08282018 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018

Valente jumps for gold

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

O

ne Bahamian athlete hopes to inspire others to continue their fitness regimen and competitive nature in sports, irrespective of age.

Kim Valente recently won a gold medal in the long jump at the British Masters Athletics Championships hosted at the Alexander Athletics Stadium in Birmingham, England.

A resident of the United Kingdom for the past 18 years, the 42-year-old mother of two credits her work as a volunteer and programmes by the UK government for revitalising her interest in the sport.

“My love for athletics has always been there and in 2013 I volunteered at our local athletic club to work with young talented athletes. My son was a member there at the time.

It was not until 2015, I started on a fitness regimen

Forty twoyear-old mother hopes to inspire others and ran almost everyday. In no time I became extremely fit and was feeling great! I was impressed on how the UK government encouraged older athletes to stay involved in the sports they once enjoyed as young adults and here in the UK there are many sports across all disciplines where masters athletes (those over the age of 35) can still compete at a local, national and international level.

“This encouraged me to go back to athletics, and

SEE PAGE 3

BAHAMIAN Kim Valente won a gold medal in the long jump during the British Masters Athletics Championships hosted at the Alexander Athletics Stadium in Birmingham, England.

Jones No.45 consensus four-star recruit

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMIAN prep basketball star Kai Jones has become one of the fastest rising prospects on the NCAA recruiting circuit and has now been listed as a consensus four-star recruit.

Jones was one of 11 new prospects on the list for ESPN’s updated rankings for the class of 2019.

The 6’10”, 195 pound forward/ centre has been listed at No.45 overall with a grade of 88.

His ESPN analysis reads: “An extremely athletic post player who is just scratching the surface of his ability. A hard working and active big man who shows touch facing the basket all the way to the three point line. Offensively he is more comfortable and effective playing a face up game in space.”

Thus far Jones has received offers from some of the most elite Division I programmes in the NCAA including Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa State, Oregon, Stanford, Syracuse, Texas, Vanderbilt and others.

A 4.0 student in the classroom, Jones will transfer to Brewster Academy in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, after spending the last season at Orlando Christian Prep in Orlando, Florida.

In his lone season with the Warriors in Orlando, Florida, the team finished the season at 21-9 and claimed the Class 3A boys basketball state championship.

Jones continues his meteoric rise up the recruiting charts for the class of 2019.

Earlier this summer, he was invited to the NBA’s Global Camp

Page 5

MORE MEN THAN WOMEN IN INAUGURAL FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK NOT as many competitors as anticipated showed up to participate in the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention men’s department inaugural Family Fun Run/Walk Race.

The early morning riser on Sunday was opened to the general public and it attracted more men than women. But men’s president Rev Stephen Ferguson said he was highly disappointed that there were hardly any competitors (male or female) from the Baptist community that came out and competed.

Mackey Williams and Eve Maycock-Dorsett were the overall male and female winners in the run that started from the Charles W Saunders High School on Jean Street and travelled south to Prince Charles Drive, east to Fox Hill Road, north to Bernard Road, west to Hillside Park and south back to the finish line at Charles W Saunders High School.

Thomas Minns and Michelle Munroe were the overall winners of the walk race that started in the opposite direction, leaving Charles W Saunders and

SEE PAGE 3

WHITFIELD RECEIVES HIS FIRST DIVISION I OFFER FROM PANTHERS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN prep basketball star Kai Jones makes a slam dunk. Jones has become one of the fastest rising prospects on the NCAA recruiting circuit and has now been listed as a consensus four-star recruit. in Treviso, Italy, and made an impression on some of the most notable names in the industry.

Bahamians will have an opportunity to see Jones in action at home this fall when Brewster Academy participates in the Caribbean Tip Off Classic. The event will be hosted by the Bahamas Basketball Federation in conjunction with the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

Scheduled for November 2-4, the inaugural event will be staged at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium

and will attract the best high school teams from the Bahamas, the United States and Canada.

Along with Jones, event organisers said they are hoping to attract six players in the top 150 in the 2019 High School class and two players in the top 150 in the 2020 class.

Putnam Science Academy from Connecticut, as well as St Thomas More, and Redemption Christian Academy, headlined by Bahamian coach Tristan Wilchcombe, are all

scheduled to be here to participate from the United States.

Heading the list coming out of Canada will be Crestwood Prep featuring Bahamian Romard Dean and British Colombia Christian Academy, featuring Samuel Hunter will also be coming in from Canada to play.

Additionally, there will be a team from Europe called the Helsinki Basketball Academy which has produced some National Basketball Association players.

NEW MOON RISES TO CHALLENGE TO CLINCH 5.5 METRE WORLD TITLE IN COWES NEW Moon, BAH 21, (Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov) has won the 2018 International 5.5 Metre World Championship at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, after a thrilling final day of racing in the Solent.

Marie-Françoise XIX, SUI 218, (Jürg Menzi, Jurgen Eiermann, Bo Selko) ended up second with Artemis XIV, NOR 57, (Kristian Nergaard, Kristoffer Spone, Trond Solli-Saether) in third.

The final day of the regatta began with sunshine and wind, but later gave way to several fronts rain and occasional strong winds.

Nevertheless it was a fitting end to a great and very competitive championship. It was very tight at the top with five boats clear ahead of the rest of the fleet and all looking for that elusive world title.

US OPEN,

Three of them had won before but two were in the hunt for their first title.

However, New Moon put it beyond doubt in Race 8 leading almost from start to finish to take their fourth race win of the week and clinch their first world title with a race to spare. The strong ebb tide made the left side the only place to be and they never looked in danger, being briefly passed by Caracole, SUI 214, (Bernard Haissly, N. Berthoud, Daniel Stampfli) on the second downwind.

With all the other main contenders far enough behind, New Moon had enough of a points advantage to secure the title there and then.

The other podiums positions were still wide open though. After

SEE PAGE 3

WORLD CHAMPIONS: Shown (l-r) are Peter Vlasov, Mark Holowesko and Christoph Burger.

AS he continues to make his transition to American football, Devanno Whitfield has begun to field Division I offers.

Whitfield, a defensive end in the class of 2019, has received his first offer from the Florida International University Panthers of Conference USA. This season, Whitfield transferred from Doral Academy to the McArthur Mustangs in Hollywood, Florida, along with fellow Bahamian standout offensive line prospect Marlon Johnson.

Whitfield was 6’4”, 240 pounds when he began playing the sport as a tight end, but has been listed at 255 in just three months.

Last spring, he has posted impressive performances at the Nike and Rivals camps and also at the Adidas 7 on 7 East Coast Regionals.

A former student at Anatol Rodgers, Whitfield was a member of the 2017 Centrobasket Under-17 team as a basketball player.

