By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
As one of their top minor league prospects, Bahamian shortstop Sebastian Walcott said he was thrilled to go to the Texas Rangers’ Major League spring training camp at the Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona.
While he fell short of making their final roster for the start of the MLB 2025 season, Walcott said he will be sure to take advantage of his return to the AA affiliate Frisco RoughRigers in Frisco, Texas. It was the same team that Walcott, who celebrated his 19th birthday on March 4, ended playing with at the end of his rookie season last year.
“I’m pretty excited to head back there and get the season started,” said Walcott, who reports for duty on April 4.
“My body is feeling good, so hopefully I can have a great season and make an impact.”
In January 2023, Walcott signed a $3.2 million contract with the Rangers. He is now the No.17 overall prospect in baseball, per Pipeline and is projected to be a top-five prospect in baseball this time next year.
In spring training this year, the six-foot, four-inch Walcott went 4-for-8 with three doubles and a home run. He would have liked to be the next Bahamian to crack the Major League, or move up to AAA, but he admitted that he’s quite comfortable at AA.
“No matter where I start out, I will be excited because I still have a chance to play,” he said.
“I’m ready to play with my team-mates, especially coming off spring training.
“I had a good camp. I made some improvements, which was my goal. This year, I wanted to improve defensively to get ready for the season and offensively I wanted to make some things to get ready for opening day and so I think I accomplished both goals, so I’m ready for the season.”
At Frisco, Texas, Walcott said he couldn’t ask for a better environment to go to and develop his game during the season.
“It’s an awesome place to play baseball, good crowd to get you into the game and so the goal is for me to put on a show every night I go there to play,” Walcott stated.
Chisholm Jr and Yankees win season opener
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
JASRADO “Jazz”
Chisholm Jr and the New York Yankees opened the 2025 Major League Baseball season by doubling up the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2 last night at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees, who improved to 7-1 in their last eight opening days of MLB, rode the home runs from Austin Wells and
Anthony Volpe, while their bullpen held off a late rally from the Brewers in the top of the ninth inning. Devin Williams, the Yankees’ new closer, got some revenge as he held off the team that traded him to New York during the offseason as he was able to secure their 4-1 lead. Working out of a bases loaded jam by the Brewers with no outs on a single, a double, and a walk, Williams gave up a run on a sacrifice fly by Brice Turang
LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT: Sebastian
As long as he remains consistent, Walcott said he should be able to impress the Rangers’ scouts.
Last year, in 456 at-bats, Walcott turned in a .265 batting average with 11 homers, 56 runs batted in (RBI) and stole 27 bases.
“I just want to play my game. If I do that, I know I can have a pretty good season like last year,” he said. “Late last year, my
game improved so if I can play my game and remain consistent, everything else should fall into place.”
As he looks forward to this season, Walcott said the Rangers have put him in a good spot to excel.
“I think I’ve put myself in a good position as well, forcing their hands in training,” he said. “They’ve seen the results in spring training and they trust me
and then struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich on changeup and fastball respectively. Although he didn’t contribute offensively to their attack, Chisholm Jr had a solid defensive opener in his return to the Yankees’ line-up. He was acquired during mid-season last year from the Miami Marlins and is now playing his first full season in New York. Batting fifth in the lineup, Chisholm Jr went 0-for-3 with a walk. He struck out in his first at-bat to lead off the bottom of the second, popped out to shortstop Joey Ortiz for the second out in the fourth, walked with one out in the sixth, but was left stranded on base and struck out again for the first out in the eighth.
The Yankees, however, got an historic feat as Wells became the first catcher
ever in major league and also the first Yankee player with a leadoff home run on opening day.
Carlos Rodon, in his starting role on the mound, pitched 5.1 innings, holding off the Brewers to just a home run from Vinny Capra for the MVP performance of the game. Then in the bottom of the 2nd, Volpe connected on a shot to right centre field for New York’s second homer to push their lead to 2-0. And in the 7th, Aaron Judge got a RBI double to plate Ben Rice and send Oswaldo Cabrera to third. A sacrifice fly by Cody Bellinger drove home Cabrera.
The Yankees and Brewers meet again for the 2nd of their 3-game series in The Bronx Saturday with the first pitch set for 1:35pm. They will complete the series 1:30pm Sunday..
BYFIELD MISSES CUT, HUMBLESTONE DISQUALIFIED AT WORLD INDOORS MASTERS
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
IT wasn’t the type of fortune the Bahamas’ fivemember team expected to achieve on day five of the 2025 World Masters Associations’ World Indoor Championships at the Alachua County Sports Center in Alachua, Florida.
Grand Bahamian Miriam Byfield just missed making the cut for the women’s 35-39 metres 200m preliminaries and, for the second day in a row, a Bahamian got disqualified as Dr Brian Humblestone stepped on the line in his heat of the men’s 85-89 200m final.
Speaking on behalf of Team Bahamas, team leader Michael Armbrister said considering this is an indoor meet and not often they get to run at this level of competition, the team so far did an excellent job.
“When you come to a meet at this magnitude and make finals in both events at age 88 and rank 4th and 5th in the world, just outstanding,” he said.
a lot to help this team and hopefully to help the team in the big league in the future.”
