SPORTS SECTION E
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019
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BAAA chief quite content on getting the job done By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net s the official chief executive officer of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, Mabeline Miller has an awesome task of disseminating the information pertaining to the day-to-day operation of the sport in the country. As the mother of one of the island nation’s elite athletes, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and the husband of the president of the Track and Field Coaches Association, Shawn Miller, she finds herself in a very complex position. But the former two-time assistant secretary is quite content on getting the job done.
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She’s overseeing the BAAA Senior Nationals, which is scheduled to be held at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex July 26-27. “The decision to hold the Nationals in Grand Bahama was a decision that was made by the previous administration,” said Miller, who served then under president Rosamunde Carey. “We decided to hold the Nationals in New Providence during the even years and in Grand Bahama during the odd years to help with their economy.” Miller said they have gotten the support from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and so they decided to push the Nationals back from June to July so that they can better accommodate the athletes
MILLER preparing for the IAAF World Championships, scheduled for September 28 to October 6 in Doha, Qatar. Immediately following the two-day nationals, which will serve as the
qualifier for athletes wishing to make Team Bahamas, Miller said there will be a one-day trial on Sunday, July 28, for relay teams wishing to make the trek to Doha as well. “So far Botswana has written us to say that they are interested in coming and this was before we put out the actual invite,” she stated. “So they had to have heard it from somewhere and just tried to find out if we are doing anything so that they can come.” Already, they have confirmed their participation with four relay teams, inclusive of the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m. The Bahamas had a chance to at least qualify for the men’s 4 x 400m when the fourth edition of
the IAAF World Relays was held in its new home in Yokohama, Japan. However, the team didn’t get to run after Steven Gardiner had inflammation in his Achilles tendon and Teray Smith got injured in practice. By the time the BAAA tried to insert another member, the deadline had expired. Neither of the men’s or women’s 4 x 100m competed in the relays, which were moved from the Bahamas after the first three took place here in 2014, 2015 and 2017. The only other team that represented the Bahamas in Japan was the men’s 4 x 200m and they got disqualified in the final. Miller said they will need at least three countries to compete in the relay event
on July 28 in order for any country to qualify from the event. “We have one and now we are sending the invite out for the other countries to confirm their attendance,” she said. “There is a possibility that we will have some more countries who will come down and participate.” As for Team Bahamas’ trials, Miller said it’s anticipated that with the Nationals now being held in July, it will give the athletes sufficient time to get themselves ready to compete in their individual events and be rested to contest the relay tryouts as well. “We have given the information out to the athletes and so we’re looking for
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Burning up the track with sprinter Daejha Moss By Nolan Schmidt
and try to understand why Moss would leave that sunny weather in the Bahamas for the wintry climates of Fargo. While we may be left puzzled by that notion, Moss is less concerned with the weather and is more interested in what North Dakota State offers her on and off the track. In fact, all it took was one visit before Moss discovered that North Dakota State would become her second home. “My coach here Clayton Pritchard, he reached out to me and he was so charming. I knew that I had to come and take a visit. I really liked it and I’ve never seen a football game or anything and that kind of just caught my eye,” said Moss of her official visit to the school. “So, I didn’t even take another visit to another school, I just came here, signed immediately after I visited and I have no regrets.” Moss came to NDSU with an impressive list of accolades to her name. She was a four-time Bahamas
IN Nassau, Bahamas, the temperature is currently in the mid-80s with the sun blaring down on the city’s inhabitants. Add to that, blistering humidity and low wind speeds too. That Bahamian climate remains the same year-round (mostly) with the coldest day dropping to maybe the low 50s (the country’s lowest recorded temperature is 41 degrees set in 1981). Meanwhile, in Fargo, temperatures drop well below zero for what seems like nine months a year. Snow pounds the Red River Valley month after month, day after day. Just when Fargoans believe spring has sprung, Mother Nature dumps inches of snow on the fair city. For evidence of that, look no further than this past April. On paper, you will see that sophomore jumper and sprinter Daejha Moss was born and raised in Nassau, where the weather is always fair and the ocean is only a short walk away. It will not take you long to question
SOPHOMORE jumper and sprinter Daejha Moss in action.
Etienne earns spot in the NCAA Track & Field Championship OVER the weekend, Jyles Etienne earned a spot in the NCAA Track & Field Championship with a leap of 7-feet, 2 1/4-inches at the East Preliminary, held in Jacksonville, Florida. The Indiana University sophomore nabbed one of 12 coveted spots out of the east which, combined with the 12 spots out of the West Preliminary, forms the National Championship field. The top 11 jumpers in Jacksonville all tied at 7-2 1/4, but shook out to different places based on their number of misses at previous heights. Etienne tied for 10th in the field of 48. The former Bear passed at 6-7 and 6-9 before clearing 6-11 on his first jump.
He then cleared 7-1 on his second try, but missed his first two attempts at 7-2 1/4. Needing to clear on his third attempt to book his ticket to Nationals, Etienne came through with a clutch leap, showing a rare flash of emotion once he safely returned to earth. The 10 jumpers who cleared the height along with Etienne all went out at 7-3 3/4, perhaps undone by the 90-degree north Florida temperatures. Etienne moves on to his first collegiate National Championship, to be held in Austin, Texas, the second weekend of June. The men’s high jump is set to begin at 7pm on Friday.
JYLES ETIENNE, of the Bahamas, in action in the high jump.
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