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SAC has strong showing

Big Red Machine win Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming All Schools Track and Field National Championships

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine had themselves a strong showing at the 2026 Frank

‘Pancho’ Rahming All Schools Track and Field National Championships, closing the meet with a decisive win in the under-20 division and multiple standout performances across the final day at the original Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.

Karra wins bronze

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KARRA Hanna achieved yet another milestone, becoming the first Bahamian female judoka to capture a medal at the Pan American Senior Championships.

Hanna, accompanied by coach Willard McKenzie and male judokan Xavion Johnson, secured the bronze in the ladies +78 kilogram class in Panama over the weekend.

On their return home yesterday, the 26-yearold Hanna said she was delighted to add the medal to the bronze she won at the first Commonwealth Games held in The Bahamas in 2017.

"It went really well. I'm really proud of the preparation that I took to get ready for the championships," said Hanna, who spent the week prior training in the United States with Johnson’s coach Joshua White.

First Bahamian female judoka to win medal at Pan American Senior Championships

"Within those five days, he really pushed me beyond my comfort zone and so it was really blessed that I was able to retain a lot of the information that he impacted on me."

After winning her first match in Pool C over 18-year-old Camila Rugamas of El Savador, Hanna lost out to 25-yearold Moira Morillo of the Dominican Republic

That dropped her to the repechage where she won over Nicaragua's Merenco Izayana, 33, and Colombia's Brigitte Carabali, 28, to earn the medal.

Hanna gave God all the glory for her accomplishment. "I'm just excited for what more is to come,"

Hanna said. "These are just stepping stones towards the bigger goal, which is the Olympics (in 2028 in Los Angeles, California).

"But the competition was pretty rough. These girls came out there and their training really showed off. But it was all about who wanted it more.

“When I lost the match against the Dominican Republic, she punched me right in the face and it got a little more mental than anything."

In accepting the defeat because she felt she wasn’t getting the fire calls, she rebounded and had to dig down deep to fight until the last second in every match afterwards.

Bahamas Judo Federation president D'Arcy Rahming, in welcoming Hanna home with her medal, said they are very proud of her performance in what has been the toughest competition in the region.

"We had all of the country champions, including Olympic champions and medallists are in this division. For her to come out with a medal at this stage of her career is amazing," Rahming pointed out.

"This is a good boost of confidence for the upcoming championships. I wish to point out that Xavion will also move several places on the world ranking list

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While the CH Reeves Raptors and Queen’s College Comets each secured multiple division titles,

SAC’s presence was constant from start to finish, with a meet-best 338 points in the under-20 division.

Queen’s College followed with 248 points, while the Temple Christian Suns finished third with 158.

SAC’s senior group delivered when it mattered most, particularly in the relays, where the Big Red Machine swept the under-20 boys and girls 4x100m and 4x400m events. Those victories not only added crucial points to their overall tally but also secured qualification for the 2026 Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

A SAC coach said the focus coming into the championships was on execution and performance under pressure, noting that the athletes responded with composed, high-level efforts across the meet. He added that the relays reflected the team’s preparation and ability to perform cleanly in critical moments.

“When the pressure was highest, that’s when they produced their best races,” he said.

On the track, SAC’s Logan Stubbs produced one of the team’s key individual victories on the final day, winning the under20 girls’ 200 metres in a wind-assisted 24.32 seconds.

Bethany Bevans of Bishop Michael Eldon School followed in 24.70, with St John’s College’s Ana Butler third in 25.37.

Syrmiah Crawley added another gold for SAC in the under-20 girls’ 400m hurdles, controlling the race from the early stages before stopping the clock at 1:02.57.

On the field, Carlin Archer turned in one of the most productive performances of the meet, completing a double victory in the under-20 boys’ long jump and triple jump. He posted a wind-aided 7.05 metres in the long jump before returning to win the triple jump with a mark of 14.82 metres, giving SAC valuable points. “Across the board, the athletes competed with intent, and you could see the level of focus in how they approached each event.”

