06142016 sports

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SPORTS SECTION E

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

Knockout Cup

Bears prevail, 8E

‘Golden Girl’ to run before home crowd one more time By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribnemedia.net

D

ebbie FergusonMcKenzie, the most decorated Bahamian female sprinter, is getting closer to bringing the curtains down on a glaring career in track and field. But before she finally calls it quits, Ferguson-McKenzie said she wants to come home and compete one more time before the home crowd. That opportunity will come over the weekend of June 24-25 at the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium when she competes in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associa-

tions’ National Open that saying,” she stated Track and Field Chamin part. “There were pionships. and still are so many Yesterday, Fergulessons to learn. Everyson-McKenzie issued day presented and still a formal letter to the presents a teachable media, indicating the moment. The problem latter after 30 years of however was would I be representing the Bahaobservant and vigilant mas - a feat she attribenough to notice. And uted to the tremendous for the most part I have support she has received to say that I was. FERGUSON from the Bahamian peo“My patience led to ple. It’s been the longest tenure of my progress. I was patient when any Bahamian athlete, active or things were hazy. I was patient inactive. throughout my trials and tribu“Often times I reflect over my lations. I was patient in defeat. I life and I realise that my career was even patient when I had no was largely built upon patience. answers. Thanks to that patience It’s been said that patience is a though, I am now thankful. As virtue and I’m a firm believer in the saying goes, “To enjoy the

LATARIO COLLIE: ‘IT FEELS GOOD TO BE NCAA CHAMPION’

rainbow one must endure the rain.” The Good Lord knows I’ve done my fair share of enduring. A few years ago, I was plagued by injuries and attrition and many thought my days were numbered and that retirement was my best, and only, option.” From a youngest who got her humble beginnings at Oakes Field Primary before she developed into a top notch junior athlete at CC Sweeting and was able to secure an athletic scholarship to St Andrew’s School, FergusonMcKenzie went on to become an elite superstar at the University of Georgia. During that era, she went on to capture seven individual gold medals in the 100 and 200m in

both the under-17 and under-20 divisions at the Carifta Games, the biggest regional competition along with a silver in the 200 and 400m and a bronze in the 200m in her under-17 division. She closed out that chapter in her career by being named the Austin Sealy winner of the most outstanding athlete in 1995 in Georgetown, Cayman Islands. Ferguson would move onto the senior circuit with a bang and went on to become the most decorated Bahamian female sprinter ever. She was the youngest member of the “Golden Girls” - Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline

Cavs stay alive

‘WE WILL BE READY IN TIME FOR OLYMPICS, SAYS SHAUNAE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net LATARIO Collie became just the fifth Bahamian to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s division one triple jump title. He did it Saturday on Hayward Field at ‘Track City’ in Eugene, Oregon as he soared 16.97 metres or 55-feet, 8 ¼-inches to snatch the lead on his first attempt. Collie sat out the remainder of the competition that featured his Texas A&M teammate, twin brother Lathone, and fellow Bahamian Kaiwan Culmer from the University of Nebraska, as he monitored a slight injury. “It feels good to be NCAA champion,” Collie told The Tribune. “It also feels good because I was able to continue on with the tradition of the Bahamian triple jumpers.” Collie followed in the footsteps of pacesetter Phil Robins, the Government High standout who won the first title for Southern Illinois University in 1978 in Philadelphia with a wind-aided 54-feet, 8 ¼-inches to beat out Willie Banks, who was third with 52-0 ¼. Robins went on to compete in the 1978 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, where he scratched all three of his jumps in the preliminary rounds. Next up was Steve Hanna from St John’s College, who went on to claim back-to-back titles for the University of Texas at El Paso. His first came in 1980 at the University of Texas where he cleared 55-1. With the Bahamas boycotting the Moscow Olympic Games that year, Hanna went to the Liberty Bell Classic in Philadelphia where he claimed the bronze with 53-10 ½. The next year in 1981 at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he improved on his performance by duplicating the feat with 5511. It took six years before Frank Rutherford out of LW Young represented the University of Houston in 1987 in Baton Rouge where he triumphed with 56-1. Before that achievement, Rutherford made history by not competing in the inaugural International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, but he won the gold. He came back in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain, and claimed the biggest accomplishment for the Bahamas, winning the first Olympic medal in athletics with a bronze in the men’s triple jump. Another seven years later, Leevan ‘Superman’ Sands out of Temple Christian, competed for Auburn University, winning the NCAA title at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, in 2004. Now 12 years later and still competing against Sands, Collie has put the Bahamas back on the top of the chart, earning a title that many felt he should have won a year ago. “I had a lot of expectations for myself. I wanted to score some points for

