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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Sports
Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas’ young 4x100m relay team seems ready to make an impression on The Bahamas, the region, and the world. Over the last two seasons our boys have broken record after record. At last year’s Carifta Games in Montego Bay it was Chavez Hart, Trevorano Mackey, Laron Hield and Stephen Newbold who clocked 40.29sec to establish a new Bahamian National junior record in the 4x100m relay. That July at the Pan American Jr. Championships in Miramar, Florida, Delano Davis replaced Stephen Newbold and the clocking improved to 40.26sec. Last month at the Bahamas Relay Invitational, a part of the Silver Lightening Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Classic, the junior team of Shane Jones, Blake Bartlett, Jonathan Farquharson and Teray Smith ran 40.16sec to nearly upset the senior team that was trying to qualify for the Olympic Games. In San Salvador, El Salvador over the weekend the team of Teray Smith, Anthony Farrington, Shane Jones, and Blake Bartlett dropped the record to an amazing 39.80sec to finish second in the Boys Under -20 division at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. This was quite a significant achievement for our track and field program. This was the same time the senior team of Jamial Rolle, Trevorano Mackey, Warren Fraser, and Chris Thompson did in attempting to make the Olympic qualifying time at the Jamaican Olympic Trials over the weekend. Smith won the Boys Under-20 100m and Bartlett finished third. In the 200m Smith experienced groin problems and decided not to participate. He came back to run on the Silver medal and record breaking team. Smith, who attends American Heritage in Ft. Lauderdale has sprinting in his genes. His mother Terria Grant- Missick ran for The Bahamas in the late eighties. He finished third at the Bermuda Carifta Games in the 200m and was a member of the winning 4x100m relay team. Where Do We Rank? As of today The Bahamas ranks in fifth place in this event at the junior level. The listing of the countries is thus: Japan 39.16sec USA 39.39sec Jamaica 39.39sec Great Britain 39.52sec Bahamas 39.80sec Brazil 39.81sec Poland 39.98sec Trinidad & Tobago 39.99sec France 40.00sec Czech Republic 40.06sec Ready for Barcelona? Is the team ready for Barcelona? They are now in Barcelona to participate in the training camp that precedes the championships. The team will be able to focus and gel. This will be an opportunity for them to perfect their exchanges. Some History The Bahamas participated in the inaugural World Junior Championships in Athens, Greece in 1986. The team of Mark Johnson, Michael Newbold, Glen Miller, and Garland Miller finished in sixth place with a time of 40.48sec after the United States was disqualified and Jamaica failed to finish. The Bahamas had run 40.34sec in the semi-final round. This was the only time that The Bahamas finished in the final. In the last five World Junior Championships the medalists in this event have been: 2010 Moncton, Canada USA 38.93sec Jamaica 39.55sec Trinidad & Tobago 39.72sec 2008 Poland USA 38.98sec Jamaica 39.25sec Russia 39.70sec 2006 Beijng Jamaica 39.05sec USA 39.21sec Great Britain 39.24sec 2004 Grosetto, Italy USA 38.66sec Jamaica 39.27sec Japan 39.43sec 2002 Kingston USA 38.92sec Jamaica 39.15sec Bahamas Independence The World Junior Championships begin in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday, July 10th, and our Independence Day. Last year the World Youth Championships was held during our Independence and the team sure gave The Bahamas a fitting Independence present. They won three gold medals by Stephen Newbold in the 200m, Shaunae Miller in the 400m, and Latario Collie-Minns in the Triple Jump. Latone Collie-Minns won the Bronze medal in the Triple Jump. The Bahamas finished in fourth place behind the USA, Kenya, and Jamaica. This was the best performance by far of any Bahamian track and field team participating in a world event. With the athletes in our arsenal this year we believe that this Bahamas World Junior team will provide the nation with superb Independence gifts.
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