06292017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

Women’s national team set for Centrobasket

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ith limited time for preparation and a lack of resources at their disposal, the Bahamas senior women’s national basketball team has a quick turnaround to get ready for international competition.

National team head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was in the capital the last two days to assess the progress of the team as they get set to participate in the Women’s Centrobasket Championship, July 12-16 in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

“We have a lot of work to do.

Right now we are trying to make sure we can put the best team on

W

NATIONAL women’s basketball team head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

the floor so our challenge is making sure we have the players available and that has been a big challenge for us so far,” she said.

“But as far as our players, their energy is great and I just appreciate their commitment.”

Under McPhee-McCuin’s leadership, the Bahamas finished with the gold medal at the 2015 Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championship and will automatically qualify for the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Columbia.

Many of those players that have competed in the past two editions of the CBC Championships have been unavailable thus far for various reasons, and McPhee-McCuin is calling on increased funding to assist in facilitating a proper training camp.

“The team is all over the place.

You have Jonquel in the WNBA, you have players playing collegiate basketball. They’re not all here and if they were, forming the team would be easy. To be honest and transparent we need a little bit more help, whether it’s from the government or wherever.

“We can’t function in this limited capacity and compete on a high level. We need the resources to fly them down to work out and train.

If I had it my way, the core of our team would get together at least four times a year, just for a weekend to get together and train but we can’t do that,” she said.

“We haven’t been responsive or getting the help we need. We can only go as far as they support us, so

SEE PAGE 3

Bolt wins 100m at Golden Spike

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (AP) — Usain Bolt started the European leg of his final season before retirement with a victory in the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meeting yesterday.

At the meet where he has most frequently competed in his career, with nine appearances, Bolt reeled in the rest of the field after a trademark slow start to cross the finish line in 10.06 seconds.

However, he had to hold off a strong challenge from Yunier Perez of Cuba, edging him by 0.03. Jak Ali Harvey of Turkey was third in 10.26.

Bolt’s performance fell short of his season best of 10.03, which was clocked at the 100 and 200 world record holder’s final race in his native Jamaica on June 11. “I’m not happy with the time,” he said. “It wasn’t a good race, it was pretty slow.”

Bolt mentioned a back problem that slowed him, but downplayed its significance.

“I’m going to see my doctor (in Germany) soon, I know he will fix every problem,” he said. “All I need to do now is just to train hard and focus on getting myself into great shape. I’m not worried about that. It’s just my back, it’s always an issue. I didn’t get injured, that’s a key thing.”

The eight-time Olympic champion is preparing for the world championships in London in August, his final major competition.

Bolt said he liked the Golden Spike because it was one of the first professional meets that invited him to run at the start of his career, and he also ap-

preciated the fact that the stands were always packed - despite bad weather during some of his previous appearances.

In an emotional farewell after the race, fans held up coloured cards that formed a huge Jamaican flag in the stands, with a giant message: “THANX UB.” The Jamaican anthem followed, with Bolt singing along.

“That was a surprise,” Bolt said. “I didn’t expect anything like that. They always give me so much love here, I really appreciate that.”

The only other race he’s scheduled before the worlds is the Diamond League event in Monaco on July 21. He’s still undecided about other meets.

Other winners on Wednesday were Mo Farah and Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, who led home the rarely-contested 300 metres in a world’s best time of 30.81.

Farah claimed victory in the 10,000 in what was likely one of his last races on the track.

The British distance specialist, who defended his Olympic titles in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the Rio Games last year, plans to retire from track to move to road races after the worlds.

Farah held off a challenge from Kenyan Mathew Kimeli, surging past him with 200 metres to go to win in 27:12.09.

Kimeli clocked 27:14.43.

“I honestly hoped I could run a bit faster time, however the wind slowed me down even though we ran quite a fast race from the beginning,” Farah said.

Van Niekerk, Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400, won the 300 inside the previous best time of 30.85, set by

USAIN BOLT, of Jamaica, on his way to winning the 100m at the Golden Spike athletic meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Michael Johnson in 2000, in Pretoria, South Africa.

“I’m so pleased and grateful for the big achievement. I’m honoured to be a small part of history,” Van Niekerk said. “I have to rest a little but after that I hope I can continue to make baby steps to be better day by day.”

“I think he really wants to be a sprinter,” Bolt said about Van Niekerk. “He has shown that he’s ready for the challenge. For me, he’s on the right track. If he continues like this he will take over the track and field.”

Isaac Makwala of Botswana was second in 31.44, ahead of another South

African, Clarence Munyai, who clocked 31.61.

Olympic champion Thomas Rohler was in a class of his own, winning the javelin competition with a throw of 91.53 metres, only slightly off the 93.90 he achieved in Doha, Qatar, last month — which was the longest throw in more than 20 years. Fellow German Johannes Vetter finished second at 87.88.

Christian Taylor of the United States, the Olympic triple jump champion, won with a meet record of 17.57 meters.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast took the women’s 200 in 22.44, followed

by Alyssa Conley of South

Africa in 23.03 and Spain’s Estela Garcia in 23.17.

Germany’s Pamela Dutkiewicz remained unbeaten this season, claiming the women’s 110-metre hurdles in 12.72 for her seventh straight victory. Rikenette Steenkamp of South Africa finished second in 12.99 in her personal best time.

Kenya’s Benjamin Kigen pulled away with a lap to go to win the 3,000 steeplechase, clocking a personal best 8:11.54 to beat Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale and Hailemariyam Amare. Olympic steeplechase champion Conceslus Kipruto of Kenya was a lastminute withdrawal due to an unspecified injury.

