03242026 SPORTS

SPORTS

SECTION E

CARIFTA team named

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) has named its 2026 CARIFTA team following two hours of deliberations, finalising a 77-member squad ahead of the 53rd edition of the Games. The team was announced at the Andre Rodgers Stadium by BAAA president Drumeco Archer, closing

a competitive trials period that featured last-minute qualifiers and several events without automatic standards. In those cases, coaches used discretion to fill spots where necessary. This year’s team is slightly smaller than last year’s group of 80, but remains balanced across sprint, field, and middle-distance events. In the under-17 girls’ division, Jazae Johnson and Brion Ward led the sprint group in the 100 metres, while Keyezra Thomas doubles in the 200 and 400 metres. With no qualifiers

Coach ‘Lonnie’:

‘I knew she had it in her’

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FROM the moment he started working with Devynne Charlton as the head coach of the Boilermakers at Purdue University, Bahamian coach Rolando “Lonnie” Greene said he knew she had the potential to be a great female hurdler. That relationship, which started in 2014 after Charlton graduated from St Augustine's College, blossomed when Greene moved to become the head coach for the University of Kentucky Wildcats track team in 2018.  Charlton, 31, followed Greene and is now an assistant coach for the Wildcats when she's not training and performing her official duties as one of the world's elite female hurdlers.

On Sunday in Pomorze, Poland, Greene was on hand to share in the historic moment with Charlton's parents, David and Laura Charlton, as Charlton became the undisputed queen of World

Athletics' World Indoor Championships women's 60m hurdles.

Not only did Charlton win the title for an unprecedented third straight year, but she matched her previous world record of 7.65 seconds that she established when she won the initial crown in 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland.

She won the second title in Nanjing, China, last year, although it wasn't in another world title feat but, nonetheless, it was a season's best of 7.72. No other athlete in the history of the event has achieved such a hat-trick feat.

Greene, basking in the glory for Charlton, said he was still trying to process the whole experience in Poland, something he will cherish for the rest of his life.

"I knew she had it in her. I knew she could have broken the world record. If she hadn't stumbled on her second step, I knew she would have broken the world record," he said.

"When you see things like this, you can't put it into words. All you can do is just take it in and give God

in the 800 metres, Deveigh Farrington was selected based on regional performance averages. Johnson also features in the field, entered in both the long and triple jump, while T’arjahnaye Green and Alisa Thurston handle discus.

The under-17 boys’ team includes Avonte Lotmore and Ky’len Johnson in the 100 metres after selectors chose the top two finishers among three qualifiers. Zion Bradford will contest the 200 and 400 metres, while Shawne Ferguson is entered in both the 110m and 400m

hurdles. In the field, Caden Miller and Dwayne Saunders take on the triple jump, with Ahkeel Williams leading the javelin. At the under-20 level, Deryn Rodgers heads the girls’ 100 metres, while Saige Demeritte and Alexis Roberts are set for the 200 metres. Jade Knowles will run the 800 metres, and Darvinique Dean is entered in the 400-metre hurdles. In the field, Kamera Strachan and Taysha Stubbs lead the javelin, with Alexandria Komolafe and Paris Rolle in the high jump.

In the boys’ under-20, Joshua Wilson leads the 100 metres, 200m will be Javano Bridgewater and Eagan Neely, 400m will be Javano Bridgewater and Zion Davis, the  800m is led by Benrico Pierre, 1,500m led by  Ross Martin and Benrico Pierre, and the 5,000m led by Vincent Alert.  High jump will be Joshua Williams and Dwight Jones, 110m hurdles led by Jahcario Wilson. Discus led by Carmelo Woodside, long jump led by Carlin Archer and Joshua Wilson, triple jump led also by Carlin

Archer and

for javelin.

Relay pools were also named across all divisions.

Under-17 Girls 4x100m: Jazae Johnson, Brion Ward, Keyezra Thomas, Teree Forbes, Bailey Babbs, Rocelis Moxey 4x400m: Keyezra Thomas, Trinity Rolle, Aliyah Coleby, Brianna Bootle, Nevaeh Mackey, Zara Fraser

praise. She works very hard, she's diligent and she's a study of her craft. I personally believe that God is blessing her."

Despite coming off a broken foot and an injured hamstring, Greene said Charlton was still able to excel to the top of the ladder last year in Nanjing.

