04272026 SPORTS

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor

DRAKE RELAYS

‘Ageless wonder’ Donald Thomas opens campaign Athletes take the spotlight in the USA

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

VINTAGE high jumper

Donald Thomas, quarter-miler Cassandra Thompson and sprinter Lamarr Williams took some of the spotlight over the weekend as a number of Bahamian elite, collegiate and high school athletes competed around the United States of America.

Among some of the others in action were javelin thrower Rhema Otabor, quarter-miler Steven Gardiner and the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine.

TIGER TRACK

CLASSIC

Thomas, the "ageless wonder" at 41, opened his 2026 campaign with a leap of 7-1 1/2 (2.17m). The 2007 world champion passed at 7-2 1/2 (2.20m) and went for 7-4

1/2 (2.25m), but fell short in his three attempts. "I'm still in heavy training," said Thomas, who noted that he wanted to jump from five approaches. "Just look forward to improving

every meet. After I had won the meet, I had my attempt at 2.23 metres from five steps, but didn't get it. I'm on to the next meet."

On the track, Thompson, representing Auburn, won

the women's 400m in a time of 53.63.

GWSI EXTRA

At the GWSU Extra Weekend Meet at the Grand Valley State in

Allendale, Missouri, Williams, a sophomore at Bethel (Indiana) sped to a pair of victories in the men's 100m in 10.22 and the 200m in 20.76

Otabor, the national record holder, looked extremely well in her season opener as she got a second-place finish in the women's javelin with her season's best toss of 199-feet, 7-inches or 60.83 metres on her fourth attempt at the Drake Relays.

During the competition in Des Moines, Iowa, Otobor opened with 190-5 (58.04m) on her first attempt, 190-0 (57.91) on her second, 192--6 (58.69m) on her third, 195-0 (59.15m) on her fifth and 198-5 (60.48m) on her sixth. She was off her national record of 64.19m she established on June 45, 2024 in repeating as the champion of the NCAA Division One Outdoor Championships.

ATHLETES - SEE Page E2

New Bahamas Boxing Academy

Celtics spoil Embiid’s return, beat 76ers to take 3-1 series lead

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA

(AP) — Payton Pritchard made six of Boston’s 24 3-pointers and scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 11 assists to help the Boston Celtics spoil Joel Embiid’s return from an appendectomy and beat the Philadelphia 76ers 128-96 last night for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Boston. “It's going to have to be a big pick-up mentally,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. Jaylen Brown scored 20 points for the Celtics, who thumped the Sixers by 32 points for the second time in the series. The Celtics outrebounded the Sixers 51-30. Embiid scored 26 points in 34 minutes just 17 days after having an appendectomy. Embiid wasted little time scoring in his first game since April 6. The two-time NBA scoring champion sank two free throws for the Sixers’ first points of the game, added

a monster two-handed jam and scored the team’s first eight points. Embiid withered after the fast start and missed seven straight shots before he converted a three-point play in the third quarter. That cut the Sixers' deficit to 23. The Celtics hardly needed much production from Brown or Tatum — they combined for 50 points in a Game 3 win and only 13 in the first half of Game 4 — and used a whopping 14-rebound edge in the first half that sparked a 13-0 shutout in second-chance points to build a 21-point lead.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey took a backseat to Embiid and took only three shots in the first half. He scored 22 points for the Sixers.

“That can't happen," Maxey said of the slow start. “That's on me. That's just unacceptable by me. I was playing within the flow of the game. It kind of happened that way. It wasn't meant to happen that way.”

Maxey and the Sixers largely tried to get Embiid rolling early.

Embiid had an appendectomy in Houston on April 9 after Philadelphia’s star big man was

stricken with appendicitis overnight.

He returned to the court Sunday wearing a protective brace around his midsection and was cleared to play about 40 minutes before the scheduled tipoff.

“What am I going to do? Cry about it?” Embiid said of his latest postseason malady. Whatever emotional lift he provided lasted only minutes into the first quarter.