VOLLEYBALL

Profiles, Page 2

JONQUEL JONES POSTS 2ND STRAIGHT DOUBLE DOUBLE

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JONQUEL Jones recorded her second consecutive double-double, but the Sun also suffered their second loss in a row and fell below .500 on the season.

Jones finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds in the Sun’s 87-79 loss to the defending WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks at the Mohegan Sun Arena Tuesday night.

Her rebound total included 10 offensive boards, a season-high mark for the second year forward.

The Sun were down by 19 and got to 68-61 early in the fourth, but could get no closer as Los Angeles scored the next eight points.

They look to recover and get back in the win column tonight as the franchise commemorates its 15th season in the WNBA. The Sun will host the Seattle Storm tonight in a game that not only has special implications for the teams, but for individual players as well as the leading vote-getters in each conference in the WNBA All-Star ballots will be announced.

Jones is having an AllStar calibre season, averaging 15.3 points, a leagueleading 12.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

To vote for Jones, the Bahamian public can take to social media apps Facebook and Twitter and post “#WNBAVote Jonquel Jones” to officially vote for the Grand Bahamian native.

The WNBA will take a three-tier approach to AllStar Voting this year which will include media, WNBA players/coaches and fans.

Fan voting, an all-digital programme, will conclude at 9pm on Thursday, July 6.

For the franchise, the 15th season will feature several means of commemorating the event.

Former players Katie Douglas and Nykesha Sales will answer questions at halftime and the team will distribute commemorative t-shirts with the names of the inaugural 2003 roster.

Sun President and CEO Mitchell Estes told the AP’s Doug Feinberg that the team has stood out because of its prosperity on and off the court while becoming a model for independently owned franchises.

“We were the first nonNBA-owned team and we were the first to make money,” said Etess, who is the team’s president and

SEE PAGE 3

HIGH JUMPER JAMAL WILSON ENDS UP IN TWO-WAY TIE FOR 3RD PLACE

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

HIGH jumper Jamal Wilson was the sole Bahamian competitor this week in the 56th edition of the Ostrava Golden Spike in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

His mark of 2.27m placed him in a two-way tie for third place with Majd Eddin Ghazal of Syria.

Sylwester Bednarek of Poland took first place and leapt to No.3 on the IAAF Top List with his mark of 2.32m. He was followed

by Tikhomir Avanov of Bulgaria at 2.30m for second place.

Wilson’s performance came just days after he won the national title at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations Aliv Open National Track and Field Championships.

He was one of four athletes to

attain the qualifying standards for the 2017 IAAF World Championships on a jammed pack final day of competition at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex.

It took a jump off with Donald Thomas, but Wilson emerged as the winner and 2017 national champion.

Wilson cleared 2.30 metres or 7-feet, 6 ½-inches that matched the qualifying height for Worlds.

But he was listed officially at clearing 2.25m (7-4 ½), the same height as Thomas, who got second.

Wilson has dominated the event on the local meet circuit with performances of 2.20 metres of 7-feet, 2 1/2-inches at the Silver Lightning Meet, 2.23m (7-3 ¾) and at the Roadrunners’ Dianne Lynn Thompson Classic.

Internationally this season, Wilson has also competed at the Bra-

zil Invitational where he cleared 2.20 metres or 7-feet, 2 ½-inches.

The former University of Texas Longhorn made his Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio, but was 13th in Group B with 2.22m (7-3 1/4), which placed him tied with two others for 25th place.

The Golden Spike Meeting also featured a number of significant highlights.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ran in his second 100m of the season and took first place in 10.09 seconds as he prepares to run in the final World Championships of his career this summer.

South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk broke the 300m world record previously held by Michael Johnson of the United States, with his time of 30.81.

Van Niekerk also broke Johnson’s 400m record at the Rio Olympics last summer.

BAHAMAS’ Jamal Wilson competes in the men’s high jump qualification during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 14.

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PAGE 2, Thursday, June 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

GO TEAM BAHAMAS! T

he Bahamas Volleyball Federation has selected a 12-member team, featuring two professional players, some savvy veterans and a few collegiate players, to represent the country at the CAZOVA Senior Championships for Men. The team, coached by Covance Mortimer and Lloyd ‘Ratty’ Davis, will be heading to Couva, Trinidad this weekend to participate in the tournament July 2-10.

Named to the team are pro players Byron Ferguson and Shonari Hepburn, veterans Printanique Wil-

son, Toney Simon, Glen Rolle and Jamaal Ferguson, collegians Eugene Stuart and Rajahl Moxey, along with JeVaughn Saunders, Javari Southard, Lorenzo Williams and Shedrick Forbes.

The Bahamas has been placed in Group E with Jamaica, Haiti and Barbados. The team’s opening game will be on Tuesday against Barbados, followed by Jamaica on Wednesday (July 5) and Haiti on Thursday (July 6).

The playoffs are slated to begin on Friday (July 8) and wrap up on Sunday (July 9).

GO TEAM BAHAMAS: Bahamas Volleyball Federation men’s national team coaches and players (three not present) at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium earlier this week.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

MEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM - PLAYER PROFILES Name: BYRON FERGUSON Age: 28 years Height: 6-feet, 6-inches Position: Middle hitter National team experience: 11 years Pro status: heading to France in September Expectation: “We have some different faces, but I think we are ready,” Ferguson said. “We just have to go out there and prove it.”