"When you are one of the best, the world won't allow you to heal. Every time you step onto the track, they

want what they saw from you all the time," Greene pointed out.

"So this year, like she was in 2024, she's healthy and she's not dealing with any of those challenges.When she's healthy, she's a dangerous athlete. And I know she can break the world record. So all I could have done was just marvel at the moment here in Poland."

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

YOLETT “Coach Yo” McPhee-McCuin has changed the standard at Ole Miss, but March is still proving difficult to finish. Ole Miss’ season ended yesterday with a 65-63 loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA March Madness Tournament, a tight game that came down to the final moments.

After the game, McPhee-McCuin didn’t hide her frustration, particularly with how the closing stretch played out. She pointed to key sequences late, saying simply: “It is what it is,” while also noting her team “fought” to the end.

‘Coach Yo’ and Ole Miss Rebels eliminated in the second round of NCAA March Madness

The loss fits a pattern. Under Coach Yo, Ole Miss has become a consistent NCAA Tournament team, but breaking through to a deeper run remains the next step. McPhee-McCuin is now a regular in March, coaching in the tournament multiple times and building a programme that expects to be there every year. That alone marks a major shift. When she took over in 2018, Ole Miss was coming off years of inconsistency and had missed the NCAA Tournament for over a decade.  She rebuilt it steadily until the Rebels returned to the tournament, then stayed there. Now, getting in is no longer the goal.

“This is who we are,” she has said of her team’s place

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was an emotional time for members of the Paradise Gymnastics Academy, but they vowed to keep the memory and the legacy of their deceased founder and coach Kachara Marshall alive.

Marshall, 43, was funeralised on Friday at St Agnes Catholic Church and laid to rest in the church's cemetery where the Paradise Gymnastics Academy paid their final respects as they joined hundreds of mourners and supporters of the former exceptional educator in the Ministry of Education.

Alia Elliott, the assistant coach who will now assume the head coaching role, said after Marshall founded the academy in 2021, she performed exceptionally well as a "true professionist," who didn't settle for anything but the best.

"We are just focussing on growing as gymnasts," said Elliott, who will be assisted by coaches Cherish Walker and Candace Murphy. "We have a lot of training that we need to do and there's a lot of skills that the girls need to develop.

"So right now, our focus is on training because she would not want us to stop. So we will continue to train them so that the girls can

get the skills that they absolutely need to compete."

Members of the Paradise Gymnastics Academy are Abigail Hamilton, Shaniah Campbell, Skai Campbell, Ariah Elliott, Angela Rolle, Amaris McPhee, Naime Burnside, Tanna Farrington, Fayeoner Farrington, Kaylie Bynoe, T’Neesha Bowleg, Acacia Colon, Kassidy McPhee, Autumn Ingraham, Dior Shepherd, Freddria McKay, Deanna Deal, Da’Niah Brown and Sofia Emers-George.

Inside the booklet, a number of the gymnasts expressed their feelings about Marshall and how she was able to get them to compete at the level that they're at right now.

Naime Burnside called her the "greatest coach" of all time.

"Coach Marshall, you have inspired and

encouraged me to become the best gymnast and version of myself," Burnside said. "You were the one who taught me how to find my strength on the beam, power on the vault and grace on the floor. Because of you, I dream bigger and aim higher. Thank you for helping me step by step in every way. All the laughter and memories will always remain in my heart."

Angela Rolle was short and sweet to the point.

"Coach Marshall, there will never be anyone like you," she insisted. "My heart hurts so much, but I will always carry you with me every time I step into the gym."

For Abigail Hamilton, it was more personal.

"Coach Marshall was an outstanding coach, role model and for me, family," she said. "I only wish I would've told her that before it was her time."

Skai Campbell called Marshall her favourite coach. "She made me a better gymnast," Campbell stressed. "She made me feel safe and proud, even when she spot me on my fly away."

Shaniah Campbell felt Marshall made an impact in her life.

"Coach Marshall truly made a difference in my life," Campbell pointed out. "She was more than just a coach. She was someone who encouraged me, believed in me and pushed me to be better every day.

Educator/coach Kachara Marshall laid to rest BAAA names

"She made me feel comfortable and supported me. I will always appreciate the lessons she taught me and the impact she had on me."