His father, Jeff Walcott Jr, a former men’s national basketball team player, said the spring training went very well for his son and could only propel him to the majors. “I think everyone at the top level had
While Byfield, Humblestone and fitness guru “Downtown” Natasha Brown are all done, Armbrister said there’s great expectations for world outdoor 55-59 400m record holder Timothy Munnings and himself.
“The first round is over with and we had a chance to discuss the track situation, high turns and short straight away,” Armbrister said.
“So looking forward to making the adjustments and better outcome on Saturday
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahamian quarter-miler Collinique Farrington couldn’t ask for a better way to close out her senior indoor track and field campaign for the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats women’s track and field team. The Tabernacle Baptist Academy graduate was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Female
of the Year award and the first ever to win the track regional award. This award is coming off a dominant performance not only at the conference level but at the national level as well. She finished runner-up in the 200-metres at the 2025 NCAA DII Indoor Championships. In the 400 metres, she finished
BAHAMAS BAPTIST SPORTS FEDERATION SOFTBALL THE Bahamas Baptist
Walcott on the defensive end.
NEW York Yankees second baseman Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr., left, tries to turn a double play around Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich during the sixth inning yesterday at the Yankee Stadium in New York.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
What we can learn from China to develop sports in The Bahamas
By Dr Kent L Bazard
I RECENTLY returned from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, where I had the privilege of serving as team physician for our national track and field team. It was an unforgettable experience, not just because of the level of competition, but also because of what I observed about China’s approach to sports development.
China is one of the few countries that competes at a high level in nearly every Olympic sport. Whether it’s track and field, weightlifting, gymnastics, diving, or table tennis, they have built an athletic machine that consistently produces world-class athletes. It made me wonder, how does a country develop such a deep, diverse, and competitive sporting system, and what lessons can The Bahamas take from it?
Systematic Long-Term
Sports Development
One of the key reasons for China’s success is its structured approach to talent identification and athlete development. From a young age, promising athletes are scouted and placed into specialised sports programmes where they receive consistent coaching, competition exposure, and a clear pathway from
junior to elite levels. The government plays a major role in supporting these programmes, ensuring that young athletes aren’t left to figure things out on their own.
In The Bahamas, we have raw talent in abundance.
Athletes like Devynne Charlton, our 2025 60m hurdles world champion, have shown that with the right support, we can compete at the highest levels. However, our system remains informal, and many athletes don’t receive structured guidance until much later in their careers. Imagine if we had an early pipeline for all our young sporting talents - not just in track and field, but in other disciplines as well. Investment in Facilities & Coaching China’s sports dominance isn’t just about hard work— it’s about smart investment. Their athletes train in world-class high-performance centres equipped with cutting-edge technology. Sports science plays a massive role in their development, with biomechanics, nutrition, recovery protocols, and mental training all seamlessly integrated into daily preparation. In contrast, many Bahamian athletes train in subpar conditions, often relying on outdated equipment and limited resources. Even
MIRIAM BYFIELD
FROM PAGE E1
and Sunday finals for the rest of the team.”
Byfield, the youngest member of Team Bahamas, was second in the second of three heats in 26.72 as she trailed Great Britain’s Stacey Downie, who won the heat in 25.92. Although she gave it a gallant effort, it came up just a little short in seventh place overall, one stop below the top six that advanced to the final today.
The sixth and final spot went to American Brittan Berry in 26.51. The top qualifier was Millicent Humblestone had qualified with the fifth fastest time of 46.39 on Wednesday and was confident of a medal yesterday. But after finishing fourth in his heat,
he was given a disqualification for the lane violation.
The race was won by Jean-Louis Esnult of France in 36.20, followed of Germany in 36.57 and American Robert Williamson in 41.37 for the top three medal positions.
On Wednesday, Munnings suffered the same feat as Humblestone, but in the preliminaries of the men’s 200m where he won his heat, he was disqualified for stepping on the line in his lane.
As the championships start to wind down, Munnings will be back for redemption on Saturday at 1:05 pm when he contests his signature event in the men’s 400m.
Munning will go into the indoor two-lap race on the 200m track with the third fastest time of 53.05.
though we have produced world champions and Olympic medallists, we are not maximising our full potential due to lack of investment in infrastructure. If we are serious about doubling our success on the global stage, we need to develop better training facilities and ensure our athletes have access to top-tier coaching and sports science resources.
Holistic Athlete
Development & Sports Science Integration
A crucial difference between China’s approach and ours is the scientific precision in their training. Every aspect of an athlete’s preparation is monitored, measured, and optimised - from recovery strategies to individualised nutrition plans. They recognise that an athlete’s long-term success depends on more than just talent and hard work - it requires staying injury-free, optimising energy output, and continuously improving performance metrics.
For Bahamian athletes, injuries and burnout remain
a huge concern. Too often, talented young athletes get sidelined by preventable injuries because their training load isn’t properly managed or their recovery protocols aren’t adequate. We must integrate better sports science into our national training programs, providing athletes with access to injury prevention strategies, proper recovery methods, and nutritional education to ensure longevity in their careers.
