SPORTS SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018
Bodybuilders selected for CAC Championships By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ollowing the completion of its Novice and National Open Championships, the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation has selected a 16-member team to represent the country at the Central American and Caribbean Championships. Federation president Joel Stubbs said the team, led by national coach Raymond Tucker and assisted by Leonardo ‘Nardo’ Dean, is all primed and ready to compete in the championships, scheduled for July 27-29 in Mexico. Named to the team are the following: Men’s bodybuilding - Paul Wilson, Charles Reckley, Giovanni Farrington and Reginald Bain.
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Women’s bikini - Tashara Seymour, Shakira Ferguson and Japhier Gardiner. Men’s physique - Terran Knowles, Raynor Ferguson, Alberto Armbrister, Gemo Smith, Jeremy Misciewicz and James Bain. Women’s wellness - Athena Bain Female Figure - Lyndsay Curry Muscular Men’s Physique Rashad Edgecombe Stubbs, who will head the delegation, said although some of the competitors will be making their debut, he expects that the team will give a good representation of the Bahamas and bring back some hardware. “I anticipate us to finish in the top three, even though we are carrying a much smaller team,” he said. “We still have the power and dynamics. We have some strong
competitors in just about every category. “We have three persons in the bikini team to represent the Bahamas, one in the women’s wellness, the men’s physique has a number of competitors who should do very well.” However, Stubbs said they won’t have a full men’s team in the bodybuilding competition, but he’s looking forward to Mr Bahamas Charles Reckley getting a chance to compete for the overall title along with Paul ‘Mighty Mouse’ Wilson and Giovanni Farrington. “We are hoping that these competitors can win their divisional titles and go on to compete in the pose down with a chance to compete for their IFBB Pro card,” Stubbs stressed. The Bahamas will have the luxury of taking two judges, one
of whom will be Charles Sealy, the chief judge, who will get to officiate during the championship. The other has yet to be named. Two other judges, the federation’s first vice president Kenny Green, and Lillian Moncur, will travel to sit their Continental Judging exam to be able to judge at the CAC and regional level. To help defray the expenses for the team’s travel to the championships, the federation is set to hold a Family Fun Run/Walk and Morning Boil on Saturday. The event will start in Rawson Square at 6am and finish at Better Bodies Gym in the Shirley Street Plaza. The registration is $15 for adults and $7 for children under 15 years of age. The Morning Boil Chicken Souse is $10. Awards will be presented to the first three finishers in each age group category.
Operators are champions
WE ARE NPWBA CHAMPIONS: The Bommer G Lady Operators defeated the Lady Cheetahs 80-73 to complete a three-game sweep for the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association championship title at the DW Davis Gymnasium last night. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff
ROCKETS guard James Harden gestures in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals last night. (AP)
HARDEN SCORES 30, ROCKETS EVEN THE SERIES 2-2 By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, California (AP) — James Harden scored 30 points, Chris Paul had 27 and the Houston Rockets sustained the latest second-half flurry by Stephen Curry, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece with a 95-92 victory last night. Curry scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 27 points and 12 rebounds but the defending champions missed their final six shots from the floor and their NBA-record postseason winning streak at home ended at 16 games. The Rockets shook off a 12-0 deficit to start the game and another big run by the Warriors in the third, then won it with defence down the stretch. Paul rebounded Klay Thompson’s miss just before the final buzzer sounded for the first time and pounded the ball down in delight. A replay review ensued and it was determined Shaun Livingston fouled Paul before the game ended, so Paul made a free throw with 0.5 seconds left. Curry couldn’t get off a final attempt before the buzzer. “I thought this is the highest level we’ve ever played defensively, without a doubt,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said, “because we’re talking about the best offensive team ever.” Game 5 is Thursday night at Houston. Golden State will play its longest playoff round after closing out its first two series in five games. Golden State got the ball with 1:27 to play down 94-91 and Thompson and Curry each missed contested 3-pointers. Golden State trailed 91-86 with 3:30 left following a pair of free throws by Eric Gordon, then Curry converted a three-point play moments later. Harden scored 15 points in the second quarter as Houston used a 25-7 run to take command.