Acacia Colon said Marshall made gymnastics a "safe haven" for her.

"My incredible gymnastics coach, thank you for everything," Colon said. "For nearly nine years, you've been a constant source of support, guiding me through each level and helping me overcome injuries.

"You created the foundation for my gymnastics career, shaping my skills and fostering my love for the sport. Gymnastics became my safe haven because of the environment she created. Throughout

Coach Rolando ‘Lonnie’ Greene pleased with Devynne Charlton’s own world record-tying feat

As a master motivator, Greene said after the first round, Charlton complained that her knee was bothering her, but he reminded her that  “this is something you want to do and so go for it.

“If you fail, go down going for it, fail going for it. When the gun went off in the semifinals and she came off the pedal, I was like ‘she got it. When I saw 7.74 as the world lead, I knew she was ready.

“When she came to the warm-up area, we had about an hour’s rest in between, so I simply told her ‘do that again and you will break the world record.’ She did exactly that from start to finish, even though she stumbled.”

Having coached for the past 39 years, Greene said he’s never seen a performance as was done by Charlton winning her third consecutive title and he’s not certain if the world will see it again anytime soon.

“I’m not saying she’s retiring because if she wants to, she can come back and do it again next year,” Greene stated. “But whenever she decides to retire, she will be etched into the history of World Athletics. I could even see her being inducted into the World Athletics’ Hall of Fame in short order because of such great accomplishments.”

the years, you've built up my confidence, encouraging me to push my limits and believe in myself. I am forever grateful for your commitment and the impact you've had on my life."

Autumn Ingraham had few words, but was thoughtful as she noted: "Coach Marshall was always nice to me and always showed me kindness."

Amaris McPhee said she will miss Marshall because "she was a great teacher. She always pushed and encouraged me to do my best in gymnastics. She helped me to learn new skills."

And Ariah Elliott best summed up the tributes when she said: "You always made me feel happy. You help build my confidence and my skills. You'll always be in my heart wherever I go."

In addition to serving as a gymnastics coach, who served on the Bahamas CARIFTA team, Marshall was a long-time teacher at DW Davis Junior High School where she served as the subject coordinator of the Language Arts Department and was the chief examiner for the BJC English Language. She leaves behind two children, Khari and EllaRose Marshall, her mother Shari Marshall, two brothers police inspector Kieron Rodgers and Kyle Rodgers and a host of family members and friends.

“When you are that diligent and it doesn’t work, it hurts. I’ve seen her cry when things don’t go well. Then when it’s successful, it’s outstanding like what we saw here today (Sunday).”

Can she carry that success from indoors to outdoors?

Greene certainly believes so.

“Traditionally, she’s been one who always gets picked up over the last two hurdles (in the 100m hurdles outdoors),” Greene said.

“I think we’ve corrected that.

“I know she’s going to run 12.20s and maybe even dip under 12.20s in my humble opinion. Only time will tell, but it’s going to come to pass. If she stays healthy, we will see Devynne run 12.20s or in the 12-teens.”

After taking a week off just to “breath” after achieving such a remarkable feat, Greene said Charlton will then head to Shanghai, China, on May 16 for the first of two Asian Diamond League meets. The other will be in Xiamen, China, on May 23.

Following her outdoor season openers, Charlton will return to Lexington, Kentucky, to continue to train before she heads back to Europe for another set of Diamond League meets.

With this being an off year for any major global meets like the World Championships or the Olympic Games, Greene said

Greene attributes Charlton’s success to her diligence. “She’s such a student of the sport,” he noted. “She works in her space where I have to tell Devynne that’s enough, go home. But she just sits on the bed at the track, watches and she’s watching and recording stuff in her log.

Charlton’s focus will be on the World Athletics Ultimate Championships that will take place in Budapest, Hungary, September 11-13.

“That’s when you peak yourself to the well. That’s when you don’t do what you traditionally do when you peak yourself at the well,” said Greene about the off-year journey for Charlton.

“So what you do is you do it smartly, you do it intelligently. So when we get back to the World Championship year in 2027, we prepare for the Olympics in 2028 and you say this is what I can and cannot do.”