• Here’s a glance at profiles of the members of the Bahamas’ men’s national volleyball team who are all ready to head to Trinidad this weekend to compete in the CAZOVA Senior Championships next week.

Name: JAVARI SOUTHARD Age: 29 years Height: 5-feet, 10-inches Position: Setter National team experience: 10-12 years Expectation: “We want to come out with the victory,” Southard said. “The tournament can open a lot of doors for us so we want to do our best.”

Name: RAJAHL MOXEY Age: 20 Height: 6-feet, 4-inches Position: Opposite National team experience: 3 College: University of Charleston – West Virginia Expectation: “To work hard, really execute and focus on our efficiency,” Moxey said.

Name: EUGENE STUART Age: 20 years Height: 6-feet, 6-inches Position: Middle Attack National team experience: 1st year College: University of Charleston Expectation: “To win the gold,” Stuart stressed. “If we do everything that we set out to do and play with a lot of intensity, we should be able to pull it off.”

Name: LORENZO WILLIAMS Age: 25 years Height: 6-feet, 3-inches Position: Outside hitter National team experience: Third year “Expectaions: “To come home with the gold,” Williams said.

“We have a very good team to do it.”

GLEN ROLLE Age: 32 years Height: 6-feet Position: Outside hitter National team experience: 8 Expectation: “This is one of the most versatile groups that we have had in a long time so we expect to do our best, which is to win the gold,” Rolle said. “Anything else is a failure. “This one is for all the marbles because it’s worth more. It’s the World qualifier and for CVC, so as past champions, we want to reclaim what is ours.”

Name: JAMAAL FERGUSON Age: 31 years Height: 5-feet, 6-inches Position: Libero National team experience: 9 Expectation: “We have a pretty strong team,” Ferguson said. “We are a little more diverse in moving one of our middle players to the right side, which is a big game changer in volleyball right now.

Everything is about power.”

JAVARI SOUTHARD

GLEN ROLLE

EUGENE STUART

JAMAAL FERGUSON

BYRON FERGUSON

LORENZO WILLIAMS

JEVAUGHN SAUNDERS

SHEDRICK FORBES

RAJAHL MOXEY

TONEY SIMON

SHONARI HEPBURN

HEAD coach Covance Mortimer and Lloyd Davis (right), assistant coach.

“THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST VERSATILE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME SO WE EXPECT TO DO OUR BEST, WHICH IS TO WIN THE GOLD,” ROLLE SAID. “ANYTHING ELSE IS A FAILURE. “THIS ONE IS FOR ALL THE MARBLES BECAUSE IT’S WORTH MORE. IT’S THE WORLD QUALIFIER AND FOR CVC, SO AS PAST CHAMPIONS, WE WANT TO RECLAIM WHAT IS OURS.” — Glen Rolle, Eight-year national team player

Name: TONEY SIMON Age: 35 years Height: 6-feet, 2-inches Position: Setter National team experience: 11 Expectation: “Gold or nothing,” Simon said. “We have the players and we have the experience. So gold or nothing.”

Name: JEVAUGHN SAUNDERS Age: 27 years Height: 6-feet Position: Setter National team experience: Seven years Expectation: “We want to come home with the gold medal. We have a chance to qualify for the World Games and this is our first step in doing that,” Saunders said.

“If we can accomplish that in this tournament, that would be a good step forward for us.”

Name: SHONARI HEPBURN Age: 24 years Height: 6-feet, 7-inches Position: middle blocker National team experience: 5 Pro status: Played last season in Greece Expectation: “We want to win. I know a lot of the players from the other countries so I know what to expect,” Hepburn said. “But there’s nothing that we can’t do.

We want to win and qualify for the next round.”

Name: PRINTANIQUE WILSON Age: 32 years Height: 6-feet, 20-inches Position: Outside hitter National team experience: 12yrs Expectation: “I would like for the younger players who were implemented on the team this year to show what they really can do because they have the college experience and that’s an addition to the team,” Wilson said.

SHEDRICK FORBES Age: 30 years Height: 6-feet, 2-inches Position: Outside hitter College: Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida.Expectation: “I have very high expectations for the team this year as we have a more experienced team with many of the guys now in university playing at the D1 level and a couple professional athletes in Byron and Shonari that will assist with elevating the team’s level of play as a whole,” Forbes said.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 29, 2017, PAGE 3

Practice makes perfect WOMEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM IN TRAINING

WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM SET FOR CENTROBASKET FROM PAGE 1 hopefully, we can all come together so that we can do what’s possible with this team.

“This tournament, the challenge is it snuck up on us so we really are working within a month’s time and that’s the challenge.”

The tournament will feature the national teams from the Bahamas, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and will be broadcasted live on FIBA’s official YouTube channel.

“The Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCENCABA) is proud to announce the Virgin Islands as the host of our Women’s Centrobasket Championship 2017.

“This competition provides an important platform for women’s basketball throughout the region and we are confident it will be a successful event for the enjoyment of the fans of our sport in St Thomas,” said Ruperto Herrera, CONCENCABA President.

After the 5-day tournament, the top three teams will qualify to the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2017, to be played in Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 6-13.

The last edition of the Women’s Centrobasket Championship was played in Monterrey, Mexico, where Cuba captured the title with a perfect 5-0 record.

