CYCLISTS USE TIME TRIALS TO GET IN GEAR FOR BAHAMAS GAMES

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama — In preparing their team for the Bahamas Games in July, the Grand Bahama Cycling Association hosted its time trials on Saturday.

Veteran Leebert Gibbs emerged as the fastest finisher of the 12-mile event, while Sylvia Bateman was the top female competitor and triathlete Launy Duncombe clinched the crown as the junior champion, albeit, he was the lone competitor in that category.

Gibbs, the eighth competitor out on the course, accumulated the fastest time of eight minutes and 46 seconds to out-duel the field of 12.

He noted that it was good to get the competition from the other competitors as they start to prepare for the Bahamas Games with the view of dethroning New Providence.

“Today, I didn’t have the opportunity to use my time trials gear, but I was still able to hold my pace, averaging about 26 miles per hour,” Bateman said.

“Coming back, I tried to tune it down a bit and I caught a couple people before I got to the finish line.”

Bateman, the fifth competitor on the course, did 29.34 for second place overall. She noted that she’s even more encouraged when she lines up to compete against the guys because her aim is to beat them.

“It was easy going into the wind, but when we turned around, it was a struggle, but I just wanted to get to the end,” Bateman said.

“I had to push myself because I have a speed that I don’t want to go below and so I just kept pushing.”

And Duncombe, coming off his victory in the Powerade Potcakeman

Triathlon at Jaws Beach on March 5, led the field out and came back in with the fourth fastest time of 30:46, just ahead of Bahamas Cycling Federation’s vice president Kenton Roker, who was third in 29:46.

“I felt my performance was decent, but not my best,” said the 16-year-old Duncombe.

“Normally when I ride my time trials, it’s more smooth and I pace myself so that I can come back strong. So it wasn’t my best performance, but I’m glad I kept my pace and was able to still finish off strong.”

The other competitors in order of finish were Curtis Fowler in fifth in 31:35; Celia Dubey, sixth in 32:00; Volvique ‘5-0’ Moreau, seventh in 33:56; Ricardo Bishop, eighth in 34:20; Smonia ‘Nono’ Moreau, ninth in 34:32; Michel Laroda, 10th in 37:10 and Heather Burey, 11th in 38:02. Rnadu Cooper didn’t complete the course.

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She grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. And after one, Emily Kiser was called for an intentional foul when she knocked Reese to the floor on a putback attempt. LSU had 18 secondchance points to Michigan’s 2, and although both teams shot 35%, LSU got off 68 shots to Michigan’s 46.

Leading by only a few points early on, the Tigers took over in the second quarter. Jasmine Carson hit three 3s for LSU, which had missed its first eight from deep. Her third put LSU up 23-9, prompting Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico to call timeout.

That stunted LSU’s momentum only briefly before Reese scored LSU’s next seven points on a short jumper, a putback, an explosive drive to the hoop and a free throw to put the Tigers up 30-15 at halftime.

ROUGH

START

The first quarter was a defensive struggle in which both teams looked prepared to exert as much physical force as official would permit. Reese took an inadvertent shot to the mouth under the basket. She continued intermittently rubbing her lip and looking at her finger tips to check for blood for much the quarter. Later, she lost one of her eyelash extensions while tangled up inside with Kiser and Leigha Brown.

Reese delivered punishment, too, flattening Kiser on a drive down the lane. Kiser drew the charge, but stayed down for several moments, placing her hand on the part of her upper body that apparently took the blow, before teammates helped her up.