Pritchard buried a long 3 on one leg to end the first quarter and give Boston a 34-18 lead.

“He’s just a guy that finds the game. He dictates the pace for us,” Celtics coach Joe Mazulla said. "He did a good job of that for himself and others tonight. When we’re at our best, he’s aggressive.”

Embiid shot 3 of 5 in the first quarter while the rest of the Sixers missed 10 of 13 shots.

Embiid's gutsy return mattered little, and now the Celtics can clinch the series at home and wait for the winner of the Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks series.

Lenox makes history as first Bahamian

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LENOX Lockhart made history again over the weekend, becoming the first Bahamian to win a karting motor championship title over the weekend.

Competing in his event in Italy at the Championato Italiano SCI Karting 2026 in Lonato Del Garda in South Karting, Lockhart won the second race in his series of the Mini Group 3 on Friday.

"While driving, I was focused on hitting my marks and going as fast as I can because I knew it was not going to be easy to get pole position, even if I didn't, no matter what I still kept pushing," Lockhart said. The 10-year-old Lockhart, accompanied by his parents, Migueal and Gabriela, couldn't keep the momentum as he closed out the last race on the series, finishing seventh.

The home-schooled student was competing in the last of two races he had in his initial journey to Italy to

compete against some of the top competitors in Europe. In his debut in Europe at the WGK Euro Series for the South Garci Karting in Italy a week ago, Lockhart was seventh again in Grade 3. He had a remarkable turnaround in the final two races after he had a crash at the start of the first race.  Lockhart, according to Susan Schauff, is now receiving a stipend from the Bahamas Government, which will enable him to continue competing on the international scene as he competes for the Parolin Racing Team.

PM Davis opens the new Bahamas Boxing Academy

By BRENT STUBBS Tribune Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

INVESTOR and philanthropist Nick Maughan saw another of his international projects come to fruition as Prime Minister Philip Davis officially opened the new Bahamas Boxing Academy at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Saturday's ceremony with all the fanfare, including a junkanoo rush-out, unveiled the newly renovated national boxing gym into a state-of-the-art boxing arena with living quarters furnished with all of the amenities of a home setting.

Davis was joined by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, Jamahl Strachan, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kelsie Johnson-Sills, director of sports, and Bahamas Olympic Committee secretary Derron Donaldson.

A number of persons connected to boxing were also in attendance, including Wellington Miller, the president of the Bahamas World Boxing Federation and his vice president Roy Colebrooke, pro boxer Rashield “Raw” Williams, former pro boxers Quincy “Thrill-A-Minute” Pratt and Jermaine “Choo Choo” Mackey, promoter Michelle Minus, Hall of Famer Alvin Sargent and Grand Bahama coach and promoter Jermaine Gibson.

As the ceremony got started, apostle Raymond Wells prayed for the proceedings and after it was done, Bahamas Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander blessed the newly renovated facilities.

Maughan, a native of Great Britain, said last summer he was looking for Celery Drive Gym and stumbled across Stevie “The Heat” Larrimore, Valentino Knowles and Kieshno Major coaching a few young fighters.

After meeting with Bowleg, Maughan said

the wheels began in motion for his latest project.

"Everything you see around you today exists because our Bahamian coaches have never given up on boxing in this country and because a group of young fighters kept showing up to a crumbling building to train," he said.

"Here in Nassau and equally from Freeport to Abaco to Inagua, Bahamians are fighters. Those of us blessed with supporting that spirit, the donors, the builders, the sponsors, are just here to give them the opportunity they deserve to be the best version of themselves."

Maughan said boxing teaches things almost nothing else can, including discipline, resilience and how to take a hit and keep moving forward.

"Every young person who walks through these doors deserves a real shot at those lessons, and at everything the sport can give them beyond that," he said. "That's why it's worth so much more than the time and money that went into building it. It's about community."

He thanked Sean Adderley, Mark Roberts, Rick Ogden, Kelsie Johnon-Sills, Calvin Brown and everyone else who worked hard to build the facilities.

