SPORTS SECTION E
BAISS: COMETS BLANK SAINTS 3-0
Olympian Rhema Otabor is looking forward to another successful season
R
hema Otabor, the national record holder for the women’s javelin event, is gearing up to have another successful outdoor season during her 2025 campaign at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Otabor left no stone unturned during the 2024 track and field season. She made her first Olympic Games appearance last summer, retained her NCAA DI javelin crown and repeated as the women’s national javelin champion and Big Ten javelin champion last year. Her impressive résumé for the women’s javelin throw event speaks for itself but she expects to take it a step further for the upcoming outdoor season. “My biggest hope
ATHLETES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025
‘Eyes on the prize’ By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
1 DAY TO GO
for this season is just to perform better than I did last year. I want to consistently put up competitive marks as the year continues and raise our women’s [javelin] national record in the process. “Currently, the biggest meet of the year is the World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo and that is the stage I am striving to compete on. I am just working towards qualifying for it and whatever else happens on that journey will be like icing on the cake,” she said. The 22-year-old graduate student had a stellar season by her standards but one of her most memorable moments from last year was erasing Laverne Eve’s 24-year-old national record. Otabor was within arm’s reach of the national record for quite some time
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By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
OLYMPIAN Rhema Otabor, national record holder for the women’s javelin event, is gearing up to have another successful outdoor season during her 2025 campaign at the University of NebraskaLincoln. (AP Photo)
THE 2025 Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) soccer season rolled on yesterday with the senior boys of Queen’s College and Kingsway Academy going head-tohead at the Queen’s College campus. The Comets had a strong second-half surge to prevail 3-0 against the Saints to capitalise on their home turf advantage. QC senior boys’ head coach Lawrence Lewis was tight-lipped about the team’s expectations for the season but was grateful for the club’s latest victory. “We are going to do what God has for us. It feels good to get the win. It is always good to get a win and even better to get the win at home,” he said. The Saints and Comets both had a hard time finding the back of the net in the first half of the game. As a result, the score was tied at zero apiece going into the second half. The Comets finally broke the scoring drought early in the second half. Durai Adderley found a hole in the Saints’ defence to score the Comets’ first
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UB Mingoes pull off comeback win over Midnight Aces THE University of The Bahamas Mingoes women’s volleyball team needed the full match, including an extended fifth set, to take out The Midnight Aces in UB Showcase action at The Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Tuesday. The Mingoes won in five sets - 25-17, 25-19, 18-25, 17-25 and 17-15. Behind the strong attack from hitter Miracle Stubbs, the Mingoes started off strong going up 7-1 in the first set and eventually took the set 25-17. Stubbs continued her strong hitting - ending with 12 kills on the night - into the second set as the Mingoes took that set 25-19. In the third set, the Aces started off strong with a
6-0 start, forcing a Mingoes timeout. The Mingoes were able to claw back to a 16-16 tie but the Aces’ attack was too strong and the Mingoes fell 25-18. The fourth set started a bit more even for the Mingoes with the team only trailing 15-12 at one point. The Aces were able to find holes in the Mingoes’ backcourt and took the set 25-17. In the decisive fifth set, the Mingoes tied the Aces seven times at 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and deuce at 14 and 15. With The Mingoes leading 16-15 and after two volleys, UB setter Zaria Rose, with a near perfect outside set to Hanna McBride, drew an Aces player in for a net violation to end the match.
MINGOES POWER: UB Mingoes bench players react to their team winning the second set against The Midnight Aces at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in UB Showcase action. The Mingoes won in five sets. Photo: UB Athletics
THE SPORTS February CALENDAR
KAMRON HENFIELD LEADS TEAM VELOCITY TO VICTORY AT SPEED CAPITAL CARIBBEAN SHOWCASE
NPA TRACK CLASSIC THE Noble Preparatory Academy is all set to hold its 2025 Track and Field Classic on Saturday, March 15 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium from 9am to 6pm. The registration deadline is March 11. Athletes can register at info@npabahamas.com RUGBY GAMES AT WINTON AFTER making some minor repairs to the Winton rugby pitch, the Bahamas Rugby Union
KEMRON Henfield was named the most outstanding athlete in the boys’ under-17 division as he led Team Velocity to victory in Class C - comprising of 20-andunder athletes - at the Speed Capital Caribbean Showcase. Team Velocity, joining a number of other local track clubs in the meet over the weekend at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, took 17 athletes and returned home with a total of 18 medals. Henfield, in qualifying for the CARIFTA Games in Trindad & Tobago over the Easter holiday
is scheduled to play matches on Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 22. All ages and all abilities are welcome, including men and women, ‘Golden Oldies’ teams and beginners and seasoned players. The BRU is also inviting persons to come and try rugby this year. The only equipment needed are tennis/cleats and PE kit.For further information, persons are urged to call (242) 812-0417.
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TEAM Velocity’s Henfield.
Kemron
weekend, picked up a gold in both the 100 and 200 metres and a silver in the long jump to lead the way for Team Velocity.
“The team’s performance was amazing,” said Team Velocity’s head coach Sherry Francis, who was assisted by coaches Ken Munroe and Stephen Murray. “We had 10 100-metre finalists. That alone spoke volumes and how we were able to secure the MVP in the C class category. The kids were able to run the rounds and secured 18 medals.” Meet director Luke Robinson congratulated Francis, her coaching staff and members of Team Velocity on winning their divisional title.
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“The first two sets we came out and had the energy. We were serving and we were communicating at a high level,” middle blocker Anjeniker Joseph said. “But in the third and fourth set we just fell short on just about everything so that’s why we had to fight in the fifth set.” Joseph, who had eight blocks and six kills, said the team had to hustle hard to pull off the fifth-set win. “We had to pick up the energy and we had to come back with our service and be really strong on defence,” she said. “We were determined to win the match. Defence was important in the fifth set, especially playing this team and so we had to be disciplined.”
‘BUDDY’ HIELD SCORES 16 OFF THE BENCH IN WIN OVER HORNETS – PAGE E5