Elsewhere on the track, the championships featured several high-level performances. CARIFTA medallist Brion Ward won the under-17 girls’ 200m in 24.11 seconds, ahead of Government High School’s Bailey Babbs (24.58) and SAC’s Brianna Bootle (24.70). In the under-17 boys’ 200m, Zion Bradford of Sunland Baptist Academy edged a tight finish in 21.79 seconds, just ahead of St John’s College’s Aiden Musgrove (21.81), with Tristan Lockhart of St Anne’s third in 22.25. Agape Christian’s Louben Philip came within striking distance of a long-standing meet record in the under-20 boys’ 200m, winning in 21.13 seconds, narrowly outside Marcus Knowles’ 21.11 mark. Queen’s College’s Everette Fraser placed second in 21.58, followed by CR Walker’s Johnathan Higgs in 21.61. In the hurdles, Shawne Ferguson of St John’s College delivered a major improvement in the under17 boys’ 400m hurdles, dropping from 1:01.47 in

Nassau Darts Association overall winners of Gold Cup

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@

ribunemedia.net

THE Nassau Darts Association emerged as overall winners of the 2026 Gold Cup held in Freeport this month, as the best of the best shooters in the country battled for top titles in several national divisions.

Teams from four leagues faced off in a two-day round-robin tournament at GoGo's Restaurant in the Castaways Resort, April 10-11.

The 1st Nassau Darts Association team secured the win with 120 points, holding off a strong challenge from the 2nd Grand Bahama Darts Association, which finished second with 115.

The 3rd Abaco Darts Association placed third with 92 points, while the 4th Eleuthera Darts Association finished fourth with 32.

The narrow five-point margin between first and second highlighted how competitive the tournament remained through the final matches, with every category contributing to the overall standings in the round-robin format.

While Nassau claimed the overall Gold Cup, Abaco delivered a strong showing by capturing the team event title.

Top performances were spread across the divisions:

The Mixed Triples champions were Kilroy Wilson, Lorenzo Deveaux and Tanika Sweeting (NDA)

Mixed Doubles winners were Zeferick Lewis and Renae Rolle (GBDA)

Men’s Doubles champions were Zefrick Lewis and Kianno Miller (GBDA)

Women’s Doubles winners were Elvis Kemp and Sandra Ferguson (NDA)

In singles play, Robin Albury of Abaco won the men’s title over teammate Shane Sawyer, while Sandra Ferguson secured the women’s single.

Ferguson was also named Female MVP, while Grand Bahama’s Zefrick Lewis earned Male MVP honours after leading his team’s push for the title.

Other standout performances included Kianno Miller’s, with Male High Finish of 138.

Tanika Sweeting was Women’s High Finish with 105.

Nelson Rahming took the Male Short Game (16 darts) and Ferguson took the Women’s Short Game (19 darts). Several players also recorded 180s during the tournament.

Youth trials were also held, with Khawi Laing of Grand Bahama finishing first, followed by Johnathan Pierre (Nassau) and Kegan Hicks (Abaco), as the federation continues to emphasize development at the junior level.

Bahamas Darts Federation president Anishka Maycock said the Gold Cup remains the top domestic competition, bringing together the strongest players from each island.

She said the Gold Cup tournament featured more

than 60 shooters from the four leagues in the country.

“So, each one of these team members represented their island to make one overall team representing their association.

“And the tournament will determine the champion overall that carries the

CONSTITUENCY

will not host its next event until the Volleyball Classic is staged at the CI Gibson Gymnasium over the weekend of June 19-20.

SOFTBALL THE New Providence Sports Council, in conjunction with the Bahamas Softball Federation, is slated to hold the Constituency Games Softball Tournament from Tuesday,

bragging rights throughout the year,” Maycock said.

She said that darts, which originated as a bar room activity in Britain, is now a global sport, with Carribbean Cup and World Cup competitions.

Maycock, whose term ends in August, said that

April 28 to Sunday, May 3, in the Bankers’ Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The men will play modified pitch during the tournament, while the women will play slowpitch. For more information,

expansion remains a priority, with plans to grow the sport beyond its current base, to also include other Family Islands.

“We have four islands and we're trying to bring on more islands like Long Island and other islands to join in,” she said.

persons can contact BSF president Marvin ‘Togie’ Wood at 808-7281. RED-LINE YOUTH

Incoming federation president Neil Cartwright emphasized the need for greater exposure and development, particularly among youth players.

He pointed to the importance of youth development, sharing a personal example of how quickly new players can rise in the sport.

His daughter, Elizabeth Cartwright, is the current youth champion and will defend her title in July.

Cartwright also highlighted upcoming international opportunities.

He noted that The Bahamas will host the Caribbean Cup this summer July 24 through August 2 in Nassau, a major event on the regional calendar.

Cartwright said expanding youth participation is a key focus moving forward.

He said there are plans to establish stronger youth programmes and eventually incorporate a junior division into events like the Gold Cup.