While the women’s hurdles has become one of the showpieces for any global meet, Greene said Charlton is in a training environment with American Olympic champion Masai Russell and Jamaica’s world champion Megan Tapper, which has made it as competitive as it is in competition.

“It’s an awesome training environment. They push each other.

“When someone doesn’t show up in the weight room in the morning, they call each other and encourage them to get going,” Greene pointed out.

“Even though they all have their own independent lifting programme, they hold each other accountable. They hold each other accountable in practice.”

It’s those high level training sessions that prepares Charlton for the intense competition that she faces at race time. It’s a lot

easier to face the challenge ahead of her.

As a coach from Sixth Street, the Grove, who has gotten the chance to work with such a calibre of hurdlers, Greene said he’s grateful to God for using him as a vessel to work with each of them to get them to where they need to be.

“I know in my heart that he’s shown them in their minds that they can do it,” Greene stressed. “Whatever Devynne is doing, I can promise you that God has already shown her that.

“He always shows up at the end and the beginning. What Masai is doing, she’s seen it. What Megan is doing, she’s seen it. But to work with them to see this all come to reality, I don’t have the words to describe it. All I can do is just give God all the praise and the glory.”

Greene said he’s just delighted to have a wife, LaTanya, and children, Charisse, Cameron, Isaiah and Jacob, who are supportive in everything he does to create the atmosphere for those athletes to shine.

When he returned home after the experience of watching Charlton succeed, going through all of the protocols, including the victory celebrations and the doping procedures that comes with winning, Greene said he’s going to enjoy a cigar as he reflects on the achievement.

“I’m just grateful,” said Greene about Charlton’s latest achievements for the history books. “But there’s still more to come. Just stay tuned.”

Under-17

Boys

4x100m: Lavario Ferguson, Avonte Lotmore, Emmile Higgins, Aiden Musgrove, Ky’len Johnson, Shia Pratt

4x400m: Zion Bradford, Veron Pinder, Aiden Musgrove, Cordell Monroe, Avonte Lotmore, R.J. Roberts

Under-20 Girls

4x100m: Deryn Rodgers, Kylie Wallace, Alexis Roberts, Darvinique Dean, Kianna Henchell, Logan Stubbs

4x400m: Saige Demeritte, Darvinique Dean, Alexis Roberts, Samaya Crowley, Kimari Hannah

Under-20

Boys

4x100m: Joshua Williams, Everette Fraser, Terrin Beckles, Lubin Phillips, Eagan Neely, Jahcario Wilson

4x400m: Zion Davis, Javano Bridgewater, Zion Shepard, Lamorn Moxey, Eagan Neely, Jahcario Wilson Following the announcement, head coach Alexis Roberts said the process required careful evaluation, especially in events without clear qualifiers. “Its an honour to lead this team into Grenada, we’ve been to Grenada before and done well, and I think we’ll do it again. I anticipate us doing phenomenal things,” said Roberts.

“We’ve been here before, for the majority of the athletes, I think they know what to expect. When you see the level rise every year, you know that the athletes have perfected their craft, and they get confidence.”  With the team finalised, preparation begins as Team Bahamas looks to turn depth and opportunity into medals at the CARIFTA Games scheduled for April 4-6 in Grenada.

Xavion Johnson leads Bahamian delegation with 7th place finish at Panama Senior Central American and Caribbean Cup

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

XAVION Johnson, moving up in the judo weight class, led the Bahamian delegation at the Panama Senior Central American and Caribbean Cup with a seventh place finish.

Johnson, still a junior judokan, finished seventh in his debut in the men's -73 kilogram category to place The Bahamas in 12th place on the team chart. He previously competed in the -66 kg. Cuba dominated with six first places, four seconds, a third and two fifths.

Three other competitors also represented The Bahamas Judo Federation at the championships.

Karra Hanna had the next best performance as she advanced to the women's +78 kg repechage round where she lost to Travieso Curbelo of Cuba. Hanna lost earlier to Karen Leon of Venezuela in the pool B.

Kelisha Saunders, competing in the pool C of the -52 kg class, lost in the first round to Coral Velasquez from the Dominican Republic. Tara Bain also lost in the first round of the pool C of the 57kg to Shelly Lopez of Guatemala.  Johnson, 19, opened competition in pool D with a win

over Josue Tellez of Costa Rica. He then beat Pariche Andres of Venezuela in the second round. However, he suffered his first loss to Louise Pierre of the Dominican Republic. That placed him in the repechage where Johnson won over Hernandez Galarza from Puerto Rico. But he lost his final match to Ronal Gonzalez from Panama.