In the collegiate ranks, McPhee-McCuin and her Jacksonville University Jaguars came up just short in making consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament but earned a berth in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

The Dolphins received an at-large bid and ultimately lost in the first round to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

She led the Dolphins to 23 wins, which tied the school mark for most wins in a season, and they also had the best RPI in the conference.

In the 2015-16 campaign, McPhee-McCuin led the Dolphins to a 22-11 record, the A-Sun tournament title and their first NCAA Tournament championship berth in school history.

TRAINING DAY: Women’s national volleyball team members can be seen during a practice session at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Monday night.

While the Bahamas Volleyball Federation has selected a 12-member team to represent the island nation at the CAZOVA Senior Championships for Men in Couva, Trinidad, starting on Sunday, the women’s tournament is all set for July 26-31 when the Bahamas will be placed in Group D with Martinique, Trinidad & Tobago and Guadeloupe.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

JONQUEL JONES POSTS 2ND STRAIGHT DOUBLE DOUBLE FROM PAGE 1 CEO, in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

“We knew it would be successful. We didn’t go into it with any questions in our mind.”

The Sun has turned a profit each of the past six

seasons, impressive since the team has struggled a bit on the court lately, failing to make the playoffs since 2012.

The Sun made the playoffs in their inaugural season and made the WNBA Finals twice in the next two seasons, with losses both times.

GN1918

PAGE 4, Thursday, June 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

MLB CAPSULES NATIONALS 6, CUBS 1 WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched six sharp innings, Trea Turner had four of Washington’s seven steals and the Nationals beat Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs 6-1 on Tuesday in a showdown of the past two NL Cy Young Award winners.

Scherzer (9-5) struck out six, walked none and retired 16 of his final 17 batters. The right-hander allowed an earned run in the first inning for the first time since April and his streak of 10-plus strikeout games ended at six, but he was in control almost all night.

Arrieta (7-6) issued a season-high six walks and allowed five earned runs, getting the hook two batters into the fifth inning. Arrieta and catcher Miguel Montero allowed seven steals, matching the Montreal Expos/Nationals franchise record.

Michael Taylor had two hits and two RBIs for Washington, and Scherzer washed out the RBI triple he allowed to Kris Bryant in the first by driving in a run with an infield single in the fourth.

Chavez (5-8) was pulled in the sixth after getting into a jam, and Cody Bellinger greeted Jose Alvarez with an RBI single. Pederson hit his seventh home run two batters later.

The Dodgers have won 17 of 19 and lead the National League with a 52-27 record.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, CARDINALS 5 PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) — Chris Herrmann hit a game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning as Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat St. Louis Cardinals.

The surging Diamondbacks scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extra innings. They have won four in a row and 13 of 15.

Rey Fuentes opened the Arizona 10th with a single and advanced on a sacrifice by pinch-hitting pitcher Zack Godley. Herrmann singled off Matt Bowman (1-3).

Diamondbacks closer Fernando Rodney (2-2) pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning for the win.

RED SOX 9, TWINS 2 BOSTON (AP) — Chris Young hit a three-run homer, Christian Vazquez went deep for the first time in more than a year and the Red Sox beat the Twins in a game delayed twice by stormy weather.

Drew Pomeranz (7-4) pitched five effective innings for Boston, which won consecutive games for the first time in nearly two weeks. Dustin Pedroia had three hits and scored twice.

The Red Sox capitalized on three errors by the Twins and took over first place in the AL East, moving a half-game ahead of the slumping Yankees.

Hector Santiago (4-7) returned for the Twins after a stint on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder. He allowed two runs and one hit in two innings.

DODGERS 4, ANGELS 0 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda pitched fourhit ball over seven innings in a spot start, and Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer.

Maeda (6-3) was moved to the bullpen earlier this month, but filled in Tuesday to give the rotation an extra day of rest. He stuck out six and walked none.

Angels starter Jesse

RANGERS 2, INDIANS 1 CLEVELAND (AP) — Adrian Beltre hit his 450th home run, a solo drive in the ninth inning off Cody Allen that lifted the Rangers to the road win.

Beltre drove the first pitch from Allen (0-4) into the left-field bleachers.

The third baseman moved into sole possession of 39th place on the career homer list.

Keone Kela (4-1) stranded a runner in the eighth.

Matt Bush allowed Michael Brantley’s one-out single in the ninth while getting his 10th save.

Indians manager Terry Francona missed the game after his second trip to the hospital this month. Bench coach Brad Mills filled in for Francona, who is expected to return Wednesday.

WHITE SOX 4, YANKEES 3 CHICAGO (AP) — Jose Abreu hit a game-ending, two-run single off Dellin Betances, and the White Sox stopped a four-game losing streak.

Kevan Smith sparked the winning rally with a oneout walk. Betances (3-2) then walked Alen Hanson

WASHINGTON Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer delivers a pitch during the first inning of Tuesday’s baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Washington.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

and hit Yolmer Sanchez, loading the bases.

After Melky Cabrera fouled out, Abreu hit a grounder into left field.

Brett Gardner’s throw to the plate was high, and Hanson scored easily.

Abreu also had an RBI double in the third. Dan Jennings (3-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

New York wasted an outstanding start by Luis Severino, who struck out a career-high 12 while pitching seven innings of one-run ball. It has dropped three of four and 11 of 14 overall.

MARLINS 6, METS 3 MIAMI (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki had a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh inning to put Miami ahead, and Christian Yelich collected three hits for the Marlins.

Suzuki poked a pitch to the opposite field against Jerry Blevins for a 4-3 lead.

The 43-year-old Suzuki leads the majors with 12 pinch hits.

