Complex in Nairobi, Kenya. Archer said given the performances in Costa Rica, he is confident that the junior athletes will represent the country well at the World U20s.

He gave credit to the coaching staff and medical team in Costa Rica as well.

“Under the guidance of our fantastic coaches, the athletes delivered some our best results of a junior athletics team from The Bahamas in history,” said Archer. “When you look at someone like Corrington Maycock, he has resurrected the throwing program here in The Bahamas, particularly on the junior side. He has been very purposeful in his approach in developing the throwing program, and because of that, we have had some of the best performances that we have had in the history of track and field in the throws. Maybe we could start looking at other areas. The middle distance and distance programs are a work in progress, but genetically, The Bahamas is one of the most talented countries in the world. I truly believe that.”

Throws coach Maycock, the Head Coach of the locally based Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Club, served as an assistant coach of The Bahamas’ team in Costa Rica.

Overall, a total of 263 athletes from 19 countries competed at the NACAC Championships in Costa Rica. The Bahamas placed third behind Jamaica and host country Costa Rica, which had significantly larger contingents. Each country at the championships won at least one medal.

“This bodes well for the future of athletics in this area,” said NACAC President, Bahamian Mike Sands. “We believe that NACAC is the strongest area of the six areas around the world, and it is through the athletes that we would grow from strength to strength so we are very pleased that the BAAA would have made the sacrifice to attend this meet, and to all of the other member bodies that would have participated. The future of track and field in The Bahamas, and indeed throughout the region, looks great. I just want to encourage these young athletes to continue along the trek that they are currently on.”

One of those young athletes in particular, Shavantae Roberts, is a Hurricane Dorian survivor. Hailing from Abaco, she endured the category five storm on her home island in September of 2019, and was forced to relocate to New Providence to attend high school.

Roberts, 17, eventually qualified for the World Under-20 Championships. She won a relay silver medal in Costa Rica, and added a fourth place finish in the under-18 girls 100m, clocking 11.90 seconds. She has a 

personal best, World Under-20 Championships qualifying time of 11.79 seconds.

“It’s been difficult moving away from my family and adjusting over the past two years – new school, new friends and the people, but I just hung in there and did my best,” she said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to succeed in track and field. I know that I could do it. I surprised myself when I qualified for the world juniors because there is a lot of competition out there, and with the injuries, I wasn’t sure if I would do it. To qualify, and then to go to NACAC, and perform like I did, it’s a good feeling and I’m happy and proud of myself.”

Tearing up, the standout junior performer who is headed to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, to compete for the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in the fall, said she has a lot more to offer and is looking forward to continued progression.

“I went to NACAC and just wanted to do something special for the people of Freeport and Abaco. Everything I do, I do for them – my parents and my family and I make sure put God first. I’m just very proud of myself,” she said.

Another Family Islander, Wanya McCoy, was a triple gold medalist at the NACAC Championships, winning gold in the under-20 boys 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay. He’s headed to Clemson University to compete for the Clemson Tigers in the fall.

“I just tried to have fun out there, and I was able to win three gold medals, so I’m happy with that,” he said. “I never knew that I would make it this far in track and field so I’m pleased with that and I just hope that I continue to improve and never give up.”

Many other Bahamian athletes in Costa Rica turned in season’s best and personal best times and distances, and also posted World Under-20 Championships qualifying times and distances.

Jamaica won the three-day meet with 67 total medals – 39 gold, 18 silver and 10 bronze. Costa Rica was second with 62 total medals – 19 gold, 20 silver and 23 bronze medals, and The Bahamas was represented by about half as many athletes as both Jamaica and Costa, but were still competitive, finishing with 42 total medals – 17 gold, 18 silver and seven bronze.

The United States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba didn’t participate, citing health and safety reasons for the most part.

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