Despite finishing with a 3-2 win-loss record, Johnson said it was a good experience for him to really test himself competing against the bigger competitors in the new weight category.

"It was an up and down experience. A lot of good things happened, but there were some small mistakes that messed me up, but it's a part of the process," Johnson said.

Looking back at his performance, Johnson said he's been working real hard

over the past three months to prepare himself to compete in the bigger weight class. He was pleased with his performance.

"I just have to get stronger in the division because some of the guys are a lot heavier and they are pretty solid," Johnson pointed out. "But the more fights I get, the better and more comfortable I feel I will be in the category."

American Joshua White, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has been coaching the Bahamian since he was nine when he was first introduced by his mother, Ordain Moss, at the US Open. He said Johnson's performance was "absolutely amazing. "He was in the bracket with a lot of the

top athletes in the world and with this being his first senior event in this weight class, he was phenomenal," White said.

"He beat one of the top fighters in the world from Venezuela, who medalled at the Grand Prix. But he had a tough loss in the fight to see who goes to the bronze medal from a guy from Panama. He was winning until right at the end with a heartbreaking loss.

"But this has shown him that he can fight against the best competitors in the world. If this was his age group, I have no doubt that he would have won. But it showed that he is ready to compete at this level."

Hanna said she was disappointed that she

didn't perform as well as she wanted.

"In the last round, as the only Bahamian left, I felt there was a lot of pressure on me to try to do it big to at least bring home a medal," Hanna said.

"The fact that I did not prevail was a bit disappointing. But it was still a great experience. I learned a few things about myself that I clearly didn't know."

She said she fought two competitors whom she never met before and she now knows that there are some things she has to sharpen up on moving forward.

In her role as a coach, Hanna said she was pleased with the performance of Saunders in her first international championship.

"She really pushed hard and was very strong. She did a massive throw. It was a crowd pleaser," said

THE WEATHER REPORT

Hanna, who only wished that the Bahamian public would have gotten a chance to see Saunders in action.

Johnson will be heading to Guatemala along with Hanna to compete in the next qualifying tournament for the Senior Central American and Caribbean Cup. Both are hoping to qualify at the event.

Following that, it's the Senior Pan American Championships where both Johnson and Hanna have already qualified to compete.

White, who has a son competing for the United States, said the BJF, led by president sensie D'Arcy Rahming Sr, is on the move.

"I think The Bahamas’ judo team is building something really strong in a couple of years, they will be something to reckon with all over the world," White said.

Edgecombe’s double-double helps 76ers down Jazz 126-116

By JOHN COON Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) —

Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 26 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 126-116 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

Trendon Watford had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Adem Bona and Cameron Payne each had 16 points — with Payne adding seven assists — for the 76ers, who won for the fourth time in five games. Philadelphia overcame 17 turnovers and outscored the Jazz 74-52 in the paint.

Ace Bailey led Utah with 25 points, seven rebounds, and a season-high five blocks. Kennedy Chandler added 19 points in his debut after signing a 10-day contract with the Jazz earlier Saturday. Elijah Harkless had 15 points, five assists and a season-high five steals. Bez Mbeng had 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his first career start.

After Utah took the lead on a three-point play by John Konchar, Philadelphia went on a 12-2 run capped by Edgecombe’s running dunk to go ahead 118-110 with 2:35 left.

Back-to-back baskets from Kyle Filipowski sparked a 15-2 run that gave Utah a 72-64 lead a minute into the second half. Philadelphia erased the deficit later in the third quarter and took an 80-76 lead when Bona bookended a 16-4 run with a pair of dunks.

CAREER-HIGH: 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) shoots a threepoint basket over Sacramento Kings centre Maxime Raynaud (42) during the first half on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Sacramento, California.