Cultural Mindset: Celebrating Athletes as National Heroes
One of the most powerful things I witnessed in China was how they celebrate their athletes.
National champions are treated as heroes, with the same level of respect, admiration and support that we often reserve for musicians, politicians, or business leaders.
This celebration isn’t just about pride - it’s about sustainability.
China ensures that its greatest athletes remain connected to the system, whether as coaches, mentors or sports ambassadors. They pour back into the community, ensuring that the next generation benefits from their knowledge, experience and inspiration. This keeps their sports ecosystem strong and continually evolving.
MISSES THE CUT, DR BRIAN HUMBLESTONE DISQUALIFIED AT THE WORLD INDOORS MASTERS
American Chris Horton and Allen Woodard comes respectively. If Munnings advances, he will compete in the final on Sunday at 11:32am. Also on Saturday, team leader Michael Armbrister will get his first taste of competition when he contests the men’s 65-69 preliminaries of the 400m at 12:40 pm.
Armbrister goes into the event without a seeded time. Australia’s Rob Mayston has the fastest Great Britain’s Richard American William Johns is in third with 59.02. If he advances to the final on Sunday at 11:24am, Armbrister will have double duties on the final day as he’s also scheduled to compete in the men’s long jump. The long jump
In The Bahamas, we celebrate our champions in the moment - but then what? How often do we see our former elite athletes integrated into structured development roles for the next generation?
If we are to create a lasting culture of sports excellence, we must find ways to keep our sporting legends involved in training, mentorship and administration.
Diversification
of Sports Development
One of the most striking observations from my time in China was the wide range of sports in which they excel. Unlike many smaller nations that focus on one or two sports, China invests in multiple disciplines, ensuring that their talent pool is not limited to just a few events.
In The Bahamas, track and field and swimming dominate the sports scene, but we have the potential to excel in so much more. With our natural athleticism and raw power, we could develop world-class athletes in weightlifting, rowing, gymnastics and combat sports.
Expanding our focus beyond the traditional sports will give more athletes opportunities to find their niche and thrive on the global stage.
The Road Ahead for Bahamian Sports
With athletes like Devynne Charlton, Steven Gardiner, and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, we’ve proven that we can be the best in the world. But what if we could double our output of world champions? The talent is here - the only thing missing is a structured system to fully develop and sustain it.
China’s blueprint shows that long-term planning, investment and a national commitment to sports development can transform a country into a global powerhouse.
If The Bahamas wants to consistently produce elite athletes across multiple sports, we must take a more structured, scientific and holistic approach to sports development. We don’t need to be China - but we can certainly learn from their success and carve out our own path to sporting excellence.
medicine physician at Empire Sports Medicine, athletes reach their peak performance safely. With extensive experience and a passion for sports health, insights and guidance for athletes of all ages - men and women.
will open the day at 9am. Again, Armbrister has no mark posted. The top mark 5.51m by American Brian Hankerson, Danilo Melgar of Guatemala is next Poland’s Wieslaw Musial is pegged in the third spot Along with Armbrister, Munnings, Humblestone and Byfield, Team Bahamas was also represented by fitness guru ‘Downtown’ Natasha Brown, who was 20th in the women’s 55-59 long jump with her leap of The gold medal went to Sweden’s Annica SandAustralia’s Lenore Lambert took the silver with Monica Falcioni claimed
an opportunity to see him perform at that level, which was good and encouraging,” Walcott Jr said. “So based on what they expected, he exceeded their expectations. “He now just has to go to AA in the minors and play and continue the trend to put himself in a better position to stay ready. Major Leagues tend to pull players anytime from AA to the majors depending on the needs of the team.”
Having had a chance to monitor his progress during the off-season, Walcott Jr is convinced that his son has put himself in a position to take the next step up the ladder.
“He’s done everything that they have asked him to do,” Walcott Jr said. “All he has to do is stay healthy and be ready for whenever he gets the call to step up.”
At the beginning of spring training, Walcott said he got a chance to play against BJ Murray of the Chicago Cubs. He said he missed the game against Diamondbacks.
As the major league season gets underway this week, Walcott said he’s eager to watch the Rangers and even fellow Bahamian Jr, the starting second baseman for the New York Yankees. “Hopefully he has
a good season. Wishing the best for him and wishing the best for all of the Bahamians playing in the minor league,” Walcott stated.
“You want as much Bahamians up there as possible, so the more the merrier. So I’m wishing everybody has a great season.” Hopefully, Walcott said he’s looking forward to having the type of season in the minor leagues that will propel him to the big leagues where only eight Bahamians have had the opportunity to play in the past. The players who played in the past were infielder Andre Rodgers, outfielder Tony Curry, outfielder Ed Armbrister, pitcher Wenty Ford, outfielder Wil Culmer, outfielder Antoan Richardson and shortstop Lucius Fox.
BAZARD
DR KENT
Chisholm Jr, 27, is the only active player in MLB, but the 41-year-old Richardson is a first base coach with the New York Mets. Fox, 27, played last year with the Chicago White Sox and is working on getting back in the league. All of the other players are deceased.