For his football talent, he has had several unofficial visits with FIU, FAU, Central Florida and the University of Florida.

Johnson has also been rising on the prospect lists in the state of Florida. The 6’3”, 285-pound guard has been spotlighted by several recruiting services headed into his senior season. This summer he participated in the Under Armour Big Man Challenge and the FIU Offensive/Defensive Lineman camp.

McArthur opened the 7A District 15 season last week with a 27-6 win over Flanagan.

PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 28, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

What is happening at the National Sports Authority?

WHAT is happening at the National Sports Authority?

In an era when government appointed boards are getting so much attention, there is more trouble on the board horizon as the National Sports Authority (NSA) seems to be in a state of total chaos.

On the heels of the BPL board saga, we have learned that the NSA has been broiled in what some close to them term as “nothing but drama.”

Reappointed chairman Vaughn Roberts has held the position since July 2017 but has been totally ineffective as chairman and has allowed the NSA to wander aimlessly without leadership or direction.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the chairman does not reside in the Bahamas and commutes once per month for a day to meet with the board and what management they have left. We have learned that they have had no general manager for more than seven months, no human resources manager for over a year and there has never been a deputy general manager for more than four years.

Further, the board which was at one point labeled as a highly skilled board has been the epitome of a dysfunctional group, having no leader and no one to help drive the process. It is not clear why the previous minister responsible supported the appointment of a chairman who does not even live here in the Bahamas and is only here one day per month to hold meetings, especially coming off such a high in the last few years.

According to one senior employee, “this is the worst I have seen it in years.

Morale is low, credibility has been lost and there is no real relationship anymore, we have lost some good people who made a lot of contributions to what the NSA has become, we don’t mind changes but we have come to a new low, as it seems like no one

cares anymore, at least the people we had here cared about the NSA and cared about the staff”.

The board members that were listed in the governments publication of boards by and large appear to be good people, just like the BPL board, but why they have not gotten their collective act together is a mystery to many. While it is not certain what the ills of the BPL board were, it is clear that the NSA board is in a total state of chaos. They have full representation from a cross section of the community yet, here they are in total dysfunction.

According to one of the board members, the NSA lacks leadership and vision and should have had a strategy by now, a business plan if you will. Today, there is no plan and we are living in a global economy where we are trying to run with the big dogs and yet we act like puppies, and that requires leadership and we don’t have that.” He went on to say that, “we have the best sports park in the region and what are we doing with it, we should be out there tell the world, inviting the world to come to see what can be.

On the other hand, whenever you have the board trying to tell the operations what to do and dictate day to day management of the operation, you will always have problems. If you are open for business, then you are open for business but you cannot have management being second guessed by the board when they are trying to do what the board says they should do.”

A senior member of the Ministry of Sports who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the NSA has had its share of challenges but they were working with the board to correct them. When asked specifically what some of those challenges were, the officer said, a lack of management in place for a very long time, in fact several senior management

positions remain open, and the board needed to be more proactive in assisting with making things happen so that the NSA can begin to focus on the larger plans.

Some of the major sports association leaders have also weighed in on the NSA and their state of affairs. A senior track and field official said that, while they were not a huge fan of previous NSA management, they have never seen the facilities so run down with no management oversight and staff that did not care or are being cared for.

and under equipped. That senior member also spoke of the minsters rush to fire the former chairman only to come back a short time later and apologize to him for acting without cause.

He went as far and hosted a reception complete with praise and worship so he could “big up” the former chairman in the eyes of the employees, but the damage was already done and many saw this action as a slap in the face. From that point on, confidence was in short supply in the minister.

It did not help that he had not plan for sports development hence he had no use for the NSA, nor

Another said that the previous minister (Pintard) forced changes at the NSA which were not necessary as quite a bit of positive things were done that were working for the entire country and gave the previous team kudos for their efforts considering the extent of political interference by the previous administration.

Many have criticised the former minister who is now at a different ministry for what many have termed his shortsightedness in developing good relationships with the sporting community and with the NSA. His attitude was very reflective of the administration’s attitude of aggression, distrust towards those they found in place. Rather than seeking to understand what was happening and working with them, he acted mean, bitter and angry, haughty and disrespectful in many ways.

Take a look at most of the leading sporting associations, none of them will tell you they enjoyed a good rapport with the minister nor the ministry as the ministry itself is undermanned

for his team according to the senior sports officer, he could not have been more wrong, sports is crucial to the development of any country, especially one like the Bahamas.

We have also learned that the minister was quite aware of the board dysfunctions, the constant absence of the chairman and chose to ignore the calls from various board members to address the matter, in fact, at least two board members have confirmed that they personally spoke to the minister on a number of occasions about the state of affairs but he did nothing.

We have also learned that under this chairman the board was allowed to have a sitting member who was not properly appointed but sitting in place of another member who could not take his place, we were referred to the Act which does not permit this. Truth is, that in accordance with the Act, the meetings held are null and void and any decisions taken by the board should be set aside as the board has an illegal member sitting on it. This was no different

LETTER TO EDITOR

than when the previous administration allowed the board to be expanded to accommodate the sitting PS to serve, receive the approved stipend and vote.

Quoting a former MP who recently commented on the reassignment of a senior foreign service officer with a stellar career to the post of PS at the ministry of sports as having been sent to the equivalent of a Siberian prison, one can appreciate that even among senior politicians an appointment to the ministry of sports is no considered a vote of confidence by our nation’s leaders.

The ministry and the NSA have its work cut out especially after the last minister lead the effort to cancel the world relays and withdrew financial support for most events. This means that the NSA has to really focus on getting it act together and in the face of this challenge, one wonders why they have lost sight of their reality.

Nonetheless, nothing is expected to change and the NSA does not appear to have the collective courage to make the necessary changes nor does it have a chairman who cares that under his watch the NSA has tumbled into the state it finds itself it.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that it is also the taxpayers’ dollars that underwrites this dysfunction as each member of the board is paid with tax dollars and in an era where we are minded not to waste money, the question needs to be answered as to why our leaders have not addressed this critical matter as yet. Members of the board appear to be content to collect their monthly stipends and do nothing for the Bahamian people.

It is hoped that with the new minister taking the reins, that some real decisions will now be made.

Another employee who is attached to the NSA, told us that, you always know what you have but you never know what you will

get, speaking to the changes that were made.

We also spoke with a member of the grounds crew who spoke quite openly about the fact that they don’t even know who is in charge at the NSA. We have confirmed that since the resignation of the former general manager, there has been very little done to fill that position and the other open positions at the NSA. Efforts have been made to reach the chairman of the NSA board but we were told that the chairman is not in.