"To every young Bahamian who wants to fight, this is your gym. It's free to use. We are here to help and always will be," he said. "Use it well. Train hard."

Bowleg, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Garden Hills in the upcoming general elections, congratulated all of the past and present boxers for representing the country.

He said their sacrifices, discipline and courage was why the facility was built.  "The Bahamas Boxing Academy is the platform on which all future generations of Bahamian boxers will stand," he said.

Bowleg publicly thanked Mark Roberts and his company FYP for their generous time, effort and expertise to the reconstruction of the site, being there

just about every day to ensure that everything went right.

However, he recognised Maughan for his contribution of over one million dollars to boxing and his further commitment to funding sports in The Bahamas.

"He continues to personally fund the training of our athletes here at this gym, which he has not only helped to rebuild, but has been instrumental in designing," Bowleg said.

"We are excited to announce that he is already planning to repeat this success to several sites where we need new gyms elsewhere in The Bahamas."

Bowleg also acknowledged BoxWise, whose support for boxing in The Bahamas has been invaluable.

He noted that boxing promoter Frank Warren has worked with BoxWise for years and his generosity has also contributed to the Bahamas Boxing Academy.

He further mentioned Rick Ogden, Scott Lovelock and Andy Cook, who brought some

international partnership to the Bahamas Boxing Academy, which has a corporate sponsor named Capital.com.

"This country has had fighters who excelled and for the current fighters, the Boxing Academy is the platform they deserve," Bowleg said.

“This facility is extraordinary, and it will take Bahamian boxing to the next level, thanks to the commitment and hard work

of our fighters and those who stand behind them."

Coaches Valentino Knowles and Kieshno Major used a couple of the boxers currently training at the Bahamas National Academy to put on an exhibition in the new gym erected under a covered seating arena on the outside. Inside the gym were a number of state-of-the-art training equipment and portraits of Governor General Dame Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Davis, Bowleg, Maughan and legendary boxers Everette “Elisha Obed” Ferguson, Ray Minus Jr, Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller, Stevie “The Heat” Larrimore, Ernie “The Androsian Tiger” Barr, Sammy “Kid” Barr, Horatio Butler, Valentino Knowles, Kieshno Major, Bahamas Amateur Boxing Association president Vincent Strachan and Bahamas Boxing Commission chairman Fred Sturrup.

Athletes take the spotlight in the USA

Winning the title was American Madison Wiltrout with 209-1 (63.74m) on her sixth and final try.

MICHAEL JOHNSON

INVITE Johnathon Rodgers, competing for Tarleton State, was runner-up in the men’s triple jump with his best leap of 51-07 1/4 (15.73m). He also got sixth in the long jump with Rodgers 24-02 (7.38m) as his team-mate Jaden Cadet was fourth with 25-03 1/2 (7.71m).

LSU ALUMNI GOLD Steven Gardiner, who holds Olympic and world champion titles under his belt in the 400m, continues to make his comeback from an injured 2025 season by running in his previous specialty in the 200m. At the LSU Alumni Gold, the Moore’s Island native clocked 20.49 for third place in the half-lap race that saw LSU sweep the top two spots by Jaiden Reid and Jeremiah Walker in 20.31 and 20.40 respectively. Also at the meet, Oscar Smith, a senior at Louisiana Tech, came in fourth in

the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.52. Northwestern State, represented by two senior throwers, saw Tarajh Hudson claim fourth in the men’s discus with his best heave of 177-02 (54.02m), while Abner Johnson’s personal best of 5-08 1/4 (16.97m) got him sixth place.

PENN RELAYS ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE

The Big Red Machine came out with their best showing with the combination of Jireh Woodside, Jahcario Wilson, Arjay Roberts and Eagan Neely running 3:19.20 to win the high school boys’ 4 x 400m relay. There was a major disappointment in the 4 x 100m relay as SAC didn’t finish the race. The team of Terrin Beckles, Wilson, Carlin Archer and Neely had the ninth qualifying time of 41.33. In the high school girls’ 4 x 100m international relay with the team of Taree Forbes, Alexis Roberts, Logan Stubbs and

Darvinique Dean running 45.90. The same quartet ran 46.72 for ninth place in the preliminary rounds.