BLTA team off to American Zone III Davis Cup tie this weekend By BRENT STUBBS to depart on Friday with Rolle coming from the Bahamas to join Senior Sports Reporter both Major Jr and Turnquest from bstubbs@tribunemedia.net Mexico where they are training THIS weekend, the Bahamas and Newman from Texas. “Our expectations for the team Lawn Tennis Association will send off its team to the American Zone is that they will do very well,” Weir said. “Not having SpenIII Davis Cup tie in Costa Rica. The Bahamas, with a world cer, Baker will be playing as the ranking of 99, will comprise of number one player on the team. player/captain Marvin Rolle, So we’re hoping to depend on Baker Newman, Philip Major Jr Baker Newman and Marvin Rolle to pull the team through. and Jodi Turnquest. “We are now in zone three, but The BLTA had to make an adjustment to the team due to an we are hoping that the team will injury to Spencer Newman, who pull through and get us back into was the top seeded player on the zone two. With Baker being the team, and college graduate Kevin number one player, we expect that he will be playing the singles along Major Jr. While Baker is nursing an with Philip. We know that with injury, Major Jr has decided to Marvin available to play doubles, take some time to concentrate on his experience should go a long his professional career, having just way in helping us out.” Rolle, 36, has been a member graduated from Seminole State of the team since 2001. He has Oklahoma. But BLTA president Darnett played in a total of 21 ties and has Weir said she’s confident that the compiled a 14-15 win-loss record team selected will get the job done in singles and 22-16 in doubles. Having captained the team for when the tie starts on Monday, May 28. The team is scheduled the last five years, including 2017
when the Bahamas lost 4-1 to Bolivia, Rolle said he would like to go at full strength, but he’s content with the squad that he has to work with. “I think our guys are prepared,” Rolle said. “Baker is still playing at the college level and PJ and Jodi are on the circuit, so even though they might be some young guys, they have the experience under their belt. “Baker had been on the team when we came out of zone three before so he has some experience under his belt to help us get out again. So we feel we will do very well.” As a tennis pro and coach here in the Bahamas, Rolle said it would be good if they can get some more funding to assist the players to get to more tournaments around the world to improve on their game. “They just need to get more tournaments under their belt because these guys are talented,” Rolle stressed. “But these guys are looking forward to it, so we
are going to go there and give it our best shot.” The Bahamas will have to finish in the top two in order to get promoted to zone II for 2019. At age 22, Major Jr has played in three ties since he began in 2012. He is still looking for his first singles victory, but is 1-1 in doubles. He also played on the team that lost to Bolivia last year. Newman, also 22, is back after missing last year’s tie because of school commitments. He made his debut in 2016 in four matches, going a perfect 4-0 in singles, including the clinching 2-0 win over Jamaica to advance to group two. As the newest member of the team, 24-year-old Turnquest has been one of the top local players in the country. He has played extensively in various tournaments in the Caribbean as a junior and a budding senior player. Fresh on the heels of the men’s trip, the BLTA will get ready to send the women’s team off to the
Fed Cup. The team, captained by Larikah Russell, will comprise of Kerrie Cartwright, Danielle Thompson and Simone Pratt. They will play in Guayaquil, Ecuador, July 18-21 against six other countries in two different pools with the two winners advancing to the American Zone Group 1 in 2019. “We are happy that we have our elite Fed Cup team back,” Weir stated. “Over the past three years, we had to resort to using the junior players, which was good because they got to wet their feet. “Now we have the elite players back. They won in 2013 in El Salvador and we feel that they can do it again.” In between those two trips, the BLTA will be sending a junior team off in the first week of July to the Dominican Republic. The team will comprise of three girls and three boys. “We will be quite busy over the next three months with our national teams travelling,” Weir noted.