However, there are several members of the board who appear to want to speak further but remain cautious about their comments, given our history of retribution.

Whatever the issues, it is clear that the NSA board and its chairman must be seen as taking their jobs seriously and trying to recapture the momentum that was lost. Sports were indeed working for the Bahamas and former minister Johnson recently said that; “we did a magnificent job of putting the Bahamas on the map through sports hosting and at one point had more than 17 events on our calendar showcasing this destination, you could not ask for more”.

With recent cancellation of the IAAF World Relays, and the governments new disposition on funding events at a loss, the NSA board will be hard pressed to find solutions to booking new events.

As of now, with no management in place, no leadership at the board and a completely dysfunctional board, low employee morale, many would agree that they have their work cut out for them, otherwise, the sitting minister should do what the minister with responsibility for BPL did, he should ask all of them to resign. If the Minnis administration were serious, it would also look into the NSA as well.

For the Bahamian People

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 28, 2018, PAGE 3

Three late round steals for Fantasy Football Drafts WITH Fantasy Football Drafts fast approaching, here are three late round steals that could bring you a championship.

Just have a look at the first name on my list. I put my money where my mouth is.

I took Tampa Bay RB Peyton Barber in the 9th round on Sunday night, in my first fantasy football draft of the season.

You can never say I don’t walk it, like I talk it!!

PEYTON BARBER RB - TAMPA BAY BUCS: Confirmed as the clear cut starter, third year Bucs RB Peyton Barber is a late round steal in fantasy football drafts.

Running with power, balance, patience and speed, Barber gutted the Lions’ starting defence for 34 yards and a touchdown on five carries on the Bucs’ opening drive in last Saturday’s NFL pre-season game.

What made the performance even more eye catching is that he ran behind a patch work offensive line, missing three starters, including both guards.

After an impressive 14-yard jaunt through the right side of the Lions’ defence, Barber sat on the bench.

His night was over — and his role as the ‘starter’ was locked up.

THE

FROM PAGE 1

PRESS BOX AZELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENIC

Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said: “We had initially planned to play him a little bit longer, but he looked so good on that first drive, you do start getting a little bit paranoid the closer that you get and especially with our offensive line being a little bit banged up, we decided to pull him.

“I just told Peyton that I thought he’d done what he needed to do. From now on we’ll just be getting him ready for New Orleans.”

The only real competition Barber has had was Ronald Jones, the Bucs’ rookie second-round pick.

Once considered a slam-dunk starter, Jones struggled for the third straight game to run without hesitation. He had seven yards on six carries, however he did blow past a Lions linebacker and caught a gorgeous 37-yard pass from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Barber will get plenty of work to start out until

TAMPA Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25) runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions.

(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

KIM VALENTE FROM PAGE 1

after a year’s training with my club - Aldershot Farnham and District, I started competing.”

Valente’s second act in track and field has also uncovered a versatility in a wide range of events she had never previously attempted in her youth.

“I train with the senior sprints team under the coaching of Masimba Musa and Joe Coe. By chance, I competed for the first time in long jump in April of this year in the Southern Athletics League (SAL) for AFD. A teammate of mine had pulled out of the event at the last minute and I was asked by our team manager to fill the spot. I was a bit unsure, because I never did long jump before not even as a young athlete and most of the athletes competing

Jones proves himself, he’s unlikely to see more than seven or so touches per game.

Barber now enters the late Round 6/early Round 7 discussion in all leagues.

Jones has faded fast into the Round 9 neighbourhood.

KENNY GOLLADAY WR DETROIT LIONS Golladay has been playing in two wide receiver sets opposite Marvin Jones and ahead of Golden Tate.

Now, don’t expect that to be the norm and Tate obviously excels in the slot.

However, Detroit wants to get Golladay on the field as much as possible.

Golladay showed flashes of his upside last year when he had four catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets against the Cardinals in Week 1, and he had two catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on three targets against Green Bay in Week 17.

And then there were nine other games for

SAN Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle warms up before a preseason game against the Houston Texans.

(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) Golladay where he had six Fantasy points or less, and he missed five games with a hamstring injury.

Hopefully he can stay healthy in 2018 and play at a more consistent level.

He’s definitely someone to gamble on at his current ADP of No. 136 overall.

GEORGE KITTLE TE SAN FRANCISCO 49ers Kittle led the 49ers in red-zone targets last year with 16, and he should have the chance to be a

DETROIT Lions receiver Kenny Golladay catches during a drill at the team’s football camp.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

at the SAL are half my age. But I did it, not expecting great results.

“To my surprise, I came second that day and earned our team 7 points. I enjoyed it very much and that result gave me the confidence to do it again. I did it several more times at other league track events.

However, my greatest achievement was winning gold at the British Masters Championships,” she said.

“Although my strength as a younger athlete was always the long sprints i.e 400m, I decided to try the 100m and 200m. Last year, I ranked 7th in the UK in the 100m in my age group 40-44 and 9th in 200m. This year I tried the long jump for the first time and discovered I have talent in this event which has now led me to the title of British Masters Champion 2018.

My coach and I will be working on a tough winter programme to get me stronger for the 2019 season. I will be competing in the European and World Championships next year where I hope to bring home the gold.”

MORE MEN THAN WOMEN IN INAUGURAL FAMILY FUN RUN/WALK

Born and raised in Nassau, Valente is the daughter the late Edwin Rolle Jr and Alexandra Rolle.

A graduate of St.Anne’s School, she displayed her athletic potential at an early age. Educational opportunities took her to Rust College in Mississippi followed by internship and scholarship offers that took her academic career to the UK. She was selected as a recipient of the Tambrands Scholarship Award of $10,000 and internship programme, given to African American students interested in pursuing a career in business. She followed with the Methodist Scholarship Exchange Programme to University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and Masters Programme at Trinity College, Dublin.

A former marketing executive for the Bahamas Tourist Office in England, Valente said she hopes her story can inspire others to follow a similar path.

significant factor for San Francisco this season. His pre season shoulder injury is fine for Week 1, which is the report after he was hurt in the first pre-season game against Dallas.

We will have to see if Kittle can pick up where he left off last season with QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

In the final three games of 2017, with Garoppolo under centre, Kittle had 14 targets for 11 catches, 194 yards and one touchdown.

He notched double digits in Fantasy points in standard leagues and scoring at least nine points in PPR in all three games.

I think Kittle is a starting option this year, and he’s a tremendous value at No. 133 overall.

If he’s healthy as expected, look for Kittle to have a big year.

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1. Comments and questions to naughty@ tribunemedia.net

“I wanted to share my story in an effort to encourage older women to pursue their passion in the sport, regardless of their age.