SEE PAGE 4E

WARRIORS VS. CAVALIERS GAME 6 @ 9PM THURSDAY, JUNE 16

SEE PAGE 4E

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

OAKLAND, California (AP) — LeBron James had 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, Kyrie Irving also scored 41 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers capitalised on the Warriors playing without suspended star Draymond Green, staving off NBA Finals elimination with a 112-97 victory in Game 5 last night. James and Irving became the first teammates to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game as the Cavaliers pulled within 3-2 and sent their best-ofseven series back to Ohio. CAVALIERS guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots between Golden State Warriors centre Festus Ezeli (31) and guard Klay Thompson (11) in the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals last night. (AP)

WHILE she continues to put herself in a unique position heading into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August, quartermiler Shaunae Miller will be hard pressed with the decision on which event she will compete in at the 2017 Olympic Games. On Saturday in the inaugural JN Racers Grand Prix meet in Kingston, Jamaica, Miller lowered her national record in the women’s 200 metres to 22.05 seconds to snatch the victory. Improving on her previous record of 22.14 that she ran in another meet in Kingston, Miller finished with the third fastest time in the world so far this year. The 22-year-old adds the performance to her worldleading time of 49.69 that she ran at the Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational in April, leaving her as a bonafide contender for both events in Rio. Miller said she had one ultimate goal going into Kingston and she achieved that. “Everything went well,” she told The Tribune. “I give God all the thanks and praise for the opportunity to compete and finish the race healthy. I’m excited with how things are going.” Now with just over a month to go before the biggest sporting spectacular is staged in Rio, Miller said she’s awaiting the final decision from her coaching staff. “My coaches know exactly what they’re doing,” she said. “We’re happy to see where we are at but we also have a lot to work on. But we will be ready in time for the Olympics.” Both events will require competitors to run three rounds in order to determine the medallists. But the schedule for the two events is too compacted for any competitor to go for the double. The first round of the women’s 400m is scheduled for Sat-

SEE PAGE 4E

Buddy Hield appears on ‘Fox After Dark’ By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IN a meeting between two Bahamian basketball icons, Buddy Hield and Rick Fox produced a discussion on everything ranging from Hield’s story to the connection between the Bahamas and the LA Lakers. Fox, now an analyst for NBA TV, hosts a segment called “Fox After Dark” and his episode this weekend featured Hield in his preparation for the NBA Draft. The highly touted former Oklahoma Sooner said he expects June 23 to be a night filled with emotion when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver calls his name in the draft. “It’s going to be a lot of emotion. I have seven brothers and sisters and we have all been in

the struggle with my mom and my stepdad Richard, he’s along with us and he’s been a part of the struggle too although nobody really knows about him. My grandparents will be there and all of my family that have been a part of the struggle. All that emotion will turn into tears of joy and it will be a relief, but I still can’t be satisfied yet because the best is still yet to come for me,” he said. “[Wherever I go] I bring a good character kid who loves to play hard and who loves to work. I hate losing more than anything and I’ll do whatever they need me to do. If they need me to play defence I’ll do that but I’m a scorer at heart so I’ll try to be the best two-way player I can be on and off the court.” Hield said he has worked diligently on the holes in his game

HIELD

FOX

since the NCAA season ended in April, most notably extending his shooting range, inspired by the unanimous MVP. “I’m taking it a step back. Steph [Curry] has helped me to make up my mind. The game has changed so much, now watching him play I have to increase my range. I feel like when I go to the NBA I want to impact the game with a lot of scoring, a lot of shooting so I have to take

a step back and let it go. Off the dribble stuff has been all that I have been working on and getting into my shot.” Fox suggested that Hield might draw comparisons with the other members of the Warriors vaunted “Splash Brothers” backcourt. “Klay Thompson is a catch and shoot guy, lightning quick. You know the bloodline. He’s got Bahamian blood in him. It must be something in the conch or in the water,” Fox said. Fox, the former Kingsway Academy Saint, was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1991 and spent six years with the franchise before he joined the Lakers in 1997. Fox won three titles with the Lakers alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

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