Yelich added a tworun single in the seventh.

Kyle Barraclough (4-1) got the win and A.J. Ramos pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 13th save.

New York’s Robert Gsellman left with a strained left hamstring after he pulled up trying to beat out a grounder in the third inning. The injuryplagued Mets have already had five starting pitchers on the disabled list this year.

Curtis Granderson and Travis d’Arnaud homered for New York. Neil Ramirez (0-1) got the loss.

ORIOLES 3, BLUE JAYS 1 TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Gausman won for the first time in four starts, Mark Trumbo hit an RBI double and Baltimore earned its third straight win.

The Orioles improved to 8-2 against the Blue Jays this season. Toronto lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Gausman (4-7) allowed four hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 9.20 ERA over his previous three starts.

Brad Brach gave up a two-out homer to Troy Tulowitzki in the ninth but held on for his 14th save.

Toronto right-hander Joe Biagini (2-7) allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings, losing for the fifth time in six starts.

ATHLETICS 6, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON (AP) — Ryon Healy’s first career grand slam broke a tie in the sixth inning, and Oakland held on for its fourth straight win.

The score was 1-1 when Matt Joyce singled to start the sixth. Yonder Alonso drew a walk with two outs to load the bases and chase Mike Fiers (5-3). He was re-

placed by James Hoyt, who was greeted with Healy’s 18th homer — a full-count shot which landed in the second row of the seats in right field.

A’s left-hander Sean Manaea (7-4) allowed a season-high nine hits, but just one run in 5 2/3 innings.

PHILLIES 8, MARINERS 2 SEATTLE (AP) — Maikel Franco and Arron Altherr homered for Philadelphia, and Aaron Nola pitched seven strong innings.

Franco opened the seventh with his 10th home run, sending a 1-0 pitch from James Paxton over the wall in left-center. The Phillies made it 4-2 in the eighth on an RBI single

by Freddy Galvis and then added four unearned runs in the ninth, capped by Altherr’s two-run homer.

Nola (5-5) gave up five hits, including Jean Segura’s two-run homer in the third. He struck out a season-high nine.

Paxton (5-3) gave up four hits in seven innings. He struck out nine and walked three in losing his third consecutive decision.

RAYS 4, PIRATES 2, 10 INNINGS PITTSBURGH (AP) — David Freese misplayed a grounder at third base, allowing Steven Souza Jr. to score in the 10th inning and sending Tampa Bay to the victory.

With Souza at first base and no outs, Wilson Ramos hit a hard grounder off Felipe Rivero (3-2) that Freese missed while trying to backhand. Adeiny Hechavarria added a sacrifice fly, giving him two RBIs in his first game since being traded from the Miami Marlins on Monday.

Tommy Hunter pitched the 10th for his first save of the season.

The Pirates were nohit through six innings by Alex Cobb, but Andrew McCutchen forced extra innings with a two-run double in the ninth.

TIGERS 5, ROYALS 3 DETROIT (AP) — J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera homered for Detroit, and Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings.

Verlander (5-4) was down 3-0 before getting an out, but didn’t allow another run as the Tigers won their second straight after an eight-game losing streak. He gave up nine hits, struck out six and walked one.

Justin Wilson pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

Matt Strahm (2-5) gave up five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings for the Royals.

REDS 8, BREWERS 6 CINCINNATI (AP) — Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the

fifth inning, helping the last-place Reds get the win.

Billy Hamilton, Adam Duvall and Eugenio Suarez also connected for Cincinnati, which scored its most runs in 19 games since Scooter Gennett hit four homers in its 13-1 win over St. Louis on June 6. Tim Adleman (5-4) pitched five innings and Raisel Iglesias got three outs for his 13th save.

Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun returned after missing 31 games with a strained left calf, but the NL Central-leading Brewers lost for the third time in four games. Braun went 1 for 5 with a double.

Travis Shaw, Manny Pina and Orlando Arcia homered for Milwaukee. Junior Guerra (1-2) set a career high by allowing eight runs in four-plus innings.

BRAVES 3, PADRES 0 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb struck out eight over six-plus innings for his first major league victory.

Atlanta has won eight of 10. Johan Camargo had a two-run double off the left field wall in the fourth to begin the scoring, and Atlanta added an unearned run in the eighth.

Newcomb (1-2) allowed six hits and walked one. He made his major league debut June 10 and has a 1.48 ERA through four starts.

Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin (6-7) pitched seven innings of two-run ball.

Jim Johnson struck out three in the ninth for his 16th save.

GIANTS 4, ROCKIES 3 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Denard Span singled home Gorkys Hernandez with two outs in the 14th inning, lifting the Giants over Colorado.

The Giants went cold after Kelby Tomlinson’s tying single in the eighth inning before rallying to win off Chad Qualls (1-1).

Hernandez lined a oneout double over the head of left fielder Ian Desmond.

After Qualls struck out Gearrin, Span hit a 1-0 pitch into right field, and Hernandez scored easily.

The Giants raced out of the dugout and chased Span into the outfield, celebrating their second straight win over Colorado after nine consecutive losses to their NL West rival.

Gearrin (2-2) pitched three scoreless innings to win after the Giants rallied from a 3-1 deficit.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 29, 2017, PAGE 5

Saul Niguez scores 3 for Spain to reach European U-21 final KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — Saul Niguez scored a secondhalf hat trick to fire Spain into the final of the Under-21 European Championship with a 3-1 victory over 10-man Italy on Tuesday.