“I am 42 years old, a wife of 14 years and a mother of two children and I know it can be difficult for women to juggle family life, looking after the home and full/ part-time work all at once,” she said.

“However, athletics has given me a boost and the confidence to know that I can pursue my goals and passion at my age and beyond.

I feel that Masters Athletics does not get enough recognition and maybe because we are older, but we must not be forgotten! There are many ways to get involved in the sport, whether you are a complete novice, relatively fit and perhaps have been doing the sport for a long time.

“You only need to join a registered athletics club and start training and competing in local events at national and international competitions.”

headed north on Jean Street to Hillside Park, turn left and head west on Bernard Road, south on Soldier Road, east on Prince Charles Drive and west back on Jean Street to the finish line.

There was also a Pastors/Ministers category that was won by the Venerable Father James Palacious, who beat out Ferguson in a duel between the Anglicans and Baptists.

Other divisional winners in the run were Andrew Hepburn in the 15-andunder and Gary Brathwaite in the 70-and-over.

And in the walk, Anthony Garrison took the 15-and-under title, Stephen Ferguson Jr won the 19-and-under and David Prabhu was the 40-49 champion.

The Baptist men’s department intends to make the event an annual one, but may change the date starting next year.

Divisional winners Men’s Walk Overall winner – Thomas Minns 15-and-under 1. Anthony Garrison 2. Antoine Garrison 19-and-under 1. Stephen Ferguson Jr 40-49 1. David Prahbu 50-and-over 1. Thomas Minns 2. Ellis Bodie-Young 3. Samuel Clarke Pastors/Ministers 1. Father James Palacious 2. Rev Stephen Ferguson Women’s Walk Overall winner – Michelle Munroe 50-and-over 1. Michelle Munroe 2. Denise Strachan 3. Shonalee Ferguson Men’s Run Overall winner – Mackey Williams 15-and-under 1. Andrew Hepburn 19-and-under 1. RaSean Minns 40-49 1. Mackey Williams 2. Roy Sanchez 50-and-over 1. Randy Williams 2. Trevor Brice 70-and-over 1. Gary Brathwaite Women’s Run Overall – Maycock-Dorsett

Eve

50-and-over 1. Eve Maycock Dorsett

NEW MOON RISES TO CHALLENGE TO CLINCH 5.5 METRE WORLD TITLE FROM PAGE 1 beginning the day in fifth overall, Artemis XIV put the pedal to the floor in the final race, dominating the left side and after rounding the top mark behind Clark Kent, NOR 64, (Petter Fjeld, Peter Hauff, Christen Horn Johannessen) moved ahead and controlled the tricky race, with more dark clouds coming down and another front arriving just after the finish. It was enough to move them up to third, while a fourth and tenth places left MarieFrançoise XIX in second overall. After a poor start, New Moon showed why she is world champion, pulling through the fleet on each leg to cross in fourth.

The week’s early leader, John B, BAH 22, (Gavin McKinney,

Lars Horn-Johannessen, Mathias Dahlman), struggled all day and a tenth and a 14th was too high a price to remain on the podium and they dropped to fifth, while an eleventh and seventh kept Black & White in fourth.

Of the seven Evolution 5.5 Metres taking part, Joker, FRA 50, (Eric Polaillon, Adrien Polaillon, Antoine le Foyer de Costil) was the leading boat, with a narrow advantage over the beautifully kept Skylla, SUI 182, (Andre Bernheim, Alex Bernheim, Urs Werner). Carabella, ITA 73, (Alfredo Delli, Gianluca Marolli, Claudio Mazzanti) was the first of the two Classics. Both boats had previously won their respective cups last week.

Holowesko spoke about finally winning the title.

“There have been a lot of

close calls on the world championship. We’ve had a lot of bad luck. But nothing went terribly wrong in this regatta and that’s a big help.

We were six points up with two days to go last year.

This year we were six points down with two days to go, and we won and that’s a very good feeling.”

He paid tribute to his crew. “These guys are really fantastic. I am really proud to sail with these guys. They do so much on and off the boat, and in between races.

Very professional but also it’s an incredible amount of fun. We’ve always enjoyed ourselves sailing together.

These guys dragged me into this class and drag me around the race course. It’s just been a blast.”

Front man Vlasov could not quite believe it. “We are world champions. That’s a big thing. Winning the

2018 world championship in Cowes is an incredibly wonderful thing to have happened to us, because it is Cowes. I have been in the class for almost 20 years now and I have come close a couple of times. To win it and win it here and also know that next year for the 100th anniversary of the Scandinavian Gold Cup, we get to sail and represent The Bahamas, and sail the Gold Cup in Helsinki, where it originated so it’s very, very exciting times for us in New Moon.”

Burger said: “This whole week was so incredibly close and you would have to get all the mental, all the current, a bit off what you would expect and have one upwind that didn’t turn out the way you expect and the whole mindset and confidence can change so rapidly.”

He said their preparation and confidence was the key to their success this week.

“We got our act together, we took the right decisions before the regatta, started to prepare, came here early to learn about the place.

We had superb boat speed.

We had strong confidence towards the end of the series and we pulled it off so that was more than satisfying for everyone.”

The International 5.5 Metre fleet has immensely enjoyed its two weeks in Cowes. The Royal Yacht Squadron has been the perfect host for the class, a class that started its long story on these waters nearly 70 years ago. It had been 20 years since the fleet last came to Cowes.

Next year’s world championship heads to Nyländska Jaktklubben (NJK) in Helsinki, which is

where the class and the club will celebrate the centenary of the Scandinavian Gold Cup, which has been sailed for by the 5.5 Metres since 1953.

Final results after 9 races 1 New Moon, BAH 21, (Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov) 18 2 Marie-Françoise XIX, SUI 218, (Jürg Menzi, Jurgen Eiermann, Bo Selko) 30 3 Artemis XIV, NOR 57, (Kristian Nergaard, Kristoffer Spone, Trond Solli-Saether) 30 4 Black & White, SUI 219, (Daniel Schenker, Mark Dangel, Anthony Shanks) 36 5 John B, BAH 22, (Gavin McKinney, Lars Horn-Johannessen, Mathias Dahlman) 40

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 28, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Morales homers in 7th straight game as Jays fall to Phillies TORONTO (AP) — Kendrys Morales became the seventh player in major league history to homer in at least seven consecutive games, going deep in the third inning of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

Morales hit a two-run shot off Vince Velasquez, his 21st homer of the season. He has a chance to equal the major league record of homers in eight consecutive games, shared

by Ken Griffey Jr., Dale Long and Don Mattingly.

Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana hit back-to-back home runs for Philadelphia.

Maikel Franco and Wilson Ramos each had two-run shots as the Phillies avoided a three-game sweep.