He also hopes to work with schools and the Ministry of Education to introduce darts to younger players and build the next generation of competitors.

“I want The Bahamas to come up to the rest of the world standards in darts. We have a long way to go but we have the potential here to do it,” he said. With increased focus on youth, upcoming international events, and continued national competition, the Gold Cup remains a cornerstone in the growth of darts in The Bahamas.

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club is scheduled to hold its Youth Track Classic on Saturday, May 2-3 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The event is open to athletes from the under-7 to under-15 divisions for boys and girls. To register, persons can log onto www.CoochORegistration.com

Building the next generation of elite Bahamian boxers

CHAMPION Spirit Country Club, in collaboration with The Bahamas World Boxing Federation, is proud to highlight the success of its recent Boxing Talent Identification, Testing and High-Performance Evaluation initiative conducted in Grand Bahama.

The event was held from April 17-18 and was an exciting step forward in building the next generation of elite Bahamian boxers.

Over two impactful days, a group of young athletes (ages five to 18) participated in structured assessments led by head coach of Champion Spirit Boxing Academy, Vicente Martinez, alongside Olympic silver medallist and head of sports at Champion Spirit, Andretti Bain.

The sessions focused on identifying raw talent, athletic potential, and foundational boxing skills, with an emphasis on long-term athlete development.

The initiative was further strengthened by the presence of Wellington Miller, president of the BWBF, and Roy Colebrook, secretary general, who provided key administrative support to ensure the programme’s success.

Local engagement was also instrumental, with Grand Bahama boxing coach Jermaine Gibson playing a vital role in organising participation through his All-Out Boxing Club.

The presence of the young athletes indicates

that the future of boxing in The Bahamas is bright.

The evaluations revealed a foundation of emerging grassroot talent, with many athletes demonstrating promising attributes that can be developed into high-performance capabilities through structured training.

To assist with elevating the training needs of the athletes in Grand Bahama, Champion Spirit donated 20 new pairs of boxing gloves.

This initiative represents more than just talent identification. It is the development of grassroots outreach, national federation collaboration and elite training systems.

Champion Spirit is committed to providing Bahamian athletes with access to world-class coaching, modern training methodologies, and a high-performance environment designed to prepare them for success at international competitions and, ultimately, the Olympic Games.

A special thank you to Abdoulaye Fadiga, founder and president of Champion Spirit Country Club Bahamas for his vision, generosity and commitment to developing sports in The Bahamas.

76ers-Celtics, Trail BlazersSpurs and the Rockets-Lakers set for Game 2s

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer

JOEL Embiid won't be back on the court tonight to help the Philadelphia 76ers when they attempt to bounce back from a 123-91 loss to the Boston Celtics in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. And it's becoming increasingly less likely that the 7-footer will be available at all during the series.

The 76ers had no answers for the second-seeded Celtics in Sunday's Game 1 as Boston rolled to its largest victory margin in a playoff opener.

The 76ers said yesterday that Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, is just starting his strength and conditioning programme as he continues to recover following an appendectomy on April 9. There is no target date for his return.

Meanwhile, Sixers star Tyrese Maxey said getting back on track begins with not dwelling on everything that went wrong in Game 1.

“This is my fifth playoffs, so, losses, whether you lose by 7, 12, 100, they all hurt,” he said. “They all don’t feel good. But this one, it sucks; we didn’t expect this at all. But we just got to play better.”

Out West, the second-seeded Spurs are

feeling great after Victor Wembanyama put up 35 points in his playoff debut during San Antonio's 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Portland interim coach Tiago Splitter said his team needs to find ways to capitalise when Wembanyama is resting.

“I thought we couldn’t make money out of those minutes,” Splitter said. “I think (Spurs backup centre Luke) Kornet did a good job defending and grabbing offensive rebounds. I think we’ve got to be better in those minutes for sure.”

Multiple big names were sidelined when LeBron James and the Lakers picked up a Game 1 win over a Rockets team that was missing Kevin Durant. Los Angeles, playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, got a career-playoff high 27 points from Luke Kennard and 19 points and 13 rebounds from James in the 107-98 victory.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Durant, who has a bruised right knee, will be a game-time decision today. Udoka told reporters that Durant's biggest lingering issue is mobility.

“The pain tolerance is one thing, but actually moving and feeling comfortable doing all the movements is going to be

the biggest thing,” Udoka said.

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics

When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 7 pm EDT (Peacock/NBCSN)

Series: Celtics lead, 1-0.

