SPORTS SECTION E
MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025
Kai Jones, Page 3
Calea Jackson sets a new national record By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
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t was another Bahamian national record-breaking performance for Calea Jackson as she led the Bahamian contingent, including three Olympians, who competed in various collegiate track and field conference meets over the weekend in the United States of America. The championships will lead into the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, or it will be onto the outdoor season for those who didn’t qualify.
JERALD CARROLL IN THE WIN COLUMN AGAIN – PAGE E6
ACC Indoor Championships At the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, Jackson - a sophomore at the University of Miami - was sixth in the final of the women’s weight throw with 67-feet, 3½-inches or 20.51 metres on the first of her six throws to shatter her previous national record of 66-113/4 (19.80m). “My performance went very well. I wanted to throw over 20m and I did that so I felt really good about it,” she said. “I knew that once I did my goal that the national record would increase as well which brought an extra amount of comfort.” After scratching her next two throws, Jackson posted marks of 62-6 (19.05m), 65-31/4 (19.89m) and 64-63/4 (19.68m) in her series. Jackson, 19, was the sixth of 10 competitors competing out of Group B, which produced the top nine performances, led by Giavonna Meeks, a sophomore at California, with a personal best and a meet record of 77-4¾ (23.59m) on her sixth and final throw. Meeks led from the start with her opening heave of 76-1/4 (23.17m) on her first throw. She scratched the second and third and popped 76-3 (23.24m) on her fourth, only to scratch her fifth as well. A total of 11 competitors participated in Group A. Unfortunately, Jackson didn’t qualify for the NCAA Indoors, so she said she will take a nice rest and then start preparing for the outdoor where she will
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
CALEA Jackson in her national record-breaking performance at the ACC Championships. throw both the discus and hammer, something she’s excited about. “I am staying the course and ensuring
that I maintain focus on and off the field,” Jackson stated. “I am grateful for my support system and I
intend to continue to make them proud of me.”
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INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is a mere five days away but Grand Bahamian Jonquel “JJ” Jones received her flowers a few days early. The 2024 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals MVP was named as one of USA Today’s 2025 Women of the Year on Friday. Jones was one of 61 women across the country to be recognised for breaking barriers, inciting change, making communities better and inspiring the future generation. The 6-foot-6 centre certainly checked all of those boxes, not only throughout the course of her eight-year WNBA career, but especially during her WNBA Finals run with the New York Liberty last season. She strengthened her legacy as one of the greatest Bahamian women to ever dribble up a basketball in 2024. After three unsuccessful trips to the WNBA Finals, Jones finally broke the barrier in her fourth finals appearance against the Minnesota Lynx. She had a standout performance in the Liberty’s 67-62 victory over the Lynx in game five of the series to win her first WNBA chip and the team’s first title. Jones pitched in a gamehigh 17 points, six rebounds and one assist while shooting 5-for-10 from the field and a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the
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MAKO AQUATICS CLUB DOMINATES HORIZON BLUE WAVES SWIM MEET
CONCACAF: ‘JUNKANOO BEACH BOYZ’ CONFIDENT AHEAD OF BIG DANCE
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net THE “Junkanoo Beach Boyz” will be represented by 12 members at the upcoming 2025 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship to be hosted from March 11-16 at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Stadium at home. Team Bahamas will feature goalkeepers Michael Butler and Julio Jameson, defenders Lesly St Fleur, Kyle Williams, Jean Francois, Dwayne Forbes and Renardo McCallum along with forwards Brandon Adderley, Peter Julmis, Timothy Munnings, Creven Ferguson and Lekenson Chery. The coaching staff will be led by head coach Francis Farberoff and he will be assisted by Gavin Christie. Torin Ferguson will serve as the goalkeeper coach. Larry Minnis will manage the team and he will be assisted by Cameron Hanna. The team doctor will be Dr Sandeep Goud and Karen Wert will serve as the team trainer.
JONQUEL JONES ONE OF USA TODAY’S WOMEN OF THE YEAR
READY TO GO: Team Bahamas is in the final stages of preparation ahead of the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships to be hosted from March 11-16 at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Stadium. Veteran team member Kyle Williams shared the team’s mindset going into next week’s competition. “Just to stay aggressive and stay confident. The guys have been training together for a long time so we have to be confident in our ability and what we are able to do. The sand is a great neutraliser so anything could happen and any shot can go in so it gives everyone a chance in order to be able to compete in this sport and that’s why we love to do it. We are excited and we are keeping that in mind going into the tournament,” he said. Team Bahamas was just one win shy of clinching a spot to advance to the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World
Cup while competing at the 2023 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship at home. The team ended that experience with a fourth place finish following a 3-2 loss to Mexico in the semifinals. The biennial tournament is now set to make its return to The Bahamas for the fourth time in history and the host team has big plans of qualifying for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025. Williams said chemistry will play a crucial role in the team playing well as the tournament progresses. “The thing with beach soccer is chemistry is everything. Being able to eliminate whatever we need to work on is the main
thing. Working together and communicating even more helps, especially in a stadium where it’s super loud, being loud and being very communicative helps in terms of defending and attacking,” he said. Eight nations will be represented at the upcoming CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship next month. Participating teams will hail from The Bahamas, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States of America. The top two nations will book their spots for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025.
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THE Bahamas Aquatics National Championships is not until June, but the Mako Aquatics showed that they are on pace to defend their title. With the Horizon Distributors Blue Waves Swim Club Invitational Swim Meet over the weekend at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex taking on a similar format for the nationals, Mako Aquatics turned in a dominating performance.
Mako Aquatics, coached by Travano McPhee, posted a total of 1,932.50 points, well ahead of host Blue Waves Swim Club, coached by Dellan Brown, which had 1,126. McPhee said it was a strong performance by his Mako Aquatics swimmers. “We had several swimmers achieve qualifying times for CARIFTA and those who had already achieved their qualifying times prior to this weekend were able to improve personal best times,” he said.
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THE SPORTS March CALENDAR NOBLE PREP ACADEMY TRACK CLASSIC THE Noble Preparatory Academy is all set to hold its 2025 Track and Field Classic from 9am to 6pm on Saturday, March 15 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The registration deadline is March 11. Athletes can register at info@npabahamas. com
UNCLE LOU FUN RUN/WALK THE St Augustine’s College and the Alumni Association is inviting the general public to come out and participate in the Uncle Lou Fun Run/Walk. Under the theme: “Paint the streets red,” the event will take place on Saturday, March 15, starting 6am at SAC’s
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