Ramos had four hits. He singled in the first, doubled home a run in the second, singled in the sixth and homered off Tyler Clippard in the eighth, his 15th.

RAYS 9, RED SOX 1 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell pitched two-hit ball over six innings and Tampa Bay won its eighth straight game, handing the major leagueleading Red Sox their first sweep of the season.

Snell (16-5) allowed one run and struck out eight. He has given up no more than one earned run in 14 consecutive starts at home, and he has a 1.08 ERA in four outings against the Red Sox this year.

Boston (90-42) has lost six of eight and was outscored 24-5 in the threegame set.

Matt Duffy had three hits and drove in two runs for the Rays, who completed their first undefeated homestand of more than one series. They won all seven games against Kansas City and Boston.

NATIONALS 15, METS 0 NEW YORK (AP) — Trea Turner set off a lively dugout celebration after scoring a run that ended Washington’s 32-inning scoreless drought and then the Nationals really went wild at the plate, hammering New York.

The Nationals had been shut out in three straight games — for the first time since the team moved from Montreal to Washington in 2005 — before Juan Soto’s RBI groundout in the sixth.

Ahead 1-0, the Nats erupted for eight more runs in the eighth. Their biggest inning of the season featured homers by Adam Eaton and Wilmer Difo, and a three-run double by pinch-hitter Bryce Harper.

Mark Reynolds launched his sixth career grand slam to highlight a six-run ninth.

The lopsided win came with a cost, though, as reliever Kelvin Herrera was carted off the field with one out to go. He handled Jose Bautista’s grounder, but hurt the top of his left foot running to first base and hopped to the bag. Herrera was on crutches and wearing a boot after the game.

The Nationals said they didn’t yet have an update on his injury.

Jefry Rodriguez (2-1) blanked the Mets on two singles for six innings.

Steven Matz (5-11) gave up one run and five hits over seven innings in his fifth start of the year against Washington.

second for the Indians this year.

Shane Bieber (8-2) allowed four runs for Cleveland on homers by Whit Merrifield, Salvador Perez and Lucas Duda. He departed after allowing six hits and striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings.

The AL Central-leading Indians improved to 10-1 this season when facing a series sweep.

Right-hander Jorge Lopez (0-4) allowed five runs, all in the fourth inning, on five hits and three walks for Kansas City.

YANKEES 5, ORIOLES 3 BALTIMORE (AP) — Luke Voit went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer to help Luis Severino earn his major league-leading 17th victory, and New York completed a four-game sweep.

Rookie Miguel Andujar also had three hits and two RBIs for New York. The Yankees have won eight of nine to move within six games of first-place Boston in the AL East, the closest they’ve been since Aug. 1.

Severino (17-6) allowed four hits and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight. David Robertson worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Dylan Bundy (7-13) pitched five innings, giving up four runs and six hits — including his major league-leading 34th home run.

TORONTO Blue Jays’ Kendrys Morales rounds the bases after hitting a team record-breaking two-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday in Toronto. Morales broke the team record for home runs in consecutive games with his seventh straight. (AP)

INDIANS 12, ROYALS 5 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jason Kipnis hit an inside-the-park homer and finished with four RBIs, Edwin Encarnacion added a two-run shot and Cleveland beat Kansas City to snap a four-game skid.

Kipnis rounded the bases for his two-run homer in the ninth inning, when his high flyball to right field bounced off the top of the wall and into no-man’s land.

It was his second career inside-the-park job and the

CUBS 9, REDS 0 CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Hendricks allowed two hits in seven innings, David Bote and Kyle Schwarber homered and Chicago beat Cincinnati to complete a four-game sweep.

Jason Heyward went 4 for 4 with a triple and drove in two runs for the NL Central-leading Cubs. Bote added two hits and three RBIs. Hendricks (10-10) struck out five and walked one. He has given up two runs in his last 14 innings.

Tucker Barnhart had two hits for the last-place Reds, who have dropped five straight and been shut out nine times.

The Cubs have homered in a season-high 11 straight games and won five straight.

Hendricks was lifted for a pinch-hitter after throwing 98 pitches. Randy Rosario worked the final two innings to complete the three-hitter.

Homer Bailey (1-12) allowed six runs — three earned — and eight hits in five innings to remain winless since May 12. The Reds have lost 17 of his 18 starts.

CARDINALS 12, ROCKIES 3 DENVER (AP) — Matt Carpenter tied a St. Louis record with four doubles, pitcher Austin Gomber had a two-run infield single in a six-run first inning, and the Cardinals routed Colorado.

Carpenter matched a franchise mark that Joe “Ducky” Medwick set on Aug. 4, 1937, against the Boston Bees (now Braves).

Carpenter doubled twice in the first, had another in the third and lined his fourth in the seventh on a day when St. Louis pounded out 16 hits. The first baseman wound up 4 for 5 with two RBIs. Gomber threw six efficient innings and the Cardinals took two of three from the Rockies in a series between NL playoff contenders.

Anderson (6-7) was booed as he walked off the mound after allowing six runs and getting just two outs. He was replaced by Chad Bettis.

Wearing “Big G” on the back of his uniform as part of Players’ Weekend, Gomber (4-0) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits to become the first lefthanded Cardinals starter to win at Coors Field since Kent Mercker on July 24, 1999.

ATHLETICS 6, TWINS 2 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Matt Chapman homered twice, Jed Lowrie drove in three runs with a homer and double, and Oakland’s bullpen preserved an effective outing by call-up Chris Bassitt in a 6-2 victory over Minnesota.

Oakland maintained at least a four-game advantage for the second wild card spot over Seattle. The A’s open a three-game series Monday at AL West-leading Houston.

Chapman homered in the first and then opened the seventh with his 20th homer. Lowrie followed with his 21st homer to put Oakland up 6-2.

Bassitt, called up Sunday from Triple-A Nashville for the sixth time this season, allowed one run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings .Ryan Buchter (3-0) pitched a

scoreless seventh for the victory.

Jose Berrios (11-9) allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings.

BRAVES 4, MARLINS 0 MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Gausman and four relievers combined on a two-hitter, and Atlanta beat Miami despite an ongoing offensive slump.

The Braves earned a split even though they scored just seven earned runs in the four-game series. The NL East leaders finished 14-5 against last-place Miami this year.

Gausman (4-1) pitched five innings before departing for a pinch hitter. The right-hander won his fourth start in a row and has an ERA of 1.69 in five outings since Braves acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles on July 31.

Braves starters compiled an ERA of 0.63 for the week.

The Marlins’ first hit was a third-inning single by pitcher Pablo Lopez, and Derek Dietrich singled with two out in the ninth. Miami managed four runs and 16 hits in the series.