VJ Edgecombe (77) goes for a dunk during the first half against the Sacramento Kings. (AP Photos/Justine Willard)

Rookie ‘VJ’ erupts for career-high 38 as 76ers beat Kings 139-118

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — Rookie Valdez “VJ”

Edgecombe scored a career high 38 points with 11 assists, Justin Edwards was 7 of 11 from 3-point range and finished with 32 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Sacramento Kings 139-118 on Thursday night. Quentin Grimes scored 27 points as the

76ers ended a five-game road losing streak and won for the fourth time in their last six games playing without their two biggest stars — Joel Embiid (strained right oblique) and Tyrese Maxey (finger). Embiid has missed 11 straight games but coach Nick Nurse said he has been making progress. Edwards shot 11 of 18 from the field overall

and went 3 for 3 from the line.

Maxime Raynaud led the Kings with 30 points and Daeqwon Plowden had 20. Dylan Cardwell had 14 rebounds. For the Kings, it was their third loss in their last five games. Philadelphia shot 50% from the field overall and 47% from 3-point range, compared to 38% from deep for Sacramento.

The 76ers took the lead for good with 3:08 remaining in the second quarter. The score was 71-62 at halftime, with Grimes scoring 20 points. The 76ers extended their lead to 114-91 during the fourth quarter, fuelled by a 16-2 scoring run. The Kings Malik Monk left the game with an injured right shoulder and did not return.

‘VJ’

By AARON BRACY Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

—

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, Jalen Williams added 18 in his return to the lineup and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 12th game in a row last night with a 123-103 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.

Jared McCain had 13 points for the Thunder in his first game in Philadelphia since last month's trade. The defending NBA champions improved to 57-15, the best record in the league.

Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe scored 35 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. Philadelphia began the day as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament but was just a half-game back of fifthplace Toronto.

Williams was back in the lineup after missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.

McCain helped the Thunder jump out to a 35-25 lead after the first quarter with a pair of 3-pointers. Oklahoma City increased its lead to 24 and never was threatened after taking a 65-43 lead into halftime.

BLTA teams off to El Salvador for World Juniors Championship

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA), embroiled with a new interim executive team that was elected over the weekend, has fielded the next two tennis teams for 2026 competition.

Team Bahamas boys and girls left town yesterday for El Salvador to compete in the 2026 World Juniors Championship where the best in under-14 tennis in the Caribbean and the Central American region are competing.

The boys’ team is made up of captain Ricardo Demeritte with Harrison Van Onselen and Oliver Van Onselen as players. Daniel Rigby is captain of the girls' team that includes Victoria Sandi-Aguilar, Danielle Saunders and Londyn Mortimer.

A total of 18 countries will be representing including Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Curacao, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala,

Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis and our beautiful host country El Salvador.

The BLTA congratulates the players who have been named to the 2026 World Juniors team, noting that their hardwork and dedication have reaped positive fruits and they are proud of each of them.

"We are thankful to the hardworking team travel committee volunteers for their time and effort in organising the two teams for travel, they continue to be efficient and gracious when servicing the team," the BLTA wrote.

"We are grateful to God who continues to make provision for the BLTA teams to travel. Let us wish our players and coaches strong performances and a safe and enjoyable experience as they represent the country on the world stage."

Last month the BLTA successfully fielded two teams to represent at the

with Rigby are making back-to-back appearances as they were in Guatemala at the Jr Billie

ilar and Saunders along

King Cup and Davis Cup respectively and now will compete at the World Juniors Championships.

‘Coach Yo’ and Ole Miss Rebels eliminated in second round of NCAA March Madness

in March. “We expect to be here.” That identity has been shaped in the SEC, where weekly games demand physical play and defensive discipline. Ole Miss has leaned into that, becoming a team that wins with effort and, most importantly, defence.“We’re built for this,” McPhee-McCuin said during the tournament, pointing to the level her team competes at all season. And for stretches against Minnesota, that identity showed. Ole Miss stayed in control for much of the game before it slipped late. The difference was small, but in March, small margins decide seasons. Even in defeat, McPhee-McCuin stayed consistent with her message. “I’m proud of my team,” she said. That approach has defined her tenure. Historically, Ole Miss has had moments in March but not sustained success. The programme’s deepest run remains an Elite Eight appearance in the early 1990s, with only scattered breakthroughs since.  Under Coach Yo, the consistency has returned. Multiple tournament appearances, competitive games, and a programme that expects to be part of March Madness every year, but the missing piece seems to be getting further. Ole Miss is no longer chasing relevance. It’s chasing results deeper in the bracket.