SPORTS SECTION E
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
JAZZ CHISHOLM - Page E8
Athletes shine overseas By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
BIRTHDAY girl Cassidra Thompson, Olympian Javonya Valcourt and CARIFTA medallist Shatalya Dorsett were among the Bahamian highlight reels at respective college track and field meets over the weekend in the United States. Thompson, now in her senior year at Auburn University, led a Tigers' 1-2 sweep in the women's 400 metres, clocking 54.78 seconds for her victory at the UAB's Vulcan Invite at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama. Her team-mate Zuriel Reed, a junior, was second in 54.96. "My race was pretty chilled," Thompson said. "It was just an opener to get a feel for indoors again mainly." Thompson, who celebrates her 22nd birthday today, is a transfer from Jacksonville University where she ran 52.82 in the 400m at the NCAA East First Round, just shy of her personal best of 52.81 that she did at the Florida Relays. She also won the 400m (53.28) and 4x400m relay (3:39.70) at the ASUN Outdoor Championships. Indoors, Thompson competed in three meets, placing third with a PR of 24.08 in the 200m and won the 400m (54.37) at the ASUN Indoor Championships. She finished fifth overall in the 400m at the RADD Sports Invitational and won the 400m (55.28) and 4x400m relay at the Celebration Pointe Classic. Thompson, the daughter of Veronnette Cherfils and Kristnor Thompson, is a graduate of Tabernacle Baptist Academy in Grand Bahama. Prior to her transfer to Auburn this year, she competed last year at Jacksonville with her sister Cassie, who graduated last year after completing her collegiate tenure as one of the top performers at the ASUN Outdoor Championships and a NCAA East
SHATALYA DORSETT Regional qualifier in the 200m and the ASUN indoor MVP for the second consecutive year. Cassidra Thompson and the Tigers will compete again on Saturday at the Samford Open in Birmingham, Alabama. "My expectations for the season is to definitely make a statement this year in my open 400 and a finalist at the NCAA Championship meets since it’s my last collegiate season, which I hope to take into the summer season and make it out on the pro circuit," Thompson projected. Valcourt, competing in her senior year for the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers, clocked a lifetime best of 36.53 seconds for second place in the women's 300 metres. The time was a Lady Vol record that gave her a number 13th ranking in NCAA history and the third fastest by a Bahamian behind national record holder Shaunae Miller-Uibo with her world-leading time of 34.41 in 2019 and Pauline Davis with 36.50 in 1993. "Overall, I feel really good about my performance. I’m so grateful and happy to have set the school record and run a PR of 36.53," Valcourt said. "It showed me where I’m at right now and what I need to clean up moving forward. The race felt very competitive."
Valcourt, who turned 21 on December 8, is coming off her appearance at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, last year where she placed seventh in her heat of the women's 400m in 52.00. She also helped The Bahamas win a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m relay at the NACAC Championships in Grand Bahama. In 2024, Valcourt ran on The Bahamas’ mixed 4x400m relay team at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. At the collegiate level, Valcourt was 11th in the 400m at the SEC Championships in 52.35. However, she posted her lifetime best of 50.69 for fourth at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational for third place ranking in school history. Indoors, she logged her personal best in the prelims at the SEC Indoor Championships (2/28), running a time of 51.73 that ranks second in UT history. Valcourt, a former student of Queen's College who completed her high school at Montverde Academy in Florida, is the daughter of Jacqueline Casseus and Yvon Valcourt. She will be back in action with the Lady Vols
on Friday at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she will open up in the 400m. "My expectations for this year are to stay healthy, stay consistent, and continue dropping my times as the season goes on," she said. "I’m excited for what God has in store for me in my last collegiate indoor season." Dorsett, a transfer from Louisiana Tech, finished 10th overall for Georgia Southern University Eagles in the women's 200m in a time of 24.18 after she placed third in the second of seven heats. "I feel like my performance could have been a lot better, but I'm grateful to have had an injury-free first meet," Dorsett said. "I know I'm capable of more and I get another chance to compete this week, so I'm focused on improving and doing better next time." Now in her Eagles' junior year, Dorsett is coming off her debut last year where she made the first team All-Sun Belt Outdoor, was named to the Sun Belt Indoor Track Newcomer of the Year and was on the All-Sun Belt First Team.
CASSIDRA THOMPSON During the indoor season, she claimed the 60m dash at the Sun Belt Championship with a school record time of 7.33 and took fifth in the 200m at the Sun Belt Championships with a time of 23.56. Outdoors, she competed in eight events and qualified for five different events at the SBC Outdoor Championships and also qualified for the NCAA Regionals in Jacksonville, Florida, in the 100, 200 and 4x100m, placing 25th in the 100, 30th in the 200m and 16th in the
4x100m. The 19-year-old Dorsett and the Eagles will be back in action at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, on Friday. Dorsett, a graduate of Sunland Baptist College in Grand Bahama and a 100m bronze medallist at the CARIFTA Games in Trinidad & Tobago last year, has run personal bests of 11.32 in the 100m and 23.56 in the 200m outdoors. She is the daughter of Shekeria Hudson and Desmon Dorsett.
T-Bird Flyers Track Classic: Athletes qualify for CARIFTA By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net JAZAE Johnson, Obadiah Cherizar and Wyatt Cartwright all produced CARIFTA-qualifying performances over the weekend to highlight the T-Bird Flyers Track Classic. The trio booked their tickets for the CARIFTA Games, scheduled for
the Easter holiday weekend in Georgetown, Guyana, at the two-day meet held in memory of the late Gregory Clarke. The meet kicked off the 2026 calendar for the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. As she celebrated her 15th birthday during Saturday's final day of competition, Johnson
achieved a pair of CARIFTA-qualifying standards in the under-17 girls' long and triple jumps. Cartwright clinched his mark in the under-17 boys' javelin on Saturday as well, while Cherizar earned his feat in the under-20 boys’ high jump on Friday. Johnson, representing Leap of Faith, soared 19-feet, 9 3/4inches or 6.04 metres, well over the standard of (5.45). Her nearest rival was Jumpers Inc's Azaria Deane with her best of 16-0 1/3 (4.89m). Omega Taylor of X-Treme Athletics was third with 14-07 3/4 (4.46m). She came back in the triple jump with 39-9 3/4 (12.13m) to also surpass the standard of (11.58m). Deane did 36-01 1/4 (11.00m) for another second place. Vernae Rolle of Leap of Faith was third with 33-11 1/2 (10.35m). "It feels amazing, but none of this would have been possible without God and so I want to give thanks to him and all of my supporters," said Johnson, who is coming off her CARIFTA debut in Trinidad & Tobago last year with a long jump gold medal and a triple jump silver. Additionally, Johnson said her aim is to also qualify for the 100m, which she fell short of the standard of 12.19 in her victory in 12.38 on Friday. Red-Line
JAZAE JOHNSON Athletics' Bailey Babbs came in second in 12.82 and Fast Forward's Nylah Whylly third in 13.16. Johnson, a St John's College 10th grader, however, admitted that her focus this year will be the two horizontal jumps. '"I just want to trust my coaching (from James Rolle) and put all my trust in God and never doubt myself," said Johnson, who aims to clear 21-4 (6.50m) in the long jump and 41-0 1/.4 (12.50m) in the triple jump. Cherizar, competing for T-Bird, cleared 6-8 3/4 (2.05m) to surpass the qualifying standard in the under-20 boys' high jump. Last year, he earned a
CLASSIC - SEE Page E5
WYATT CARTWRIGHT