Betting line: Celtics by 13 1/2.

What to Know: Jayson Tatum says he isn't yet back to fully feeling like to himself after his first playoff game since Achilles tendon surgery. But he appears to be pretty close. Boston eased past Philadelphia in Game 1 as Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The Sixers had no answers for the Celtics' outside shooting (16 3-pointers) or their ability to turn Philly's 15 turnovers into 22 points.

Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 8 pm EDT (NBC/ Peacock)

Series: Spurs lead, 1-0.

Betting line: Spurs by 11 1/2.

What to Know: Wembanyama wants to win now and the Spurs fed off his energy in the opener. While it may be his first time in the playoffs, Wemby said he very much was expecting for the Blazers to try to get physical with him as a way to limit his effectiveness. “It’s their identity. Something

to be expected and it’s also to be expected that they’ll double up on that in the next games, but we’re ready,” he said. One thing Portland can build on: It cut a 16-point deficit to two points in the third quarter before San Antonio took control.

Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers - When/ Where to Watch: Game 2, 10:30pm EDT (NBC/

Peacock) Series: Lakers lead, 1-0. Betting line: Rockets by 4 1/2.

What to Know: The Rockets must regroup quickly after Los Angeles’ impressive Game 1 without top scorers Doncic and Reaves.

Houston is hoping to get Durant back to boost its dismal offensive performance, but the Rockets

know their overall defensive intensity must improve after the Lakers hit 60% of their shots. The Lakers were relaxed at practice, but they’re also working on new defensive approaches to bother Alperen Sengun and the Rockets’ top scorers. Doncic and Reaves aren’t close to returning, but they attended practice and shot free throws with their teammates Monday.

Karra Hanna wins bronze, becomes first Bahamian female judoka to win medal at Pan American Senior Championships

because this tournament is so tough, it’s equivalent to fighting about eight matches.”As she and Johnson now prepare for their next major competition at both the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in July and August, Hanna said she has to be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared.

“Judo is really a brutal sport,” she pointed out. “There were a lot of injuries and it could take a physiological turn on you, but right now, we are gearing up to go to Japan for a few weeks of training.

“My sensei wants me to get the proper training and body structure that I need to be better and quicker on my feet and to not overthink when I have to take advantage of an opening against my opponent.”

Hanna made an appeal for anybody in corporate Bahamas who is willing to assist her financially to step forth and reach out to her because it’s a long way to travel to Japan, but she is eager to attend the Judo International Training Camp from the first week in May until June.

“It gives me time to recuperate and practice what I learn before I head to

the CAC Games in July,” Hanna said. As for 19-year-old Johnson, Hanna said he did extremely well in the men’s -73kg class. Competing out of Pool D, Johnson won his opener against 20-year-old Hector Nolasco Guerr from Guatemala before he lost his next match to 21-yearold Guilherme de OPliveira from Brazil.

“We’re very proud of him, especially coming from the -66 to -73 kg class,” Hanna said. “It’s a big change, especially in the weight category.

“These guys are bigger than him, but he’s really holding his weight and he’s doing very well. He just has to keep at it and he will

get them the next time for sure.”

There won’t be any time for celebrations for Hanna.

As a part of her community service to the Lyford Cay Lower School, she will be teaching some of the children there some judo lessons.

But, more importantly, she is a judo instructor and will be preparing to take one for her students, 16-year-old Keilesha Saunders - a student from CR Walker - to Ecuador on Saturday to compete in the Cadet Cup.

“It’s not all about me celebrating,” Hanna  stated. “It’s all about moving forward because the ball is still rolling.”

Manchester City beats Arsenal 2-1 for huge swing in Premier League title race

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The Premier League might just have a new title favourite.

Manchester City swung the race for the championship in its favour by beating Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a second-half winner by Erling Haaland.

Haaland’s league-leading 23rd goal of the campaign in the 65th minute allowed City to trim the gap to Arsenal, the longtime front-runner, to three points. City has a game in hand at relegation-threatened Burnley on Wednesday, after which Pep Guardiola’s team is likely to have overturned its goal-difference deficit to Arsenal and taken the lead with five rounds remaining.

“Panic on the streets of London” read a banner held aloft behind one of the goals after the final whistle — a reference to a 1980s song by The Smiths and a nod to Arsenal's endof-season implosion that

has seen Mikel Arteta's team lose four of its last six games in all competitions, including two straight in the league.

This might be a familiar sinking feeling for Arsenal fans, who have seen their team finish as runner-up for the past three Premier League seasons.