Atlanta wasn’t much more productive, totaling one run in a 27-inning stretch before scoring in the sixth against Lopez (2-4).

ASTROS 3, ANGELS 1 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Framber Valdez gave up one run over five innings in his first career start, and Houston beat Los Angeles for its fifth straight win.

The Astros improved to 47-21 on the road, including an 18-5 mark in California.

Valdez (2-0) struck out three while allowing two hits and three walks in his first career start, making his case for the spot in Houston’s rotation left vacant because of Lance McCullers Jr.’s forearm injury.

Carlos Correa had two RBIs on a line-drive single to center field with the bases loaded in the third inning that put the Astros in front 2-0.

Marwin Gonzalez made it 3-0 with a base hit through the gap at first to score Alex Bregman.

Roberto Osuna earned his second save with the Astros and 11th of the season, striking out pinch hitter Shohei Ohtani to end the game after hitting Francisco Arcia with a two-out pitch.

Felix Pena (1-4) gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in six innings.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, MARINERS 2 PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit his 30th homer, Zack Greinke won for the first time in almost a month and Arizona avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of Seattle.

With the victory and Colorado’s 12-3 loss to St. Louis, the Diamondbacks were back alone in first place in the NL West.

Goldschmidt’s three-run shot off Mike Leake (8-8) punctuated a five-run third inning for the Diamondbacks, who bounced back from blowing a two-run lead in the ninth Saturday night and losing in 10 innings.

Brad Boxberger, who blew the save Saturday night, walked pinch-hitter Nelson Cruz to load the bases in the ninth. But Mitch Haniger lined out sharply to third and Robinson Cano bounced into a double play to give Boxberger his 29th save in 35 tries.

DODGERS 7, PADRES 3 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Justin Turner drove in five runs while Manny Machado put Los Angeles ahead with a two-run homer, and the Dodgers swept a threegame series against San Diego.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-1) gave up 11 hits in his 5 2/3 innings, but held the Padres to two runs.

The Padres gave lefthander Robbie Erlin (3-4) the early lead with a solo home run from Franmil Reyes in the second and Hunter Renfroe’s RBI single in the third.

Turner tied it up with a two-run double in the fifth.

Machado added his 31st home run of the season, and his seventh in 35 games with the Dodgers. Machado had a three-run homer Saturday.

The victory kept the third-place Dodgers 2½ games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

BREWERS 7, PIRATES 4 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mike Moustakas and Manny Piña each hit a two-run homer in the third inning, Jonathan Schoop went deep in the seventh and Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh.

The Brewers rocked Chris Archer (4-7) for six runs and six hits in the third.

Schoop homered in the seventh off Nick Kingham.

Chase Anderson (9-7) cruised through the first four innings for Milwaukee but fell apart in the sixth.

Adam Frazier hit a tworun homer and Polanco

followed with a drive that pulled the Pirates to 6-4.

Jeremy Jeffress worked the ninth for his seventh save.

WHITE SOX 7, TIGERS 2 DETROIT (AP) — Michael Kopech pitched six impressive innings for his first major league win and Chicago scored four runs in the third against Detroit.

Kopech (1-0) allowed a run and seven hits in his second career start. The highly touted right-hander was limited to two scoreless innings when it rained in his debut Tuesday against Minnesota.

He threw 86 pitches this time, finishing with four strikeouts and no walks.

Daniel Palka homered for Chicago, and Ronny Rodriguez went deep for Detroit.

Jace Fry entered with the bases loaded and retired the final two batters for his third save. The White Sox have won nine of 12.

Jordan Zimmermann (6-6) permitted five runs and eight hits in six innings for the Tigers, who retired Alan Trammell’s No. 3 in a pregame ceremony.

GIANTS 3, RANGERS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Derek Holland pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning to beat his former team as San Francisco topped Texas.

Steven Duggar hit a tworun triple for the Giants off Yovani Gallardo (7-3). Holland, who won 62 games over eight seasons with the Rangers after they drafted him in 2006, notched consecutive victories for the first time this season.

The Giants’ lefty yielded one run and three walks with four strikeouts, then left to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Four days earlier, Holland (7-8) gained national attention after making a racially insensitive joke while appearing on MLB Network alongside Giants massage therapist Haro Ogawa in a bit that was meant to be fun. Holland later apologized for his comment.

Evan Longoria tripled and scored on a passed ball for San Francisco. The Giants won a home series for the first time since taking two of three from the Chicago Cubs in early July.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 28, 2018, PAGE 5

1 and done: Halep 1st No. 1 seed to lose 1st US Open match

By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP TENNIS WRITER NEW YORK (AP) — Some players, like topranked Simona Halep, freely acknowledge they don’t deal well with the hustle-and-bustle of the US Open and all it entails.

Others, like 44th-ranked Kaia Kanepi, take to the Big Apple and its Grand Slam tournament.

Put those two types at opposite ends of a court at Flushing Meadows and watch what can happen: Halep made a quick-as-can-be exit yesterday, overwhelmed by the power-based game of Kanepi 6-2, 6-4 to become the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose her opening match at the US Open in the half-century of the professional era.

Halep blamed openinground jitters, and that has been a recurring theme throughout her career.

The reigning French Open champion has now lost her first match at 12 of 34 career major appearances, a stunningly high rate for such an accomplished player.

“It’s always about the nerves,” said Halep, who was beaten in the first round in New York by five-time major champion Maria Sharapova in 2017. “Even when you are there in the top, you feel the same nerves. You are human.”

She also offered up an explanation tied to this site.

“Maybe the noise in the crowd. The city is busy. So everything together,” said Halep, who was coming off consecutive runs to the final at hard-court tuneup tournaments at Cincinnati and Montreal.

“I’m a quiet person, so maybe I like the smaller places.”

It was the first match at the rebuilt Louis Armstrong Stadium, which now has about 14,000 seats and a retractable roof, and what a way to get things started. That cover was not needed to protect from rain on Day 1 at the year’s last major tournament — although some protection from the bright sun and its 90-degree (33-degree Celsius) heat might have been in order.

“The courts suit my game, and I love being in New York. I like the city,” said Kanepi, who is from Estonia and is sharing a coach this week with another player, Andrea Petkovic. “I like the weather: humid and hot.”

Since professionals were admitted to Grand Slam tournaments in 1968, only five times before Monday did women seeded No. 1 lose their opening match at a major — and never at the US Open. It happened twice to Martina Hingis and once to Steffi Graf at Wimbledon, once to Angelique Kerber at the French Open and once to Virginia Ruzici at the Australian Open.

Halep got off to a slow start at Roland Garros this year, too, dropping her opening set, also by a 6-2 score, but ended up pulling out the victory there and adding six more to lift the trophy.