In the high school girls’ 4 x 400m relay championship of America, the Big Red Machine’s team of Dean, Symiah Crawley, Neveah Mackey and Roberts was seventh in 3:48.63. Dean, Crawley, Mackey and Roberts ran faster in 3:44.81 for second in the preliminaries.

Also on the field, Archer showed his versatility as he clinched the high school boys’ long jump championship title with his leap of 24-6 1/4 (7.47m) on his third attempt.

Kamera Strachan had the next best performance with her fourth place in the high school girls’ javelin championship with a heave of 149-2 (45.47m) on her third attempt.

Caitlyn Smith, competing in the high school girls’ triple jump championship, was eighth with her best leap of 38-11 3/4 (11.88m) on her third try.

In the high school boys’ triple jump championship,

Demian Brice was also eighth with his best leap of 47-3 1/2 (14.41m) on his first attempt. And to wrap things up, Forbes got 13th in the high school girls’ long jump championship with her best leap of 17-9 1/2 (5.42m) on her second attempt.

QUEEN’S COLLEGE With just two competitors competing on the field, the Comets got a third place from Ethan North in the high school boys javelin championship with a distance of 216-1 (65.87m) on his final try. The other competitor was T’Arjahnaye Green in the high school girls’ discus throw championship. She was 14th with her best heave of 120-7 (36.77m) on her second attempt.

BISHOP MICHAEL ELDON Shanaya Martin, Keyezra Thomas, Jayne Swain and Bethany Bevans combined to run 4:11.27 for ninth place overall in the girls 4 x 400m relay.  The Warriors had their showing on the boys’ side as their 4 x 400m relay team of Rudolph Thompson,

Alexander Coleby, Dishon Dean and Noah Russell were 10th overall in 3:46.88.

In the heats of the boys 4 x 100m, the Warriors’ team of Dishon Dean, Alexander Coleby, Jermaine Campbell and Santos Avila was 74th overall in 44.80..

Their girls 4 x 100m relay team did not finish their preliminary race.

TABERNACLE

BAPTIST

The Falcons girls’ 4 x 400m relay team came second in a time of 4:06.37. The team consisted of Ryan Gibson, Kianna Henchell, Rhayanna Saundera and Lenikue Blarke.

The same quartet of Gibson, Henchell, Saunders and Black got eighth in the girls’ 4 x 100m relay team in a time of 49.32. Their boys 4 x 100m relay team of Avonte Lotmore, Jalen Williams, Gregory Cooper and Tremeko Morley was 11th in the boys 4 x 100m relay in 44.13. And the quartet of Lotmore, Williams, Antwon Dickenson and Morley ended up 13th in the boys 4 x 400m relay in 3:40.70.

Cleveland Eneas wins NPPPSSA

Track and Field Championships

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@ tribunemedia.net

CLEVELAND Eneas

Primary’s latest championship run was not simply another title added to the record books but, for head coach Mariska Thompson, it represented years of sustained excellence and personal sacrifice to maintain a programme built on intention and consistency.

“This is a massive one… very grateful to Almighty God for allowing us just to get one, and now 10 in total,” Thompson said following the team’s victory during the NPPPSSA Track and Field Championships at the original Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

The win secured Cleveland Eneas’ 10th overall title among government primary schools and extended one of the most dominant runs at that level. Cleveland Eneas finished comfortably with 268 points, followed by Thelma Gibson Primary with 185 and Sadie Curtis Primary with 162.

“It’s a very thrilling and awesome feeling,” she said.

The programme’s dominance has come in waves. Thompson outlined a sustained stretch of success beginning with titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013, followed by another run from 2016 through 2019, and now a new three-peat from 2024 to 2026.

“It didn’t come easy,” she said. “A person looking on the outside, you celebrate, you get the glory but it is really a holistic approach.”