“Two weeks ago, this didn’t look very likely, this scenario,” City captain Bernardo Silva said.

An often-frenetic match exploded into life when Rayan Cherki gave City a 16th-minute lead with a weaving run and finish, only for Arsenal to draw level in bizarre circumstances two minutes later after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s clearance was charged down by Kai Havertz and rebounded into the net from close range.

Haaland and Arsenal pair Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes struck the goal frame, before Haaland slotted home a low shot from Nico O'Reilly's cross, dealing a huge blow to Arsenal's hopes of a first

league championship since 2004.

City is expected to beat next-to-last Burnley, but has a tougher run-in than Arsenal that includes trips to Everton and Bournemouth and a final-day meeting with Aston Villa.

“Every game is a final,” Haaland said.

Unlike City, which is unbeaten in 10 league games, Arsenal is struggling for form and also has to balance playing in the Champions League after reaching the semifinals.

"It's a new league now — everything is still to play for," Arteta said.

Stoppage-time winners for Liverpool and Villa Liverpool and Aston Villa look to be headed for the Champions League after grabbing stoppage-time winners on Sunday.

Virgil van Dijk headed home in the 10th minute of added-on time to earn Liverpool a 2-1 victory at Everton in a Merseyside derby featuring a record-tying goal from Mohamed Salah.

Salah, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after nine trophy-filled seasons, marked his final derby by slotting in a low finish in the 29th minute. His ninth Merseyside derby goal drew him even with Liverpool great Steven Gerrard for the most in the Premier League era (since 1992).

It was Liverpool’s other stalwart, Van Dijk, who sealed the win by turning in a corner by Dominik Szoboszlai. There was so much stoppage time because

Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced off on a stretcher after sustaining an injury attempting in vain to save a 54th-minute shot by Beto that brought Everton level.

Villa, meanwhile, beat Sunderland 4-3 thanks to Tammy Abraham’s goal in the third minute of stoppage time.

Fourth-placed Villa moved 10 points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea. Liverpool is in between them, but stretched its advantage over Chelsea to seven points.

THE WEATHER REPORT

The top five in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League. Gibbs-White hat trick boosts Forest survival chances

Morgan Gibbs-White scored a second-half hat trick as Nottingham Forest rallied to beat Burnley 4-1 and further boost its survival hopes.

Forest moved five points clear of third-to-last Tottenham in the relegation zone, while next-to-last Burnley slipped closer to the drop to the Championship.

Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming All-Age Schools Track & Field Championships

ON THE REPLAY: Athletes compete during the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s inaugural Frank “Pancho” Rahming All-Age Schools Track and Field Championships at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

Photos

by Chappell Whyms Jr

SAC Big Red Machine win Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming All Schools Track & Field National Championships

NATIONALS - from Page E1 the preliminaries to 58.17 in the final to secure gold.Keilesha Saunders of C.R. Walker won the under-17 girls’ 400m hurdles in 1:08.46, with SAC’s Tia Thompson close behind in 1:08.81 and Sunland Baptist’s Trinity Rolle third in 1:11.87.

Temple Christian’s Tieano Ferguson claimed the under-20 boys’ 400m hurdles title in 55.21 seconds. Queen’s College’s Nathan Walker was second in 57.31, and Kingsway Academy’s Reonard McKenzie finished third in 57.60. In the field events outside of SAC’s wins, Bishop Michael Eldon’s Keyezra Thomas cleared 1.65 metres to win the under-17 girls’ high jump. Windsor School’s Alyssa Thurston took the under-17 girls’ shot put with a throw of 11.22 metres, narrowly ahead of Queen’s College’s T’Arjahnaye Green (11.11m) and teammate Dayn Rolle (10.35m).

At the division level, the CH Reeves Raptors were dominant among the junior schools, winning both the under13 division with 171 points and the under-17 division with 241. Sunland Baptist Academy and Jack Hayward School rounded out the top three in under-13, while Tabernacle Baptist and Sister Mary Patricia Russell followed in the under-17 standings.

Queen’s College controlled the middle divisions in the senior category, winning the under-15 title with 217 points ahead of SAC (176) and Sunland Baptist (159), and the under-17 crown with 311 points. SAC placed second again in that division with 197, while St John’s College finished third with 131. Still, SAC’s performance in the senior ranks, particularly in the under-20 division, reinforced their reputation for producing well-rounded teams capable of delivering in high-pressure situations.