GRAND Bahamian Miriam Byfield just missed making the cut for the women’s 35-39 metres 200m preliminaries at the World Masters’ World Indoor Championships.
SEBASTIAN Walcott at bat.
BAAA launches Splice and Connect/CARIFTA Trials
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Asso-
ciation of Athletic Associations (BAAA) is gearing up to host one of the most exciting CARIFTA Trials in recent years in one week. The federation officially launched the Splice and Connect/ BAAA CARIFTA Trials for April 4-6 at a press conference on Wednesday.
Officials are expecting competition to be at an alltime high level with more than 500 athletes expected to register and 61 athletes on the CARIFTA prequalifiers list.
According to BAAA vice president of technical operations Tito Moss, the head-to-head matchups will be a sight to see next weekend.
“We expect a very spirited competition. Already, we have about 480 persons registered, which is about 100 more than what we normally have at the trials. We anticipate that it will grow to more than 500. There are 61 pre-qualifiers and we are looking forward to some interesting headto-head competitions.”
Numerous athletes have attained the CARIFTAqualifying standards in their respective events, with some athletes achieving the mark in multiple events.
For example, in the under-20 boys’ quartermile event, four athletes have shaved time off the qualifying mark of 47.65 seconds.
It has been a competitive battle at the under-17 level in the girls’ 100m sprints. Five girls have attained the necessary standard, making it interesting to see which two will make the
CARIFTA cut when it is all said and done.
Moss emphasized the importance of the CARIFTA Games as it relates to junior athletes moving up the ranks in their athletic careers.
“Well, we are a nation that is known for quartermile running and we expect our quarter-milers to lead the way. There is always a number of qualifiers in the short sprints and the sprint hurdles as well as the long hurdles, and this year is no different. “We expect keen competition and we are just asking the public to come out and support these young athletes. The CARIFTA Games is the pre-eminent junior competition in the world and many of our elite athletes would have come through the CARIFTA Games and went on to greatness.”
As far as the qualification process, only the top two qualifiers in a respective event at the CARIFTA Trials will be guaranteed a spot on The Bahamas’ CARIFTA Games team.
Drumeco Archer, president of the BAAA, encouraged Bahamians to come out and support the next generation of track and field stars at the CARIFTA Trials next weekend.
“When you look at the theme of the trials, it says ‘We name Bahamas’. It’s a clarion call of who we are and what we represent.We are small in comparison to nations around the region, but we send a message each and every time that when we reach, know that The Bahamas is here. It is this message that we are sending to Trinidad when we meet our competitors in friendly competition.”
on April 5 at the Mall at Marathon next to John Bull from noon to 4pm. Admission is free, but space is limited.
of the two games will clash in the championship game as the federation completes its tribute to the late Dwaine ‘Man’ Stevens, a former player/manager with New Bethlehem and the immediate past president of both the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association and the New Providence Softball Association. Two weeks ago at Jean Street, the final regular game in the tournament was played at Jean Street with Golden Gates pulling off a 22-20 slugfest over Jubilee.
Golden Gates produced eight runs in the first inning, six in the third, seven in the fourth and another one in the fifth. Jubilee countered with one in the first, three in the second, six in the third, six in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Thela Johnson was the winning pitcher and Alfred Ferguson was tagged with the loss.
PICKLEBALL
EXHIBITION
THE Bahamas Pickleball Federation is scheduled to hold a Pickleball Exhibition
LYFORD CAY SCHOOL WELCOMES NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
LYFORD Cay International School is proud to announce the appointment of Scot Ruggles as its new athletic director.
Ruggles comes to LCIS from the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he served as director of football relations. He has over 20 years of coaching experience at the high school and university levels, including seven years at Harvard-Westlake School as assistant coach/offensive coordinator and then head football coach.
Ruggles joins a flourishing athletics department at LCIS, with students who excel locally and internationally in nearly a dozen sports.
The event is being sponsored by Domino’s Pizza, the Mall at Marathon, the Sports Center and High Noon Sun Sips.
BASKETBALL PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT
PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence.
The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.
The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the finals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest. The night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians match-up. Lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, will be up for grabs.
Kenny Basden, the operations manager of the event’s title sponsor Splice and Connect, expressed how fulfilling it is to provide support for the CARIFTA Trials.
“We are happy to be here and happy to be a part of this event. It’s hard work and dedication to be an athlete. Track and field brings discipline, enhances camaraderie and it provides many opportunities for many individuals. We are inspired by the work of this federation (BAAA) — a federation that seeks to help people from all walks of life to make lives better through sports.
“Sports is an opportunity to get an education and it is an opportunity to make our country very proud. We seek to invest in the future of our youth. We are putting our money where
COLLINIQUE
FARRINGTON
our mouth is, and we are proud to be a part of shaping our country through sports.
“We congratulate the president of the BAAA and his hard-working team who make events like these possible.”
Last year, the BAAA fielded a 76-member contingent to represent the nation at the 2024 CARIFTA Games in St George’s, Grenada.
The team hauled away 33 medals with nine gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze for second place at the junior regional meet.
The Splice and Connect/ BAAA CARIFTA Trials will commence at 5pm on Friday.