That approach, she explained, goes far beyond the track. “I not only deal with the physical and the training part of it, but I also have to get them mentally fit, you’re everything to these athletes. You have to be a therapist.”

“First of all, you have to show the children that you are committed to it. And you are intentional, and you are extremely excited about it,” Thompson said. “I display that every day, in class, physical education, and track and field coaching. So they live it and breathe it with me.”

She said the school's preparation is year-round.

“We don’t just pick up and go on track. We actually train like professionals, training would have started from the end of October right up to April.”

That structure translated into results across multiple divisions, including standout performances from some of the meet’s top young athletes.

Among them was Heavenly McKenzie, whom Thompson described as one

Secures 10th overall title among government primary schools

of her most outstanding competitors. “From my perspective as a coach, she was outstanding because she won the 200 metres, placed third in the 100, and was in the top three in the long jump,” Thompson said. McKenzie captured the under-9 girls’ 200m in 31.33 seconds and placed third in the 100m.

In the same division, Lavago Bootle delivered a strong all-around showing.

“He won the long jump, won the 800 metres and got second in the 200 metres,” Thompson said, noting that both he and McKenzie had also excelled on the national stage against a much larger field at the Frank “Pancho” Rahming Track and Field Nationals.

“We’re talking 70-plus schools… and they got

outstanding awards there too,” she said

Another key contributor was Kaydin Thompson in the under-11 boys’ division. Thompson won the 200m in 27.07 seconds, leading a dominant showing for Cleveland Eneas in that event.

While the performances stood out, Thompson emphasized that this year’s title was one of her most challenging.

“This was the toughest one for me. I had a lot of athletes that actually wanted to quit,” she said.

She described going beyond coaching duties to keep her team intact. “I had to do background checks, call parents, your child has the talent, no, he’s not going to quit. It was a lot more probing this time around.”

“I stayed calm and collected and said, ‘No quitting, you can do this.’ And they stayed with it. They trusted the process. They trusted their coach,” said Thompson.

Beyond her own programme, Thompson acknowledged the improving standard of competition across government primary schools. “I’ve seen that it has become more competitive,” she said. “When one school keeps winning, others say, ‘We need to step up our game.’”

“I’ve actually seen Thelma Gibson improve over the years, they got second, and in the past I don’t recall them being in the top three,” said Thompson.

After more than two decades at the school, she was

recently honoured by the Ministry of Education with a Most Outstanding Coach in Track and Field award for her demonstration of excellence in teaching and coaching.

“I was so surprised, after all of these many years,” said Thompson, who joined Cleveland Eneas in 2004.

“When I held the plaque in my hand, all I could have said was ‘thank you.’”

What has sustained that longevity, she added, is not individual effort but a network of support. “I have a great support team,” Thompson said. “Of course, Almighty God, my husband, my number one fan, he’s always encouraging me and supporting my programme.”

She extended that appreciation across the entire school community. “The

Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty open preseason with loss to Fever

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

THE New York Liberty opened preseason play with a 109-91 loss to the Indiana Fever, but the return of Jonquel Jones provided an early look at the interior presence New York will rely on this season. Jones finished with four points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 13 minutes, shooting a perfect 2-for-2 from the field. She added one offensive rebound, five defensive boards and posted a +5 plus-minus, one of the few positives for New York in the loss.

“I feel good, I feel great, my ankle feels great, no complaints. I’m just glad to be out there, to have a fully healthy season, like I said last year was kind of uncharted territory for me because I’m never really hurt so it was just a new challenge and something different that gave me a

different perspective with everything but I’m going to be the leader. I've always been leading by example and I consider myself to be the connector on our team, just making sure I’m bringing everyone along and I just want to continue that leadership style,” Jones told reporters on Saturday.   Liberty’s Breanna Stewart was the most efficient performer, scoring 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in just 12 minutes, along with five rebounds. Rebekah Gardner added 11 points, while Han Xu led all Liberty scorers with 20 points off the bench. Despite the efficiency, the Fever controlled the game from the start, taking a 32-24 lead after the first quarter and never trailing. The Fever extended the margin behind efficient scoring and depth, shooting 39-of-76 from the field and knocking down 11 three-pointers.