There would be no such turnaround for her against Kanepi, a big hitter who dictated the points to claim her second career win against a top-ranked player — but first top-20 victory since 2015. Kanepi has shown the occasional ability to grab significant results, including a run to

SIMONA Halep serves to Kaia Kanepi yesterday during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament.

(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki) the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows a year ago.

On this day, Kanepi took charge of baseline exchanges, compiling a 26-9 edge in winners, 14 on her favoured forehand side alone. Wearing two strips of athletic tape on her left shoulder, the right-handed Kanepi also had far more unforced errors, 28-9, but that high-risk, high-reward style ultimately paid off.

“I thought, ‘I just have to be aggressive and try to stay calm,’” Kanepi said.

Early in the second set, on the way to falling behind by two breaks at 3-0, Halep slammed her racket twice, drawing a warning for a code violation from the chair umpire.

Eventually, Halep got going a bit, taking advantage of Kanepi’s mistakes to break back twice and get to 4-all in that set, getting a lot of support from fans

CALL IT A COMEBACK: MURRAY AND WAWRINKA IN THE WIN COLUMN

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Andy Murray pumped his fist and then did it again, exulting as if he had just won his match.

Actually, he was still one point away. But considering all the pain Murray has experienced in his hip, sprinting toward the net to chase down a drop volley and put it away was something to celebrate.

Murray and Stan Wawrinka, a pair of former US Open champions, both were winners yesterday in their return to the tournament after having to miss it last year.

Wawrinka ousted No. 8 seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, while Murray eliminated James Duckworth 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

Both felt good physically, though not quite as good about their chances of contending for the title.

Murray hadn’t played in a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon last year, before needing hip surgery that has limited him to just eight matches this year. He said before the weekend it wasn’t realistic to think he could win this US Open, and the 2012 champion was asked after the match what would have needed to happen for him to change his tune.

“I would have been able to train and practice a lot more than what I have done. I would have played more matches in the buildup to the tournament. I mean, there’s many, many things that I would have wanted to change to be considered a contender,” he said.

“I don’t think anything changes after today. I think I’m still just taking it one match at a time. Yeah, I mean, this is the first time I have played four sets in 14 months, so, you know, I just have to wait and see how I pull up tomorrow.”

Wawrinka has a little more reason for hope. The

who repeatedly chanted her first name.

“I was thinking about that: Why (did) they cheer so much for her? Because normally, they cheer for the underdog,” Kanepi said with a smile. “It was a bit annoying for some time, but I got over it.”

Sure did. She ended a 14-stroke exchange with a cross-court forehand volley winner to break right back for a 5-4 lead, then served out the victory.

In other early results, three men’s seeds were bounced, too: No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov lost to threetime major champion Stan Wawrinka in the first round for a second consecutive major, No. 16 Kyle Edmund was beaten by Paolo Lorenzi, and No. 19 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain was swept by Jason Kubler. Winners included a pair of Americans, No.

18 Jack Sock, who had lost eight consecutive matches including one in qualifying, and No. 11 John Isner.

Halep — who could have faced Serena or Venus Williams in the fourth round — was joined on the way out of the women’s draw by No. 31 Magdalena Rybarikova, while No. 7 Elina Svitolina and two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza advanced.

Venus Williams moved to the second round by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a matchup of past US Open champions.

Williams, the No. 16 seed and a semifinalist last year at Flushing Meadows, could play younger sister Serena in the third round.

That would be their earliest Grand Slam matchup in 20 years.

Venus Williams won the 2000 and ‘01 US Open championships but struggled in the majors this year, falling in the first round of the Australian Open and French Open. She reached the third round at Wimbledon, which she has won five times.

Kuznetsova won the 2004 US Open and was granted a wild card to this year’s tournament. She also won the 2009 French Open.

Defending champion Sloane Stephens is into the second round of the US Open. Stephens, the No. 3 seed, defeated Evgeniya Rodina of Russia 6-1, 7-5 in the rebuilt Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Stephens won her first Grand Slam title last year at Flushing Meadows when she beat fellow American Madison Keys in the final.

Stephens also reached the final of this year’s French Open, losing to top-ranked Halep.

AFGHANISTAN BEATS IRELAND AGAIN WITH 29-RUN WIN IN 1ST ODI BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Afghanistan continued its winning streak with a 29-run victory over Ireland in their first cricket one-day international in Belfast yesterday.

Ireland, beaten 2-0 in the Twenty20 series, won the toss and restricted Afghanistan to 227-9.

In reply, the hosts slipped to 93-4 in their chase and were bowled out for 198 in 48.3 overs, with Andy Balbirnie hitting 55 runs off 82 balls.

Earlier, Gulbadin Naib top-scored with a 98-ball 64 for Afghanistan and shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 77 with Hashmatullah Shahidi (54 off 82).

MCGRATH SAYS ANDERSON’S WICKET HAUL WON’T EVER BE BEATEN LONDON (AP) — James Anderson is set to become the most prolific fast bowler in the history of test cricket and Australian great Glenn McGrath believes that once the England paceman owns the record, his tally will never be beaten.

The 36-year-old Anderson needs seven wickets to overtake McGrath’s haul of 563 when he spearheads England’s attack in the fourth test against India which starts on Thursday.

McGrath, 48, who retired in 2007, is fourth on the list of test wicket-takers, behind spin bowlers Anil Kumble (619), Shane Warne (708) and Muttiah Muralitharan (800).

THE

PRESS BOX GHT Y

WITH

NAU

ANDY Murray reacts during his match against James Duckworth in the first round of the US Open tennis tournament yesterday in New York.

(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

STAN Wawrinka celebrates after defeating Grigor Dimitrov yesterday. (AP) 2016 champion couldn’t defend his title last year and needed two left knee surgeries, but has had some good results this summer.

He also eliminated Dimitrov in the first round at Wimbledon, won a couple matches in Toronto before falling to top-ranked Rafael Nadal, and took Roger Federer to three sets in the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.

“I think if you look the last few months, if I separate just my level, just the way I’m playing, the way I’m moving like in practice match or in a match, yeah, for sure my level is really high,” Wawrinka said. “I know that, and I’m confident with that.”

But the three-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged there were enough questions about his fitness to keep him from thinking too big.

He received a wild card into the tournament from the US Tennis Association after his ranking fell too low to qualify directly.

“This year is kind of a transition year,” he said. “I want to really play well, win as much as I can, get better ranking, finish the year well.”

Murray faces a possible third-round match with 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, who’s ranked No. 3. He said he’ll practice far less now than he used to at Grand Slams, so it’s unclear how much better he could get by then. But he improved as Monday went on and hopes that continues.