The 2025 CARIFTA Games will be hosted in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
NAMED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
FROM PAGE E1
one spot back in third place gathering a second All-America honour. She also won her third straight GLVC Track Athlete of the Year Award continuing to assert her dominance in the conference.
In this last meet, she won the 200 and 400 and was a leg on the 2nd place 4x400m relay.
Prior to this award being announced, she also earned AllRegion Honours in the 200m, 400m, and 60m races. These awards are given to those athletes who finish with a top-5 time within the Region.
While Farrington took the top honour, her fellow Grand
BASKETBALL
JUNIOR GIRLS’ TRYOUT
THE Bahamas Basket-
ball Federation is inviting all girls interested in playing on the junior girls’ national team to attend tryouts, starting on Saturday from 10am to noon at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. The tryouts are for players up to 17 years of age. All players must pre-register at bbfbasketball.com/ registration and must have a Bahamian passport or are able to obtain one right away in order to tryout. For more information, interested persons can email secretary.bbf@outlook.com.
POCKING LEAGUE TRYOUT
THE newly formed National Pocking League will hold tryouts for persons interested in participating. It’s open to both males and females between the ages of 18 and 40. The tryouts are slated to take place from 10am to 1pm on Sunday, March 30, at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Interested persons can email cqbahamas@gmail. com for more information. The league is calling for
Bahamian team-mate from Tabernacle Baptist Stepanique Dean, a junior at Southwest Baptist College, earned an All-Region honour in the 200-metre dash.
The Bearcats track and field team will now get to compete on their home turf this weekend when Farrington will be among the list of seniors recognised on Saturday, beginning at 11:30am.
The meet got started yesterday with the heptathlon and decathlon events and continues through Saturday with the field and running events.
It is the annual Bearcats invite hosted at Plaster Stadium in Bolivar.
persons to try their hand at the most Bahamian past time of all times.
SPRING FLING
INVITATIONAL THE Fast Track Athletics Club is scheduled to hold its 4th annual Spring Fling at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex May 16-17.
The event is open to competitors from throughout The Bahamas.
The action is slated to begin at 5pm on Friday, May 16 and at 10am on Saturday, May 16. It promises to provide fast competition, perfect prep for championship season and an unmatched island atmosphere in Grand Bahama.
The entry fee is $5 for children and $10 for adults. For more information on the meet, persons can email fasttrackmanagement00@ gmail.com
THE Reloaded baseball and softball programme for boys and girls is scheduled to hold its fourth invitational tournament April 18-21 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The event, organised by Stephen “Bishop” Beneby,
LCIS boasts elite swimmers and world-class sailors, and our students also compete internationally in tennis and equestrian. In recent years, we have introduced golf, baseball and padel, as well as added the Yves Lourdin multipurpose courts and padel courts to our Upper School Campus.
As the school year nears a close, LCIS looks forward to defending its BAISS and national volleyball and soccer championship titles.
“I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Lyford Cay International School as athletic director and to reunite with Audrius Barzdukas,” noted Ruggles.
“I look forward to bringing my experience in both athletics and the arts to LCIS, fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork and creativity within the school and the broader community.”
“Scot is a leader and a winner,” remarked LCIS Head of School Audrius Barzdukas. “From Harvard University to HarvardWestlake School to UCLA, he has helped student-athletes explore their talents. More importantly, his student-athletes have excelled in the classroom and as citizens. We have the right leader, inspiring coaches, a supportive community and talented student-athletes –the future of Dragon sports is bright, indeed.”
Scot joins LCIS as Craig Massey moves into an exciting new role at the school.
Mr Massey will now serve as alumni engagement officer, after serving in the role of athletic director for more than 10 years.
is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Baseball Assocation, headed by Clarence “CJ’ McKenzie and will be sponsored by Pro Youth Foundation. It will feature baseball teams for boys and softball teams for girls from Grand Bahama and New Providence. It’s also anticipated that some teams from the Family Islands will also be in New Providence to participate.
OFFICIALS from the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) along with the owners of Splice and Connect gathered at the Cricket Club on Wednesday for the launch of the Splice and Connect/BAAA CARIFTA Trials set for April 4-6.
GRAND Bahamians Collinique Farrington and Stepanique Dean.
RUGGLES
Betts, Lee and Prince are posting up in women’s March Madness.
There are fewer players like them
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer
AP All-America centre
Lauren Betts, Ayoka Lee and Sedona Prince are traditional post players, and all have been in the middle of their teams making it to the Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
There just may not be as many players like them in the future with more teams opting for flexible posts who play on the perimeter and shoot 3-pointers. Plus, that is how players are now often being taught at younger ages.
“All these young ladies are getting more skilled. They’re able to step away from the basket. They are able to face up and play,” Kansas State coach Jeff Mittie said. “I think, as you’re seeing youth basketball progress, that they’re getting more training earlier, where not just to stand in the paint and play. ... The game has evolved.”
Even so, these women are excelling inside during this March Madness.
The 6-foot-7 Betts had 30 points and 14 rebounds for top-seeded UCLA in a second-round win over Richmond. The junior has made 63.6% of her 825 career field goal attempts over three years, and has a Bruins single-season record 90 blocked shots. Prince, also 6-7, combined for 35 points and 14 rebounds to help TCU advance past the second round for the first time.
