Chris Brown Photo: Getty Images
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The BTC Scotiabank Olympic, World Junior and NACAC Under-23 Trials
promises to be one of the most competitive national meets ever.
Two of the country’s giant businesses got together to provide the
financial and marketing resources to provide a fitting send off for the
Olympic, World Junior, and NACAC Under-23 teams.
The last Olympic Trials in 2008 sponsored by Scotiabank was most
competitive. It was one of the best local competitions ever.
Donal Thomas Photo: Getty Images
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Last year’s BTC Sr. & Jr. National Championships in Track Town,
Freeport, Grand Bahama was more than stellar.
Now it has moved back to Nassau where the competition was supposed to
It will still be most exciting and competitive as Bahamian senior and junior
athletes attempt to make national teams, break national records, and settle
bets.
We have another preview of the competition you might find interesting
and informative.
Demetrius Pinder Photo: Andrew Coakley
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Ivanique Kemp
Kemp attended C.R. Walker Secondary School and now attends the
University of Arkansas where she is coached by Bahamian Rolando Greene.
Last year Kemp set a new National record in the 100m hurdles at
13.20sec and has tied it several times since. It was thought that the Olympic
qualifying time of 13.15sec was within reach for Kemp.
At the NCAA Championships in Iowa two weekends ago Kemp put all
together and ran a personal best and National record of 13.13sec, a “B”
standard qualifier.
Trevor Brown Photo: Getty Images
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This is historic because she becomes the first Bahamian woman to
qualify for the IAAF World Championships or Olympic Games in this event!
Her competition should include Tiavana Thompson the former National
record holder and Krystal Bodie.
Men’s 400m
For years this has been one of the most exciting and competitive races
of dMarch Pinder won the Silver medal in the World Indoor Championships in
Istanbul with Brown capturing the Bronze.
This outdoor season Brown has a best of 45.14sec and Pinder 45.15sec.
Brown has defeated Pinder in their Diamond League outing in Eugene,
Oregon. Pinder failed to show in New York City two weekends ago.
Then there is Michael Mathieu of Grand Bahama who set a new national
record in the 200m at 20.16sec and ran a personal best of 45.06sec, the best by
any Bahamian this season.
Demetrius Pinder dabbled in the 200m and ran 20.23sec.
Ramon Miller was second last year and has run 45.48sec this season
while running a 20.29sec wind aided half lapper.
Avard Moncur has run 45.86sec at Auburn early May. Junior O’Jay
Ferguson clocked 46.14sec at altitude in El Paso Texas in April.
The best opportunity for any of our 400m runners is in the 4x400m
relay which The Bahamas won the Silver medal in Beijing!
Will it be speed, experience, or youth that will prevail?
Junior Boys 800m
The Bahamas has had some good 800m runners in the last fifteen years
but both Senior and junior record holders have opted for the 400m, leaving
their records and event behind.
The senior record of 1:49.54 was set by Chris Brown at the CAC Games
in Maracaibo on August 17th, 1998.
The junior record of 1:52.27 was established by Ramon Miller in
Windsor, Canada on the 26th of July, 2005.This weekend in what
promises to be a monumental clash, Miller’s record is in danger of being
broken.
Ashley Riley, the Silver medalist in last year’s Carifta Under-17 team
at 1:53.07 should clash one more time with Eleuthera’s Andre Colebrooke, who
ran 1:52.93 in a near perfect run at the Atlantis National Junior Championships.
Riley defeated Colebrooke 1:54.70 to 1:56.87 at the Scotiabank
National High School Track and Field Championships in March.
Riley was ill at the Carifta Games and Colebrooke went on to win the
Bronze medal.
God News
On Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Classic organized
by Silver Lightening Track Club the Men’s senior team which was making a bid to
qualify for the Olympic Games failed to finish in the second attempt.
The good news is that the Bahamas junior team which will compete at
the World Junior Championships in Barcelona beginning July 10th ran
a new national record of 40.16sec, breaking the old record of Blake Bartlett,
Shavez hart, Delano Davis, and Trevorano Mackey by a tenth of a second. The old
record was done at last year’s Pan American Junior Championships.
Kenya Culmer
Kenya Culmer attends Southern Illinois University in Carbondale,
Illinois. This is the same university that Stephen Wray, former national high
Jump record holder attended some thirty years ago.
Culmer jumped 1.81m (5’11-1/2”) in Wichita, Kansas on May 11th
this year.
She is coached by James Rolle, former High Jumper and coach not Ryan
Ingraham.
This performance is just two centimeters off of six feet (1.83m). We
should all be paying attention to this event this weekend.
The Men’s High
Jump
This is the event in which The Bahamas has won two World Championships
and one Bronze medal. Troy Kemp won the Gold in 1995, Donald Thomas the Gold in
2007 and Trevor Barry the Bronze in 2011.
Thomas has a 2.35m (7’8-34”) best in 2007 and 2.28m (7’6”) this year.
Barry did 2.32m (7’7-1/2”) last year and 2.31m (7’7”) twice this year.
Ryan Ingraham took his National Junior record to 2.28m (7’6”) last
month and could be a spoiler in this event.
The Men’s Long
Jump
Last year the former Carifta High Jump standout Raymond Higgs jumped
8.15m (26’9”) making him the third best Bahamian Long Jumper after Craig at 8.41m (27’7-1/4”) and Obourne Moxey at
8.18m.
This year Higgs, at the University of Arkansas finished in third place
at the NCAA Championships with a 8.07m (26’5-3.4”) jump.
He has a wind aided jump of 8.34m (27’4-1/2”), the longest jump in the
world this year.
His challenger should be Rudon Bastian who has a wind aided best of
8.00m (26’0”). The young Higgs is capable of much more. You be the judge this
weekend!
The Women’s
Sprints
This may be the last time we see Golden Girl Chandra Sturrup competing
in The Bahamas. Both she and Debbie Ferguson-Mxckenzie,
Sheniqua Ferguson (11.07sec, 22.64sec) and Anthonique Strachan
(22.70sec) should battle for supremacy in the 200m
Whatever happens there is an excellent chance that there will be a new
National Junior record in the 200m next week.
Strachan broke Ferguson’s National junior record last summer and
Shaunae Miller tied it this year. The record is now 22.70sec.
Your Support
Needed
The coaches, administrators, corporate citizens and the Government are
doing their part to assist our athletes to do their very best this summer. The
only thing missing is you!
Please come out to support our athletes at this exciting and
competitive qualifying meet.
The competition to come should be remembered for many years!