Caitlin Clark, the headline name in the matchup, finished with seven points, four assists and three rebounds

in 17 minutes, going 2-of-10 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range. While her scoring was limited, Indiana’s balance carried the load.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 18 points on 7-of12 shooting, while Sophie Cunningham added 13 points and Monique Billings chipped in nine points and seven rebounds. Off the bench, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough also scored 18 points, helping Indiana’s second unit maintain control throughout.

The former WNBA champion's official return to New York reinforces the Liberty’s championship outlook this season as she is regarded as one of the most complete players in the game, giving the team a true two-way anchor, capable of protecting the rim, spacing the floor and facilitating offense from the frontcourt.

With her back in the fold, New York’s core stays intact with Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu re-signing this offseason, keeping the Liberty’s

Big 3 together heading into the season. The Liberty also signed ‘honorary Bahamian’ coach Chris DeMarco as their new head coach this past offseason. DeMarco is known for his former position as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, but he also has served as the head coach for the Bahamas men’s basketball team since 2019.

Jones is coming off another strong campaign in which she averaged roughly 14 points, nine rebounds and over a block per game, continuing to establish herself as one of the league’s elite frontcourt players.

Her résumé includes a WNBA MVP award and a Finals MVP, showing her ability to impact winning at the highest level. Sunday’s preseason opener was not about dominance but about presence. Even in a loss, Jones showed exactly why she remains central to New York’s title ambitions.

principal, my staff at Cleveland, the parents, you have to mention the parents, without them none of this would have been possible. I’m grateful for my team. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Ensuring that legacy continues beyond her tenure, however, remains uncertain.

“That’s a very difficult question,” she admitted. “I can only instil, I would hope that the legacy continues.”

“We have a big sign with the years of the championships. I would hope that encourages whoever takes over to say, ‘I want to continue this legacy,’” she said. The Cleveland Eneas standard remains firmly in place, built not just on talent but on a system Thompson has spent more than 20 years developing.

BASKETBALL NOBLE INVITATIONAL

NOBLE Preparatory Academy is scheduled to hold its Spring Basketball Classic April 30 to May 2 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium for high school teams in the senior and junior boys and girls divisions.

For more details and to register your team, please email info@npabahamas.com.

TRACK RED-LINE YOUTH CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics’ fifth annual Youth Track Classic is all set for the weekend of May 2-3 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The event, geared for competitors in the boys and girls under-7 to under-15 division, will begin on Saturday, May 2 at 10 am and continue on Sunday, May 3 at 1pm. There will also be limited events in the under-17 to open categories for men and women. Interested persons can register online at www. coachoregistration.com or coach Tito Moss at 425-4262.

Medals will be offered to the top three finishers in all events. MVP crystals for under-7 to U15 and divisional trophies will be presented to the club winners.

SOFTBALL BBSC

SOFTBALL

CLASSIC

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation Softball Classic, which was scheduled for this weekend, has been postponed until the weekend of July 17-18 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

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

Chelsea defeats Leeds on Fernandez goal, sets up FA Cup final meeting with Manchester City

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

CHELSEA’s season might be unravelling but it will still include an appearance in the FA Cup final.

Enzo Fernandez’s 23rd-minute header secured Chelsea a 1-0 win over Leeds in the semifinals yesterday, setting up a meeting with Manchester City in the May 16 title match back at Wembley Stadium.

Chelsea’s run in the FA Cup is salvaging a campaign that has veered off the rails after a humiliating exit from the Champions League — 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the last

16 — and five straight losses in the Premier League that marks the team’s worst run of league results in 114 years and led to the midweek dismissal of manager Liam Rosenior.