The 6-6 Lee has 33 points and 19 rebounds while playing only 43 minutes combined in K-State’s two tourney games, after missing 12 of the previous 13 games with a foot injury. Betts, with career averages of 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds, said it takes more than just having the requisite size to be consistent and successful in the low post.
“Patience has always been my biggest thing,” said Betts, in her second season at UCLA after one at Stanford.
“When I’m catching it inside, obviously there (are) a few people running at me at a time, so just making sure I’m not rushing myself.”
While UCLA coach Cori Close agrees that the game is evolving, the Bruins — who next play fifth-seeded Ole Miss tonight — certainly take full advantage of having their dominant centre.
LOUISVILLE’s Olivia Cochran (44) shoots as TCU’s Sedona Prince (13) defends in the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
“So it just has this domino effect, but it starts with her,” Close said.
“The reality for us is that if she gets a touch — people work possessions all the time just to create rotation. Like how are we going to do this, create rotation, flatten out their defence, force them to be in a scramble mode.
“We have a really good way. We just pass it to Lauren and force that every single time.”
Lee was a second-team AP All-American as a junior in 2022, the same year she set an NCAA single-game record with 61 points against Oklahoma, but missed all of the following season because of a knee injury. Her 64.1% field goal percentage this season is a career high, while averaging 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds playing fewer than 19 minutes a game. “I definitely have been a more
traditional post, and that’s just where my strength lies,” Lee said.
“Our coaches and our team have done a good job of building a strong guard presence around that. So I haven’t really had to really step out much.”
The fifth-seeded Wildcats play top-seeded USC on Saturday night. Earlier that day, second-seeded TCU faces third-seeded Notre Dame for the second time this season.
Prince is among 11 transfers for TCU since coach Mark Campbell took over two years ago after the Horned Frogs went 1-17 in Big 12 games. Campbell was previously an Oregon assistant and overlapped some of Prince’s time there. Nyara Sabally was then the prominent player inside for the Ducks, but the coach wanted Prince to dominate inside for the Horned Frogs.
“Me and Sedona have had healthy dialog of trying to figure out how to impose her will in games,” Campbell said.
“If I let her, she would stay on the perimeter and shoot 3s all game. ... I think the greatest thing she’s improved in is getting comfortable around the basket and imposing her will around the basket.” Prince made the only 3 she has attempted since Christmas, and is 8 for 28 from long range in her career. Neither Betts nor Lee have shot any 3s.
“I was a passer and a shooter (at Oregon), and that’s why I got really good at that like 12- to 15-foot range shot,” Prince said.
“So coming here, Mark and I had the conversation of like, you need to get really, really good at catching the ball deep in the post and making simple post moves, but take advantage of being 6-7, getting stronger. Yeah, it’s fun.”
Junior boys’ BAISS soccer championship all set
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Soccer playoffs rolled on yesterday at the Roscow AL Davies Soccer Field. In the juniors boys’ matchup, the Lyford Cay International Dragons sent the top seeded St Augustine’s Big Red Machine packing with a 2-1 victory. The St Andrew’s Hurricanes took down the Queen’s College Comets 2-1 to meet the Dragons in the championship game. Over in the senior division, the Queen’s College Comets senior girls blanked the St Anne’s Blue Waves 4-0 to advance to the championship. The final game of the day between the Dragons and Windsor senior boys went down to the wire but the latter prevailed 5-4 on penalty kicks to move on to the finals.
Junior Division The Dragons went up 1-0 in the first half before the Big Red Machine nailed the equaliser to tie the score 1-1.
Marley Nixon sealed the upset win for the Dragons with a game-winning goal to close out the game. Lyford Cay head coach Dan Weightman spoke about how it felt to upset the Big Red Machine.
“We were really proud of the kids. SAC played a great game and we came out with a game plan and a desire to play with some intensity and we were able to execute on that,” he said.
Coach Weightman shared the team’s mindset going into the championship round.
“Our boys really like the chances because we had a really injury prone season and that is not an excuse but it is a reality.
“We had almost a week off so we were able to get pretty much all of our players back and they were
TABERNACLE BAPTIST ACADEMY CELEBRATES 12TH STRAIGHT WIN IN ISLAND SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
TABERNACLE Bap-
tist Academy celebrated its 12th consecutive victory in the Island Sports Championships during an award presentation ceremony held at the school yesterday.
The Bantam Girls Team, led by Abigail Maycock, was recognised as the most impressive team representing Tabernacle this year, securing a win in the Junior Division. This marked their first victory in five years in that category. Meanwhile, the school’s senior athletes have dominated the event for over a decade, maintaining their championship streak.
Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg was expected to attend the ceremony, but flight delays from New Providence prevented his arrival.
“Our numbers are small, and we went against big schools, and these are the students that brought this trophy back,” said Mrs Bain, the school’s principal. The Fidelity Bank Track & Field Championship is funded by Fidelity Bank, with additional sponsorship from Pizza Hut and KFC.
Ms Fallon Symonette, representing Pizza Hut and KFC, commended the athletes for their hard work and dedication.