Seeking its fifth title, Spain will meet Germany in Krakow on Friday.

Saul broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half.

With brilliant control of the ball, Dani Ceballos moved to the centre from the left flank, leaving several opponents behind, before presenting a perfect pass for Saul to net with a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Five-time champion Italy managed to answer with Federico Bernardeschi nine minutes later with a low shot from inside the area. Italy already had been reduced to 10 men after Roberto Gagliardini received his second yellow four minutes before the equaliser.

Saul, who become the leading scorer of the tournament

with five goals, didn’t waste time and added two more.

In the 65th, the Atletico Madrid player netted with a long distance, left-footed drive for his second and completed his hat trick in the 74th — again with a left-footed strike after capitalising on Marco Asensio’s pass following his break down the left.

For more than a half, the game looked little like the highscoring 2013 final between the two that Spain won 4-2 to win the trophy for the fourth time.

With clear goal chances missing, Spain looked dominant with Italy focusing on defence at early stages.

Lorenzo Pellegrini first tested Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the 22nd minute with a low attempt as Italy stepped up the pace with three straight corner kicks that followed.

Spain captain Gerard Deulofeu just missed the target, hitting the side of the net in the 31st.

SPAIN’s Saul Niguez celebrates after scoring during the Euro Under 21 semi-final soccer match between Italy and Spain at the Krakow Stadium on Tuesday.

(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

PICK 6: TRANSFER QUARTERBACKS WHO COULD MAKE A BIG IMPACT

By RALPH D. RUSSO Associated Press FLORIDA might have solved its long-running quarterback problem with the addition of Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire.

That move became official last week, and as a graduate transfer, Zaire will be immediately eligible. Zaire is no lock to be the Gators starter when they open against Michigan in Arlington, Texas, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Of course, if coach Jim McElwain and the Gators really felt good about redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks, then Zaire probably would not be going to school in Gainesville.

Florida is one of several schools likely turning to a transfer quarterback this season to lead their teams.

• Six that will be drawing lots of attention in 2017: Kyle Allen, Houston Allen was a five-star recruit who spent two seasons at Texas A&M before he bailed on Aggie-land drama. He sat out last season at Houston and now gets his chance to deliver on that pedigree and help the Cougars transition from Tom Herman to Major Applewhite as coach. In 19 games with Texas A&M, Allen threw 33 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. This looks very promising for the Cougars.

Max Browne, Pitt The former USC quarterback was a huge recruit in 2012. Yes, 2012. He waited a while to get a shot to lead the Trojans and then lost his

starting job to Sam Darnold in the first month of last season. A graduate transfer landed him at Pitt, where he will replace former Tennessee transfer Nate Peterman.

Browne’s talents should nicely match the pro-style system the Panthers run — with one caveat. Peterman thrived last year with Matt Canada as offensive coordinator, but now former Louisville and Texas assistant Shawn Watson is directing Pitt’s offence.

Brandon Harris, North Carolina Harris rarely looked like the four-star recruit he was out of high school during his three seasons at LSU, completing 53.7 per cent of his passes in 22 games (15 starts). LSU’s plodding offense did Harris no favours.

At North Carolina, the

Sun will celebrate their 15th season today

By DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press UNCASVILLE, Conn.

(AP) — It’s been 15 years since the Connecticut Sun joined the WNBA, and right from the start, Mitchell Etess knew the team could be prosperous on and off the court.

With the backing of the Mohegan Sun Casino, the team has flourished and been a model for independently owned franchises.

“We were the first nonNBA-owned team and we were the first to make money,” said Etess, who is the team’s president and CEO, in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We knew it would be successful. We didn’t go into it with any questions in our mind.”

While there might have been some concern with a casino owning a franchise, the WNBA didn’t have too many reservations since there was no sports book where you could bet on the league.

“We were able to manage the gambling concern because of the unavailability to bet on site for our sport,” former WNBA President Val Ackerman said. “The other factors were so overwhelming to let them be the first independent team.”

The Sun have turned a profit each of the past six seasons, impressive since the team has struggled a bit on the court lately, failing to make the playoffs since 2012.

“I think the business metrics from the beginning were solid,” Ackerman said.

“The ability to draw the UConn fan helped. Even when they didn’t have former Huskies on the team, the same fan would enjoy coming to see players roll through when they played for other teams.”

It helps having a self-contained venue that has park-

CONNECTICUT Sun Mitchell Etess. (AP)

CEO

ing, dining and an arena all in one place, as well as good marketing.

“They didn’t have to start from scratch building a support structure. To me it was the perfect combination,” Ackerman said. “To this day, it’s still unique in the sport marketplace.”

Etess said there was some initial pushback, but that NBA Commissioner David Stern handled it.

“The commissioner took the bullet,” he said.

There haven’t been any other casinos that have owned a sports team in any of the four major sports.

That may change in the future as pro teams have started to move to Las Vegas with the city getting an NFL and NHL franchise this past year. A few other WNBA teams have had sponsorship deals with casinos, including Phoenix and New York, but none are owned by them.

“It’s got to be the right model clearly for other sports and a few things would have to change for that to happen,” Etess said.

Connecticut has a natural fan base because of the success of the Huskies. The Sun have hosted the AllStar Game numerous times, as well as the WNBA draft.

Both of those events were extremely meaningful to Etess.

Today, the Sun will honour their 15th season with former players Katie Doug-

las and Nykesha Sales coming to the game and answering questions at halftime.

