11142017%20sports

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SPORTS SECTION E

ATP FINALS

Nadal, Page 7

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

‘I’m taking my talent to University of Kentucky’ JONQUEL

JONES AND FLAME WIN SEASON OPENER IN CHINA

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net “I’M taking my talent to the University of Kentucky,” stated Devine Parker, the Bahamas’ top junior female sprinter, as she revealed her choice of college for 2018. Last Monday, November 6, Parker said she made her decision after visiting several other colleges to continue her athletic career after graduating from St Anne’s High School in June. “I selected UK because of the

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

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TOP junior sprinter Devine Parker is expected to continue her athletic career at the University of Kentucky.

SAC strong in softball title runs By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

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he St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine placed four teams in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools softball championships and three of those teams got their title runs off to favourable starts. The junior girls defeated the Queen’s College Comets 7-5, the junior boys took a 6-1 win over the NCA Crusaders and the senior boys also won 15-4 over the Crusaders in game one of each series yesterday at the Freedom Farm Complex. In the senior girls’ division, the Comets prevented the sweep with their 5-2 win over the Big Red Machine. In the girls’ game, SAC took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and eventually led 6-0 through four innings. The Comets would rally late with their first run of the game in the fourth inning before they racked on another two in the fifth. Big Red Machine head coach Vernice Russell said once the team performs the way they should at the plate, she expects them to close out the series. “We came out strong executing

plays as we had planned to do. Our pitcher was pitching strong to start out with and we dominated in the first four innings. “In the last inning we struggled a bit, but our team is one with heart and they were able to pull the win off,” she said. “Ultimately we came out and did what we were supposed to do. We have to come out again continuing to hit, hitting is key, that’s what we are good at so we have to keep that going.” The boys’ game was a defensive struggle for most of the afternoon before SAC broke the game open in the third and fourth innings. The Crusaders struck first with a run in the top half of the first inning in what turned out to be their only score of the game. SAC took the lead for good when Tyler Munroe hit an RBI single for a 2-1 score. NCA’s pitcher Norman Basden struck out two of the next three hitters he faced in the inning. Neither team would score in the second. Munroe retired the side in order, two pop ups and a ground out and the NCA pitcher would do the same with a strike out and two ground outs.

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AT BAT: A St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine player in action yesterday at the Freedom Farm baseball complex in Yamacraw. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 2 Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

JONQUEL Jones looks to continue her momentum from the WNBA to the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association. Her Shanxi Flame got the season off to an impressive start with a 92-52 win over Heilongjiang in the season opener yesterday. They got out to a 24-14 advantage after the first quarter and never relinquished the lead in the lopsided route. Defensively, they limited Heilongjiang to just eight points in the second quarter and took a 43-22 lead at the half. The WCBA is the toptier professional women’s basketball league in China and is the women’s counterpart to the Chinese Basketball Association. Shanxi Flame became notable internationally when the Minnesota Lynx perennial All-Star Maya Moore joined the club for the 2012-2013 season. The Flame followed by winning three consecutive WCBA championships. The 2017-18 WCBA will include a 26-round regular season and playoffs, as well as All-Star weekend on January 20, 2018. The league expanded by two clubs this year to bring the total number of teams to 14. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs. Many of Jones’ Connecticut Sun teammates have already began their offseason commitments as well. Jones will be joined in China by teammate Lynetta Kizer, who will be spending the offseason with Shandong Sports Lottery and Morgan Tuck with Shaanxi. For the second consecutive season, Alyssa Thomas will return to South Korea

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PE teacher honoured in special ceremony at Cleveland Eneas Primary By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH she was singled

Buddy, Page 5

out as the Teacher of the Year for 2016-18 at Cleveland Eneas Primary School, principal Patrice Bodie said she doesn’t think she can find a more dedicated and devoted physical education teacher than Mariska Thompson. During a special ceremony at the school, Thompson was honoured by the faculty, staff and students. She also had praises heaped upon her by her former coach at Government High School, Leroy Thompson. Thompson, listed as Thompson’s adopted father, gave the keynote address as he patterned her journey to a person trying to climb to the top and never giving up. Among those in attendance were Belinda Wilson, president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers as well as “Golden Girls”

TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Patrice Bodie (right), principal of Cleveland Eneas Primary School, presents physical education teacher Mariska Thompson with a plaque.

Pauline Davis, Eldece Clarke and Tonique Williams, all of whom were former teammates of Thompson when she competed in track and field. “We are just delighted at Cleveland Eneas to celebrate our Teacher of the Year, Mrs Mariska Thompson, who is a true leader of excellence in every sense of the word,” Bodie said. “Excellence is her lifestyle, not just a word that is thrown around loosely when it comes to her. Everything she does when she puts her mind to it, it’s of excellence. She’s a dream employee to have on your staff. She is second to none.” Bodie said although she worked with another exceptional PE teacher in Gail Barrow before

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