“My encouragement to you all, even if you are not an athlete, is to work hard, be consistent, and in everything keep God first,” she said.
Mrs Carmel ParkerDean, manager of Fidelity Bank in Grand Bahama and the northern Bahamas, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Island Sports.
“You continue to lead in track and field,” she said. “Your senior athletes have
THE Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Soccer playoffs rolled on yesterday at the Roscow AL Davies Soccer Field.
excited to play with their strongest team which we didn’t do in a number of the games in the regular season,” he said.
The Hurricanes pulled off a 2-1 victory against the Comets.
Aindreas Thompson sank two goals to the back of the net in the second half to give St Andrew’s the advantage and another championship berth.
St Andrew’s head coach Gordon McKenzie was
impressed with the team’s gutsy victory against Queen’s College.
“That was a really tough game. We played QC last week and it was a really tough game. They are such a strong team we knew we were gonna have to work really hard all the way through and never let up if we were gonna get the win in the end.
“These are two pretty even teams but we had a fantastic finish,” said McKenzie.
The head coach said the team is looking forward to pulling off a three-peat.
“We won the championship the last two years so we are gunning for a threepeat. Now all we need to do is win that game and it will be three in a row,” he said.
Senior Division The first seeded Comets made it look easy in their comfortable win against the fourth seeded Blue Waves.
QC head coach Dion Peterson was happy to see the senior girls advance to the finals.
“It was a good win. We were confident coming into the win and we did well.
“We know it is gonna be a tough game in the championship round so we have to be prepared for it and try to get all of our little injuries taken care of but we are ready for the challenge,” he said.
Windsor got some retribution against the Dragons in the senior boys’ playoffs.
Windsor’s Oliver Wiberg scored the initial goal to take a 1-0 advantage.
Lyford Cay’s Joshua O’Brien got the equaliser to tie the score 1-1.
The game went to extra time but Windsor snuck away with the win 5-4 in penalties.
The senior side of the BAISS playoffs continues tomorrow at 4pm at the RALD Soccer Field.
QC’s Afreen Fathima finished the game with a hat trick and Eydan Hamilton put in the next goal for the game.
Baptist Academy’s junior team delivered an outstanding performance, clinching their first victory in five
senior athletes dominated the event, securing their 12th consecutive victory.
brought back the championship for the 12th year in a row. Your juniors have brought the championship trophy home for the first time in five years.”
She noted that Island Sports had long been a major event in Grand Bahama but was halted for several years due to Hurricane Dorian and the
COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Tabernacle’s coach, Ozzie Simmons, reached out to Mrs. Parker-Dean to revive the competition, and Fidelity Bank has been the
official sponsor since then.
“Because of your stellar performance over the last years, we are honoured to celebrate with you,” she said.
LeBron has big finish to lift Lakers past Pacers and extend record scoring streak
By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— LeBron James started the fourth quarter Wednesday in danger of failing to extend his NBA record for consecutive double-digit scoring games.
He finished it with yet another crowning achievement.
The 40-year-old James scored the last of his 13 points on a buzzer-beating tip-in to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers, barely extending his double-digit scoring streak to 1,283. Not that James was counting.
“It’s whatever it takes to help your teammates win,” James said after a replay review confirmed the winning basket. “I can do other things to impact the game, that’s the beauty of my game, I’ve always built it my whole life as far as
being three-dimensional, being able to get my guys involved, being able to rebound, defend and sprinkle some points in here and there.”
The league’s career scoring leader has done far more than sprinkle his points around, especially against the Pacers. And Wednesday was no different.
He flirted with a tripledouble finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists despite going just 4 of 12 from the field and 0 for 3 on 3-pointers. And this time, it appeared the Pacers might get the upper hand on their old nemesis.
They’d held him to 0-for-6 shooting with three points through the first three quarters, forcing the ball out of his hands as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves delivered points. Suddenly, statisticians were checking James’ lowest single-game
field goal totals and reflecting on his last single-digit game, an eight-point effort against Milwaukee on January 5, 2007. But just as it seemed history might be made as the
Pacers charged back from a 17-point deficit to close to 95-92 after three quarters, James re-emerged. “Obviously, I know I can score the ball,” he said. “But until we find a little
rhythm offensively or whatever the case may be, the defensive side is the most important for our ballclub.” James made his first basket 49 seconds into the fourth quarter. His next one came 37 seconds later. That was followed by two free throws and a driving layup to give him 11 points and the Lakers a 105-92 lead with roughly 9 1/2 minutes to play. It didn’t last.
The Pacers charged back two more times, retaking the lead for the final time on Tyrese Haliburton’s three-point play with 42.2 seconds to go. That gave Indiana a 119-118 lead, putting the struggling Lakers in danger of losing their fourth straight. James refused to let it happen, though, as Doncic took a midrange shot that bounced off the rim with the clock about to expire. And then, out of nowhere, came James.