“I made some quite good moves. Like the second to the last point of the match, I moved pretty quickly up to the drop volley and stuff and kind of maintained my serving speeds throughout the match, as well,” he said.

“So there was some good stuff, but I think I can get better.”

LIVEN UP YOUR SUNDAY WITH SPORTING WIT AND WISDOM FROM KISS FM’S RESIDENT ’SPORTS JOCK’ NAUGHTY TUNE IN TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SPORT

EVERY SUNDAY - 10AM TO 1PM

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 28, 2018, PAGE 7

Trump praises Tiger Woods, Jim Brown for supporting him

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump yesterday praised two African-American athletes after they recently defended him in public.

Trump’s public praise comes amid his continued disapproval of NFL players, most of them African-American, who kneel during the national anthem to protest police treatment of black men. It also follows his recent criticism of the NBA star LeBron James.

Tiger Woods, a friend of Trump’s, called Sunday for respect for the office of the president. Woods and Trump have played golf together.

Asked how he’d respond to people who are intrigued by his “friendly relationship” with Trump, Woods said: “He’s the president of the United States and you have to respect the office.

And no matter who’s in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”

Trump responded Monday by praising Woods and criticising journalists.

“The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn’t want to say.

Tiger wouldn’t play the game - he is very smart.

More importantly, he is playing great golf again!”

Trump said on Twitter.

The president also expressed gratitude to

former NFL player Jim Brown, who defended Trump after the Hall of Famer was asked if he is concerned with the message coming from the White House against the league.

“I should be criticising Trump on every level because he does certain things that call for criticism. But when I look at television and I see all of these announcers become experts and they’re pointing their fingers, and they’re not doing a doggone thing but pointing their fingers, I find myself really pulling for the president,” Brown said last week during an appearance on “The JT The Brick Show” on Fox Sports Radio.

Brown acknowledged that his comment “will

TIGER Woods watches his shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust golf tournament on Sunday in Paramus, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) make me very unpopular in the black community, very unpopular with a lot of Americans. But I think there are certain good things that are coming out of this presidency because

we’ve never seen anything like it.”

Trump tweeted Monday: “Thank you to the great @JimBrownNFL32, perhaps the greatest running back of all time, for your

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

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TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

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A t‑storm in spots in the morning

Mostly cloudy with a shower or two

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Turning cloudy with a thunderstorm

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Mostly cloudy with showers around

High: 90°

Low: 78°

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High: 89° Low: 78°

High: 89° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

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98° F

85° F

99°-84° F

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98°-82° F

96°-84° F

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

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.

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Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 92° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 80° F/27° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.16” Year to date ............................................... 36.44” Normal year to date ................................... 24.33”

ELEUTHERA

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High: 90° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

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

tiDes For nassau High Today

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Low

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9:45 a.m.

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3.0 3.2

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0.6 0.6

Wednesday 10:23 a.m.

10:38 p.m.

3.1 3.1

4:20 a.m.

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0.6 0.7

Thursday

11:02 a.m.

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11:46 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

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Saturday

12:00 a.m.

12:34 p.m.

2.9 3.1

6:15 a.m.

6:55 p.m.

0.6 1.0

Sunday

12:49 a.m.

1:29 p.m.

2.8 3.2

7:04 a.m.

7:54 p.m.

0.7 1.0

Monday

1:46 a.m.

2:31 p.m.

2.7 3.2

8:01 a.m.

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sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

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wonderful words and support. Since our meeting in New York, African-American UNEMPLOYMENT has reached the LOWEST LEVEL IN HISTORY. You get it!”

SAN SALVADOR

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8‑16 knots

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: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots

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

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

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

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PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 28, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

ST Augustine’s College Class of ‘98 makes a donation to the Big Red Machine athletic team. Shown (l-r) are Jason Edwards, William Johnson, Ullin Saunders, Shantia Hield, Benedict Dorsett, Renado Dawkins and DeAngelo Rolle.

SAC’s Class of ‘98 donates to the Big Red Machine Athletic Department THE Class of ‘98, featuring physical education head of department Jason Edwards, was the latest to publicly make a donation to St Augustine’s College to help improve the sporting facilities for the Big Red Machine Athletic Department.

On Saturday, the class followed in the footsteps of the Class of ‘78, who made the first official donation to SAC this year as they prepare to create two softball fields and renovate the track and field surface that will include a soccer pitch on the inside when completed.

Shantia Hield, making the donation to SAC’s vice principal Benedict Dorsett,

said they wanted to show their appreciation and gratitude to the students for keeping the Big Red Machine rolling along in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) long after they would have made their contribution to the school’s sporting prowess.

“It’s a starting deposit so that they can start the renovation,” said Hield, the chairperson of their class reunion. “We realise that our student-athletes, although they have already done some major accomplishments, there is still so much more that they can achieve. So we want to try and improve the facilities that they now train in.

“We hope that they can get more equipment so that they can also come in on their spare time and be able to train so that when they represent their class or the Big Red Machine, they are also representing the alumnus. We are proud of what they are doing and we just want to be able to help them to get ever better as they increase their performances in the future.”

Hield, joined in the presentation by Edwards and other classmates, including Renado Dawkins, DeAngelo Rolle and Ullin Saunders, said it’s just the first of many donations to come.

Edwards, a former triple jumper and basketball

player, said ever since he returned to coach at SAC, he has seen a resurgence in the support of the alumnus, parents and friends, which has played a pivotal role in the Big Red Machine remaining one of the most vibrant sporting schools in the country.

“It’s awesome what our class of ‘98 has done,” Edwards said.

“We need to improve our weight room and get the gym off the ground so that it can push us over the top, not just for school sports, but for physical education on a whole. So I’m happy to be a part of this class that followed the class of ‘78.

“St Augustine’s College has done tremendously well

for us, maybe not in our pockets, but we feel that we can all come back and make a contribution to help out the school as they continue to improve on the legacy that we would have left behind when we were once students here.”

Accepting the donation along with Dorsett, William ‘Knucklehead’ Johnson, who heads the Physical Plant of the school, said it’s important for the alumnus to come back and continue to help the legacy that SAC has built over the years.

“Anytime students would come and give back, especially their time and monetary donations, it speaks volumes to what they believe in as former

students,” Johnson stressed.

“We believe this will go a long way in helping our programmes, not just our athletes, but students in general.

“We know that when a lot of our athletes who are performing abroad come home, they always stop in and make a contribution to the programme.

So we are really appreciative of any gesture that is done by former students to help with the athletic programme here at SAC.” Johnson said the administration is ready to accept donations from any other class that wishes to come in and make their contribution to the high school in the near furure.