The team will give away commemorative t-shirts with the names of the 2003 roster.

Rebecca Lobo, who was on that inaugural team that moved up from Orlando, will call today’s game on national TV. She had fond memories of her one year with the Sun. “When I found out they were getting a franchise, my first thought was, ‘Could my life turn out so perfectly that I’d get to play there?’”

Lobo said. “A lot of us were thrilled to play for a franchise that wanted to do things the right way. They just didn’t have the time or the know-how right away.”

That first season was put together in amazing fashion as the team, which was previously in Orlando, was approved in January and the season started in April.

Etess and his group had to find a coach, players and a practice facility very quickly.

In stepped Mike Thibault as the coach — his first time in the WNBA. “I remember Day One sitting in the arena after my press conference and saying what had I just done,” Thibault recalled laughing.

“I hadn’t met any of the players, they had no basketballs, no uniforms and no confirmed practice site. I had a long list of what needed to be done, and we just start knocking them off.”

The team surprisingly made the playoffs. Connecticut made the finals the next two years, losing both times. They made the playoffs the first six years they were in Connecticut and then twice more, but still are looking for their first title.

“That’s the one thing that is missing, but hopefully we can compete for one soon,” Etess said.

spread offence Larry Fedora runs should be more to Harris’ liking. The graduate transfer missed spring practice, so he will have to win the job in preseason.

Fedora bringing Harris to Chapel Hill signals he wasn’t thrilled with the QBs already on the roster.

Will Grier, West Virginia Grier was last seen in Gainesville in 2015, giving Florida fans hope that he would be the Gators best quarterback since Tim Tebow. He was suspended for failing a test for performance-enhancing substances after six games, and then transferred out.

After sitting out last season, Grier is eligible for the start of 2017. Mountaineers fans

are excited, but it should be noted that Grier’s resumé includes four SEC games: one sensational performance against Ole Miss and three OK outings against Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri.

Tanner Lee, Nebraska The Tulane transfer won the job in the spring practice after sitting out last season.

Lee was a starter for two seasons for the Green Wave and his numbers were not good. He threw 23 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions and completed 53.5 per cent of his passes while playing as a freshman and sophomore on teams that had little talent around him. Lee seems a better fit for Huskers coach Mike Ri-

‘BIG 4’ GIVEN TOP-4 SEEDINGS AT WIMBLEDON, KERBER NO. 1 LONDON (AP) — The “Big 4” of men’s tennis were given the four highest seedings for this year’s tournament at Wimbledon.

No. 1-ranked Andy Murray, the defending champion, is the top-seeded player, followed by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Nadal and Djokovic are also in the top four of the ATP rankings, but Federer is No. 5. Third-ranked Stan Wawrinka, who has won the other three Grand Slam titles but not Wimbledon, is seeded fifth.

Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and Alexander Zverev round out the top 10 in the seedings.

In the women’s seedings, Angelique Kerber is No. 1 in a list that mirrors the top-10 rankings. The only exception is the absence of Serena Williams, who is pregnant and skipping the tournament. ley’s offence than departed starter Tommy Armstrong, but it’s fair to be skeptical about his ceiling.

Jarrett Stidham, Auburn Stidham was a 4-star recruit who started three games as a freshman at Baylor and looked pretty good (934 yards passing, six touchdowns and 63 per cent completions).

Stidham sat out last season, giving him plenty of time to learn Gus Malzahn’s spread offence.

Stidham is the most talented quarterback Auburn has had since Cam Newton, and the Tigers should provide him good weapons and protection.

Expectations are really high for Stidham.

Maybe too high?

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 29, 2017, PAGE 7

PACQUIAO CAMP PREDICTING ‘SHORT AND SWEET’ WBO TITLE FIGHT

By JOHN PYE Associated Press BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Manny Pacquiao isn’t saying it publicly, preferring not to dwell too much on landing a knockout blow.

His trainer, Freddie Roach, isn’t pulling any punches, though. Roach reckons the WBO welterweight world championship fight against Jeff Horn on Sunday will be “short and sweet.”

“Manny is in great shape,” Roach said. “He doesn’t like to predict knockouts, but I do. It’s going to be short and sweet.

“If Horn comes out likes he says he’s gonna, Manny will fire back. I think it’s going to be a great fight but it won’t last too long — someone will get knocked out.”

Pacquiao, who hasn’t won by knockout since 2009, said he has a few strategies to handle Horn, who is unbeaten in 17 fights since turning pro in 2013.

The 38-year-old Philippines senator has knocked

sparring partners down in training and said he’s feeling better than he has in a while.

Roach said the training camp has been more like a vintage Pacquiao preparation.

“The thing is, in sparring, we haven’t had knockdowns and knockouts in a long time. This time we did,” the legendary trainer said.

“Manny has been his old self, having fun and doing what he does best.”

Pacquiao said he likes to fight boxers in front of their home crowd, and recalled a similar bout with Marco Antonio Barrera at San Antonio, Texas, in 2003.

“I feel excited for the fight. Everything is all set,” he said. “I like to fight a home advantage of my opponent so that there are a lot of fans cheering for him.

That gives me a lot of motivation, determination and focus to win the fight.

“I’m not taking it lightly.

I’m seriously focused.”

The afternoon fight is being dubbed the “Battle of Brisbane” and will

BOXERS Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, second left, and Jeff Horn of Australia, second right, pose for a photo in Brisbane yesterday. Pacquiao, is putting his WBO belt on the line Sunday, July 2, against the 29-year-old Horn. (AP Photo/John Pye) ao’s camp has underestimated the Australian boxer by talking already about future rematches with Floyd Mayweather.