“I was just trying to read the ball off the rim,” James said. “It kind of looked like it was a little short, but I knew it had a chance to bounce in if it hit the front rim. Once it came out, I kind of wanted to tap it with enough time. “Obviously, you could probably see me looking over at the JumbTron to see if I actually got it in time and it was a good play for us.” And yet another frustrating chapter in the Pacers rivalry with James, who twice eliminated the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals during his time with Miami and twice more in the first round after he returned to Cleveland.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been walked off in the NBA), so probably fitting” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said after chatting with James following the game. “It was obviously a great play by a great player.”
LOS Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after hitting the game winning shot against the Indiana Pacers at the end of the game in Indianapolis on Wednesday night. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
TABERNACLE
years. And the
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
UNIVERSITY OF THE BAHAMAS ATHLETICS
UB Mingoes take down Aces 3-1
THE University of The Bahamas Mingoes women’s volleyball team used a strong fourth set to put away the Midnight Aces 3-1 in UB Volleyball Showcase Tuesday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
UB won the match 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-17. The win was their first two-game winning streak in the showcase and fourth win overall. Middle blocker Anjeniker Joseph said her team competed well.
“This is a team that we have beaten before, and we expected nothing less. Our service, defense and offense were important,” Joseph said.
UB set the tone early in the game by going up 11-6 on a soft touch over the net by captain Zarria Rose. The Aces made the game a close one as UB led 15-14. That lead got extended to 17-14 before Aces called a timeout. UB was locked in and secured the 25-21 win in the first set and took a 1-0 lead. It was a competitive start to the second set with the score tied at six points. Aces held a slim 15-14 lead midway in the second set. That lead quickly jumped
to 19-15 before Mingoes fell 25-22. The match was tied at one set a piece.
It was a key third set for both teams, but Mingoes took a 10-7 lead early in the set. UB extended their lead to 20-14 before the Aces stormed back to make it a one-point game 23-22 in UB’s favor. Hannah McBride spiked the ball into no man’s land to put the Mingoes up 24-22. Aces scored on the next play but a service error from the Aces gave UB the 25-23 win to break the tie. They led 2-1.
Head coach of UB, Raymond Wilson said his team played relaxed and served the ball effectively.
“Our service was far better than in the previous game,” Wilson said. “We have a very good serving team and once these girls don’t break their service and serve the ball effectively, we have a good chance at winning any game.”
Joseph gave UB the perfect start with a 4-0 lead from her serves. That lead jumped up to 9-2. UB kept the pressure up and ended the set 25-17 to win the set and win the match 3-1.
UB Mingoes middle blocker Anjeniker Joseph serves the ball.
UB Mingoes middle blocker Jasmine Thompson tips the ball over the net.
UB Mingoes outside hitter Davanna Douglas bumps the ball against Midnight Aces Tuesday, March 25 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
UB Mingoes right hitter Miracle Stubbs goes up for a spike.
UB Mingoes middle blocker Jasmine Thompson spikes the ball.
UB Mingoes outside hitter Hannah McBride serves the ball.
Photos by UB Athletics
UB Mingoes right hitter Miracle Stubbs goes down for a dig.
UB Mingoes captain and setter Zarria Rose sets the ball.
Dig, set, spike
SANDILANDS Primary Beacon of Excellence made it three-straight in the girls’ division, while Sybil Strachan Warriors avenged their loss last year to emerge as the boys’ champions of the New Providence Public Primary Schools Sports Association 2025 volleyball tourney. The champions were crowned on Friday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium with Sandilands sweeping Garvin Tynes in straight sets of 15-7 and 15-9. Sybil Strachan got the best of Stephen Dillet, going the distance for a 15-7, 11-15 and 11-9 victory.
Both teams went through the preliminaries and playoffs undefeated, setting up two classic showdowns in the final.
Photos by Chappell Whyms Jr
High school students burn up the track, field
THE St Augustine’s College (SAC) Big Red Machine hauled away five of eight division titles on the final day of the National High School Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
SAC took control in the under-15 female division for a total of 143 points. The Queen’s College Comets were locked into the second spot with 124 points. Sunland Baptist Academy fell to third in the division with 79.50 points.
The Big Red Machine had a leading total of 191 points in the under20 female division. The Comets were second in the division with 177 points. Third place went to the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons at 83.50 points.
It was all SAC in the under-15 male division with 133 points. The CH Reeves Raptors trailed for second in the division with 100 points. QC wrapped up third in the division with 67 points.
SAC also emerged victorious in the under-17 division with 139 points. The Comets were on their heels with 137 points. Noble Preparatory Academy rounded out the top three with 53 points.
SAC also prevailed in the under-20 male division with 146.67 points. QC fell to second with 124 points overall and the Temple Christian Suns dropped to third with 72 points.
The Comets took the under-13 female division with 114 points. The second spot went to the Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons with 95 points. Bishop Michael Eldon School came third with 47 points. QC was also successful in the under-17 female division with 199.50 points.
The Big Red Machine had to settle for the second
position with 150.50 points. The Suns came third in the division with 72.50 points.
Sister Mary Patricia Russell Jr High School won the under-13 male division with 83 points. Sunland Baptist Academy finished second in the division with 79 points. The AF Adderley Tigers closed out the division in the third spot with 59.67 points.
FAST TRACK: Young athletes compete last week during the 2025 Bahamas National High School Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
