SPORTS SECTION E
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
CARIFTA SPECIAL - E8
Denning and Higgins are national sailing champs By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
WHILE the Bahamas Sailing Association held its final qualifying process for the Central American and Caribbean Games, Portugal's Olympian Eduardo Marques came to town and put on a show at the Bahamas ILCA Open National Championships. The national championships was held over the weekend off Lyford Cay with Marques taking the overall title. Joshua Higgins and Eliza Denning emerged as The Bahamas’ male and female national champions respectively. The BSA, however, has not yet selected the team for the CAC, scheduled
ELIZA DENNING
JOSHUA HIGGINS
for July 28 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which will also carry competitors for athletics, swimming, judo, boxing, archery, equestrian, tennis and wrestling. The team also has to be ratified by the Bahamas Olympic Committee.
The BSA's selection criteria for CAC included the ILCA 6 (female) and ILCA 7 (male) and they had to participate in the Midwinters (East) that was held from February 19-22 at Key Biscayne Yacht Club and the Nationals. After losing the opening race, Marques
made the necessary adjustments and went undefeated as he completed the seven-race series with a net score of six after posting a total of eight points. Arthur Farley of Great Britain came in third in his first race, was second in five of the next six to secure second place with his net of 13. He didn't compete in the fourth race. Higgins, the Harbour Island native, set the stage by taking the first race. He then got a pair of fourth places and was third in the final four races to complete the series in third place with a net of 17 for 21 points. Paul de Souza was the second Bahamian, finishing fourth overall with a net of 30 and 24 points. He got a
second, two third and four fourth places. Stefan Stiven rounded out the top five with a net of 30 after scoring 36 points. He was fifth in all, but in one of his races he ended up sixth. Two other classes were contested during the championships. In the ILCA 6, American Landon Stahl clinched the title with a net of 10 and 25 points. He won four races, got third twice and had his worst showing with 15th in his final race. In defending her ladies’ title, Denning of Lyford Cay Sailing Club, came out as the top Bahamian with a net of 10 and score of 14. She won three races, was second twice, got a third and a fourth.
John Alexiou was third with a net of 17 and a total score of 21. He came in second three times, was third once and also had three fourth places. Finley McKinney-Lambert was fourth with his net of 18 and a total score of 23. He placed second, third and fourth twice and was fifth in his other race. And finishing fifth was Maya Wolf of the West Vancouver Yacht Club of Canada with a net of 30 and a score of 37. She had a third, four fifth and a seventh place. The ILCA 4, the other class, saw Leon Zarchan of the Lyford Cay Sailing Club clinch the title with a net of seven and a score of nine.
SAILING - SEE Page E4
UB Mingoes win Bahamas Men’s Soccer League title THEY had one main goal this season – win the Bahamas Men’s Soccer League title. The league leaders, the University of The Bahamas Mingoes men’s soccer team, with one game on hand, did just that with an 11-0 drubbing of Cavalier FC and a little help from rivals, Dynamos FC, defeating second-place team Western Warriors FC at the Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Fields on Sunday. UB scored 10 first-half goals and head coach Alex Thompson played all his reserves in the second half to add one more goal in that half for the win. Captain and midfielder Ronaldo Green, who is the favourite to win the Golden Boot this season, said that it was very joyful to the team to win the title. “We did our best throughout the whole
season,” Green said. “As we went throughout the whole season, we had some trials and tribulations but were able to overcome those. We worked hard and did what coach gave us to work on. As we went along, we build and we came out victorious in the league and the match.” He added that the additions of players this season and the stepping up of players from last season played a big role in the title win. Green was instrumental in the victory on Sunday as he finished with a hat-trick in the first 30 minutes of the match. Midfielder Kevin Thomas completed his hat-trick in the second half. Forward Philip Pilgrim had two goals. Winger Mider Dalmasse, midfielder Rolph Gervais and forward
Clerdjivensky Clerjuste scored a goal each. UB currently sports a 10-1-3 win/loss/draw record on the season. It was more up and down this season for UB soccer as they opened the season on a six-game winning streak. UB drew the next three league games before winning their next four out of five matches. UB’s secondary season goal was to go undefeated but that did not happen. However, winning the title is just as sweet. It is redemption after placing third last season and third in the previous season. UB last won the title in the 2017-2018 season. UB returns to close their season with a match against Western Warriors at 7pm on Sunday, April 19 at the Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Fields.
TITLE WINNERS: The University of The Bahamas Mingoes soccer players Kevin Thomas (blue #16), Ronaldo Green (blue #10) and Endy Johnson (blue #26) kneel and celebrate after Thomas’ hat-trick goal against Cavalier FC on Sunday, April 12 at the Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Fields. UB won 11-0. Photo: UB Athletics
UB Mingoes hire their first full-time softball head coach THE University of The Bahamas is bringing women’s softball back with the hire of its first full-time softball head coach, Yvana McDonald, to lead that programme. McDonald is no stranger to the softball or University of The Bahamas community, having played for the then College of The Bahamas Caribs women’s softball team and in high school and night league softball. “Being able to see the development from the college level to now the university, makes me excited to see what we get to do in the years to come,” McDonald said. She is looking to hit the ground running knowing that she has to re-start the programme from scratch especially building a roster. McDonald will be looking to recruit players from current students enrolled in UB in New Providence and Grand Bahama, and those in high school. “We're about to roll out a 30-60-90-day plan which include going on high school tours,” McDonald said. “Currently, the GSSSA is in full swing with their
YVANA MCDONALD softball programme. We're excited to go out there, start having conversations with the coaches and the parents of students who can be prospective future Mingoes. “We are also going to be doing school tours in BAISS although their 20252026 season wrapped up because we're hopeful that we do have prospective Mingoes coming from the private schools too.” McDonald was an instructor at the McKnight Softball Instruction in Tennessee and is a certified CANOC Pathways Coach and Nike Women coach. She is also certified in biometrics analysis for
SOFTBALL - SEE Page E4