Calum McFarlane, Rosenior’s unheralded and inexperienced assistant, has taken control of Chelsea until the end of the season and he will now be leading the team back out at Wembley next month, in search of what would be the club's ninth FA Cup title and a first since 2018.

“It was important to break the momentum and the form we were in," McFarlane said. “We were

confident we would do that today and I think this completely changes the feel within the group.”

Fernandez makes amends after controversy Fernandez met a rightwing cross from Pedro Neto with a firm header low into the net for the only goal. The Argentina midfielder recently courted controversy by speaking publicly about wanting to live in Madrid, earning him a two-match suspension by the team, but McFarlane was happy to give Fernandez the captain's armband against Leeds.

“He's a winner — he's got so much talent, so much

fight, he's massive for this group,” McFarlane said. Leeds, seeking to reach a first FA Cup final since 1973, piled on the pressure in the second half and Sanchez notably produced a stunning, one-handed save to keep out a piledriver from Anton Stach.

“You could feel the boys were a bit too nervous today to be at their free-flowing best,” said Leeds manager Daniel Farke, whose priority this season has been to keep the team in the Premier League.

“They always had an answer to all our questions that we asked,” he added about Chelsea. "It’s hard to

take anyhow, but nevertheless I’m proud of the cup run.”

Chelsea will try to stop City's treble bid City rallied to beat second-tier Southampton 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the final and stay on course for a domestic treble. Pep Guardiola's team already has won the English League Cup and is battling with Arsenal for the Premier League title. McFarlane also briefly took charge of Chelsea between the firing of Enzo Maresca and the hiring of Rosenior in January. Of his two games at the helm, one was a 1-1 draw at City in the league. “They're an exceptional side in really good form,” McFarlane said of City, where he once had a spell as a coach in its academy. “So it's going to be a massive challenge but I think there's something about this (Chelsea) group — the bigger the game, the tougher the opponent and the circumstance, they seem to raise their level.” Chelsea was most recently in the FA Cup final in 2022, when it lost to Liverpool on penalties. That marked a third straight loss in the competition's title match and Chelsea has lost its last six domestic cup finals.

Arsenal capitalises on Lyon blunders to win 2-1 in Women’s Champions League semifinals

LONDON (AP) — Arsenal benefited from two defensive blunders to rally for a 2-1 win over Lyon in the first leg of the Women's Champions League semifinals yesterday, keeping the English club on course to defend its title.

Trailing to Jule Brand's 19th-minute goal for record eight-time champion Lyon, Arsenal was gifted an equaliser in the 59th when Mariona Caldentey's low free kick into the area was fumbled backward by goalkeeper Christiane Endler and onto the post.

Lyon centre back Ingrid Engen, stretching to make the clearance, inadvertently turned the ball into her own net. Engen compounded that mistake by misreading a

back-pass from teammate Lindsey Heaps in the 83rd minute.

Olivia Smith got to the ball ahead of Engen, had a shot saved by Endler, and recovered to convert the rebound.

The return match is in Lyon on Saturday. In the other semifinal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are locked at 1-1 after the first leg in Germany. The final will be in Oslo on May 23.

Arsenal is seeking to beat Lyon in the semifinal stage for a second straight year. Last season, Lyon won the first leg at Emirates Stadium.

But they were thrashed 4-1 in the second match en route to Arsenal winning the title for the second time

ARSENAL’s players celebrate their side’s second goal scored by Olivia Smith during the Women’s Champions League semi-final, first leg soccer match against OL Lyonnes in London, England, yesterday. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

This time, Arsenal holds the advantage at halfway.

“Lyon are giants of European football and have a great crowd like we do,” Arsenal captain Leah

Williamson said. "So an intensity that matches that occasion will be key. We have to be really clinical, defensively secure and we’ll see.”

A tight first half was illuminated by the solo goal from Brand, who ran through the heart of Arsenal's defence down the inside-left channel and cut into the area before

ing low inside the post. In between Arsenal's goals, Lyon forward Kadidiatou Diani crashed a shot off the crossbar.

70th National Family Island Regatta

Class of Champions