“I believe this fight will end in a stoppage. As much as I respect (Roach) for his wealth of experience — he’s trained more world champions than most boxers have had professional fights — I think he’s wrong,” Rushton said. “Where he’s talking about an early stoppage I don’t see that at all.

be staged at the outdoor Suncorp Stadium, with an expected crowd of more than 50,000 and in forecast sunny skies and a high of about 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit).

It will be broadcast live on the US east coast at 9pm on Saturday by ESPN, with Pacquiao’s handlers expecting the timing to expose the Filipino boxer to millions of new fans.

Horn’s trainer, Glenn Rushton, believes Pacqui-

“I see this going deep. I think it’ll be a late stoppage after a torrid war. I do think Freddie and Manny are underestimating Jeff ... (and) when they get out there, it’s going to be so different.”

Horn’s promotor Dean Lonergan also picked up on the theme, highlighting Pacquiao’s continual attention to his cell phone during Wednesday’s official news conference and describing the 11-time world champion Filipino fighter as a “world

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy with a shower

Mostly sunny

Mostly sunny

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

High: 92°

Low: 79°

High: 93° Low: 80°

High: 93° Low: 81°

High: 92° Low: 81°

High: 92° Low: 81°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

104° F

84° F

103°-85° F

105°-89° F

105°-88° F

104°-89° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

4‑8 knots

S

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

E

W S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

N

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 91° F/33° C Low .................................................... 73° F/23° C Normal high ....................................... 87° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 75° F/24° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 1.70” Year to date ................................................. 7.45” Normal year to date ................................... 13.32”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Low

Ht.(ft.)

12:33 a.m.

1:10 p.m.

3.1 2.7

7:02 a.m. ‑0.2 7:19 p.m. 0.3

Friday

1:27 a.m.

2:09 p.m.

2.9 2.7

7:56 a.m.

8:20 p.m.

0.0 0.5

Saturday

2:23 a.m.

3:07 p.m.

2.6 2.6

8:49 a.m.

9:22 p.m.

0.2 0.6

Sunday

3:18 a.m.

4:03 p.m.

2.5 2.6

9:40 a.m. 0.2 10:22 p.m. 0.7

Monday

4:13 a.m.

4:55 p.m.

2.3 2.7

10:30 a.m. 0.3 11:17 p.m. 0.7

Tuesday

5:05 a.m.

5:43 p.m.

2.3 2.8

11:17 a.m. 0.3 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Wednesday 5:53 a.m.

6:28 p.m.

2.3 2.8

12:08 a.m. 0.6 12:02 p.m. 0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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6:23 a.m.

8:04 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

12:03 p.m.

12:03 a.m.

First

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Jun. 30

Jul. 8

Jul. 16

Jul. 23

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map H

Ht.(ft.)

Today

CAT ISLAND

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Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

champion texter.”

For his part, the 29-yearold Horn didn’t mind it if Roach and Co. are expecting a knockout.

“I was surprised to hear them say that, actually,” the former school teacher said.

“If he’s looking for a knockout it always makes you vulnerable. If you look for a knockout, it usually doesn’t come and you leave lots of openings.”

Pacquiao said he never predicted how he’d win a fight, and said he only spoke about a potential rematch with Mayweather because he was answering questions about it from the media.

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 knockouts) explained that he was preparing notes on his phone regarding who to thank during the news conference and didn’t mean any offence.

He rejected any suggestion he was taking Horn lightly, saying he’d worked so hard in training at times that Roach had ordered him to stop, and he was ready to put his WBO belt and his reputation on the line.

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

7‑14 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

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8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots NE at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots

WAVES 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 84° F 84° F 85° F 85° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 85° F 86° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F

PAGE 8, Thursday, June 29, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Making a splash at the Nationals T he 46th edition of the Bahamas Aquatics’ 2017 RBC Swimming National Championships concluded four days of keen competition at Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre over the weekend.

The event featured standout performances from many of the top junior swimmers the country had an opportunity to witness earlier this year at CARIFTA, others who will swim next month at the Commonwealth Youth Games and the return of Olym-

pians and elite athletes. It was the first competition for Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace since her participation in the Rio Olympics. She closed out the competition with a win in her signature event - 50m free - in 25.80 seconds followed by the Texas Longhorns’ Joanna Evans, who was second in 27.16. Both are members of Swift Swimming.

Perez Moss (Alpha Aquatics) won the boys’ 15-and-over event in 23.76 followed by Gershwin Greene (Barracudas) in 24.14.

Other 50m free winners included Lamar Taylor in the boys’ 13-14 (Freeport Aquatics, 24.84); Jolise Newbold in the girls’ 13-14 (Orcas, 28.88); Ishan Roy in the boys’ 11-12 (Barracudas, 28.51); Rachel Lundy in the girls’ 11-12 (Barracudas, 28.93); Marvin Johnson in the boys’ 9-10 (Freeport Aquatics), Leylah Knowles in the girls 9-10 (Alpha Aquatics, 31.86), Maxwell Daniels in the boys’ under-8 (Dolphin Swim Club, 33.40) and Daniel Passion (Freeport Aquatics, 34.24) in the girls’ under-8.

SWIMMERS in action during the 46th Bahamas Aquatics RBC National Swimming Championships at the Betty Kelly Kenning swim complex over the weekend.

Photos: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff