SPORTS SECTION E
TOUR
THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017
Cycling, Page 8
Commonwealth Youth Games team named SPRINTERS By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net DERRON Donaldson, chef de mission for Team Bahamas, said the country can expect the local athletes to perform at their ultimate best as they compete in the Commonwealth Youth Games. During a press conference yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, Donaldson along with his assistant Emily Lowe released the official names of the athletes who will represent Team Bahamas in the nine disciplines. • The team is comprised of the following: Athletics men - Adrian Curry (100m); Joel Johnson (100/200m); Shaquiel Higgs (200m); Oscar Smith (110m hurdles); Denvaughn Wyhmns (110m hurdles and long jump); Corey Sherrod (400m);
Tyrell Simms (400m); Matthew Thompson (400m hurdles); Jordan Lewis (discus); Benjamin Clarke (high jump); Shaun Miller (high jump); Hughie Sean (javelin) and Michael LeShawn (long jump). Athletics women - Gabrielle Gibson (10m); Doneisha Anderson (200/400m); Wendira Moss (400m); Gabrielle Gibson (400m hurdles); Acacia Astwood (discus and shot put); Dachye Stubbs (discus and shot put); Latia Saunders (javelin); Taylor Walters (javelin); Lakelle Kinteh (long jump) and Amelia Peterson (long jump). Mixed 4 x 100m relay - Tyler Lightbourne, Marissa White, Joel Johnson and Kristen Major). Mixed 4 x 200m - Dachye Stubb, Shaqueil
Higgs and Joel Johnson. Mixed 4 x 400m relay - Doneisha Anderson, Correy Sherrod and Tyrell Simms. The 25-member team, with Kayvon Stubbs as a replacement, will be managed by Doris Wood. Greg Cash is the head coach. Beach volleyball men - Nathan Wert and Kyle Wilson. Beach volleyball women - LaTavia Braynen and Mechelle Moss. The two-member teams will be coached by Renaldo Knowles and managed by Crystal Forbes. Boxing team - Lennox Boyce Jr. The one-man team will be managed by Valentino Knowles and coached by Ray Minus Jr. Cycling team - William ‘Liam’ Holowesko. The one-man team
will be managed by Natacha Huyler and coached by Rowshan Jones. Tennis team men - Donte Armbrister. Tennis team women - Isabel Donaldson. The two-member team will be coached by Ceron Rolle. Rugby Seven’s team - Joshua Cartwright, Ramol Comarcho, Ty Dawkins, Reginald Kemp, Julian Laing, Keith McGregor, Maurice Moore, Tyson Moss, Nakyle Rolle and David Watson. The 10-member team, with Mileeke Kelly and Tyler Bain as replacements, will be managed by Don Butler with Karl Rodgers as the head coach. Beach football men - Dillon Burrows, Michael Butler, Gary Cox, Oakland Duncan, Cameron Flowers, Tevin Lewis, Jonathan Richardson, Chadwick Russell, Michael Saunders and Phieron
field without making a single field goal from three-point range. Nesbitt got the scoring started for the Bahamas with a floater, but Mexico scored nine unanswered, including one play where they stole an inbounds pass and finished with a three-pointer. Mexico went ahead by double digits on a Prado layup for a 14-3 lead with just under five minutes left to play in the quarter. They took a 23-10 lead after the first. “They were definitely nervous, had jitters and, because of it, we dug ourselves in a deep hole,” said head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. “We still have to find ways to rely on our defence. We lost our identity and tried to be an offensive team, but we just don’t have those types of players right now so we have to play better defence and grow up. We have not been together long so as I figure them out and figure out how to get the best out of them, I’ll do so but the attitude and effort, they have to bring it.” After trailing by as much as 17, the Bahamas trimmed the deficit to just 10 headed into the half. Mexico struggled through a drought which lasted nearly five minutes, and Neely’s hook shot trimmed the deficit to six (30-24). Castro finally broke the drought with a jumper at the top of the key to give Mexico a 32-24 lead at the half. Fourteen of Mexico’s made baskets in the first half came off 12 assists. They finished with 21. Like the first half, Nesbitt opened the second with a driving layup to again cut the lead to six. On one possession the Bahamas had six second-chance opportunities from steals and offensive
By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SPRINTERS in the 100 metres and 400m yesterday took to the track first for Team Bahamas at the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. Adrian Curry delivered the first standout performance for the Bahamas at the meet and advanced for a sixth-place finish in the Boys’ 100m final. Curry ran 10.86 seconds in a race topped by a South African duo on the medal podium with Tshenolo Lemao first in 10.57 and Retshidisitswe Mlenga second in 10.61. Tyreke Wilson of Jamaica was third in 10.65. Lemao became the first South African to win a world 100m title in any age division. In the opening heats, Joel Johnson was up first for the Bahamas, and he advanced as an automatic qualifier when he finished third in heat one in 10.77. Curry finished second in heat four and also advanced as an automatic qualifier with his time of 10.61. In the semi-finals, Johnson was unable to advance with a fourth place finish of 10.68 in the first of three heats. In heat two, Curry reached the final with a second-place finish in a time of 10.59. The Bahamas fielded a full slate of competitors in the 400m on both the boys’ and girls’ side. Doneisha Anderson took first place in heat one of the girls’ event in 54.36 to automatically qualify for today’s semi-finals. Wendira Moss ran 57.68 in heat two and was unable to advance after a seventhplace finish. Anderson will enter the next round with the third fastest qualifying time. Only Mary Moraa of Kenya (54.07) and Giovana Rosalia Dos Santos of Brazil (54.29) were faster in round one. Both Moraa and Dos Santos will run in the second semi-final while Anderson will be placed in the first. In the boys’ event, both Correy Sherrod and Tyrell Simms are through to the semi-finals. Sherrod finished fifth in heat one but his time of 48.79 was one of the “next four” group of qualifiers to finish outside the top four and qualify on time. Simms was an automatic
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Bahamas suffers 61-56 loss to Mexico in opener By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net he Bahamas overcame an 11-point fourth quarter deficit but their rally fell short, ultimately undone by a turnover problem that plagued them all game yesterday in the FIBA Centrobasket. Leashja Grant led the Bahamas with a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds but the team lost the tournament opener 61-56 to Mexico at the UVI Arena in St Thomas, in United States Virgin Islands. Phylicia Kelly and Shalonda Neely each finished with six points while Valarie Nesbitt added six. Daniela Prado led Mexico with 14 points, Maria Orozco, Jacqueline Luna and Alexis Castro each finished with 10 and Brisa Silva scored eight. The Bahamas entered the fourth trailing by seven, but Mexico would open with consecutive field goals to take a 52-41 lead. Pardo’s wing three maintained the 12-point lead 55-43 before the Bahamas went on a run. Grant sparked the run with a pair of free throws followed by layups from Neely and Kelly. Grant would convert a threepoint play on the next possession to cap a 9-0 run and trim the deficit 55-52 with 2:30 left to play. After the teams traded scores, the Bahamas had an opportunity to pull within one, or tie with a three, but turned the ball over with just over one minute left to play. Mexico would seal the game at the free throw line and on the offensive boards down the stretch. Outside of Grant’s scoring, the Bahamas struggled to find points and shot just 34 per cent from the
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LEASHJA GRANT led the Bahamas with a game-high 29 points and seven rebounds against Mexico yesterday in the FIBA Centrobasket tournament. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 4 Photo: 10thYearSeniors
BURN UP TRACK AT U-18 1AAF WORLDS
Tight end Mavin Saunders gives back to Florida community By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net FLORIDA State tight end Mavin Saunders continues to receive accolades for his contributions to the community off the field and his work in the classroom. In consecutive weeks, Saunders has been named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honour Roll and was also nominated to the Allstate Insurance Company/American Football Coaches Association 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. To receive the honour, students have to maintain a 3.0-grade point average or better in the classroom. For the second straight year, both Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference set records for the number of athletes on the academic honour roll. In total, 4,472 athletes from the ACC were honoured and 252
came from Florida they are in. In this area State. where Riley is, many Saunders’ nominaof those kids don’t tion to the prestigious have mentors to push Good Works Team them, challenge them comes based off of and help them to reach his contributions to their potential. I’m the surrounding comjust trying to help out, munity in Tallahassee, touch a few lives and Florida. do the right thing.” He served as a volSaunders was one unteer mentor at Riley of 146 nominees anElementary School in nounced for the 2017 SAUNDERS Tallahassee, Florida Allstate AFCA Good for the past 18 months. He began Works Team®, considered one of the initiative to earn extra credit the most prestigious off-the-field for a criminology course but has honours in college football. discretely continued his role well “I’m having a successful run, beyond the intended completion thank God for that, and I realised date of the mandated programme. that having a platform here, be“I took advantage of the op- ing a football player, I can have an portunity and I continued doing impact on the kids here because it outside of the class because I they love football. Everyone in realised the impact it had on the the city knows who you are, and few kids that I have been able to by me coming and talking to them reach out to. It’s important to help about other things other than those kids because of the situation football, it’s really shocked them
and helped a lot of them,” said the incoming junior tight end. The award has existed since 1992 aimed at honouring studentathletes with a dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others. “While players are often recognised for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community,” the group said in a press release. Once the final team members are announced in September, college football fans are encouraged to visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® website on ESPN. com, featuring profiles and images of the players, for the opportunity to vote for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. Throughout the season, fans
can also follow along and join in on the conversation by searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels. The Seminoles finished 10-3 last season, capped by a win over the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl. The 6’6”, 258-pound Bimini native finished his sophomore season with 10 receptions for 182 yards, both career highs. Saunders is expected to be listed as second on the depth chart behind fellow junior tight end Ryan Izzo. “After having all those playmakers leave last year, we knew we were going to have to step up,” Izzo said of the group of tight ends. “We’re going to get those opportunities, so I think me and Mavin teaching Tre’ [McKitty] the process of what we’re doing right now so he can get used to that role. I think it’s definitely a more experienced group.