SPORTS SECTION E
Monday, December 29, 2025
Westbrook - Page 4
A slam dunk year and the ‘stars behind the scenes’ By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THIS year, Tribune Sports will not post its Athletes of the Year honours. Instead, the focus will be on some of the top personnel who made things happen in another banner year in sports for The Bahamas. The focus, in no particular order of who was the most outstanding, will be concentrated on some of the administrators, coaches and officials who performed admirably behind the scenes. There will also be a look back at some of the most memorable moments this year and some of the noted fallen stars who departed the scene. ADMINISTRATORS Clarence McKenzie As the new president of the Bahamas Baseball Association, McKenzie stepped in and continued to make the sport of baseball a vibrant one. National teams as well as club teams made their presence felt on the international scene, including here at home with the second place finish at the recently concluded Caribbean Baseball Cup at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium. Team Bahamas' 2-1 loss to Curacao in the championship game was a painful one as The Bahamas was denied the opportunity to qualify for the final spot for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games, scheduled for July 24 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Local fans at the free fare got to view one of the best national teams assembled in quite some time, especially with a pitching core that brought bright hopes for the future of the sport as The Bahamas continues the trek of qualifying for the World Baseball Classic, instead of having players participating for Great Britain. Perry Newton Despite getting the flack from the local community that is still waiting on a court-ordered election of officers, Newton still strutted on as the president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association. Newton and the association took both its junior and senior national teams off
and they performed admirably well, especially the women's Billie Jean King Cup and the men's Davis Cup, who both were successful in advancing from one level of competition to the next for 2026. The women's team, captained by Kim O'Kelley, and including Simone Pratt, Sydney Clarke, Saphirre Ferguson and Jalisa Clarke, moved from zone three to two, while the men's team, captained by veteran John Antonas, and featuring Denali Nottage, Michael Major Jr, Donte Armbrister and Kofi Bowe, won Group four to get promoted to Group III. The BLTA also got to host a major ITF World Tennis Tour for junior players, showcasing some of the rising young stars from The Bahamas against their peers from around the world in November. Earlier this month, the seniors were back on the court for the Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals where the year closed out with 17-year-old newcomer and champion Jerald Carrolltaking the top spot over Michael Major for the men's Davis Cup team and Simone Pratt held off 14-year-old Addyson Munroe for the top two spots for the women's Billie Jean King Cup. The remaining players on the team will be fielded at a final trial sometime in 2026, which is also expected to be a critical year as the BLTA is also scheduled to hold its election of officers. There's no indication as to whether or not Newton will contest his seat against former Davis Cup player and captain Marvin Rolle, who has already expressed his desire to run for the top post. Algernon Cargill In winning his fourth and final three-year term as president of Bahamas Aquatics, Cargill guided the sport through its seventh straight victory at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships and its third at Goodwill Games. Not to be outdone, the water polo national team and the Mantas Water polo club also had some remarkable achievements that didn't go unnoticed. Lori Lowe With sailing now taking its active role as the national
will be forging another Bahamian connection as he's now the new head coach of the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association. DeMarco, who spent the past 14 seasons as an assistant coach with the four-time champions Golden State Warriors, which recently added Bahamian Chavano 'Buddy' Hield, will now coach fellow Bahamian Jonquel Jones. Jones, like Hield who hails from Grand Bahama, is a 6-foot, 6-inch centre who averaged 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season for the Liberty, the 2024 champions, who made a disappointing first round exit in the playoffs against the Phoenix Mercury this season. New York ended the regular season as the fifth seed with a 27-17 record before their playoff run was cut short. DeMarco is expected to lead the Liberty back to its prominence with Jones making her return from offseason right ankle surgery in October. Last summer, DeMarco coached the men's national basketball team to the runner-up spot at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain. The loss to Spain in the final denied The Bahamas, led by Hield, a trip to the Olympic Games in Paris, France. It would have been an historic first for The Bahamas in team competition at the games, if they qualified.
76ERS’ Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, December 26, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty) sport of the country, Lowe has served as distinction behind the scenes as president of the Bahamas Sailing Association. She doesn't look for the accolades, but has ensured that the sport continues to flourish with impeccable competitors and teams competing in local and international competitions with performances that have been overshadowed. COACHES Travano McPhee In one of the greatest achievements that could be parallel to that of Andy Knowles and the Swift Swimming Club, McPhee has transcended the Mako
Swim Club as the most dominant in Bahamas Aquatics. McPhee, a former swimmer who represented The Bahamas on various national teams, has gone a step further in serving as the returning coach for Team Bahamas in their “seventh heaven” feat as champions at CARIFTA. Antoan Richardson Much has been said about the stellar job that infielder Jasrado 'Jazz' Chisholm did in his first full season with the New York Yankees. But how about the exploits of Rchardson as a first base coach for their New York rival Mets. Richardson, the seventh
Bahamian to play ahead of Chisholm in Major League Baseball, was invited back for the 2026 season with the Mets, despite some off season changes after they finished the 2025 season in second place in the American League before they were ousted in the playoffs. While he continues to make his presence felt for the Mets, could we one day see Richardson leading the charge as the coach of the men's national team? Only time will tell. WNBA JOB Chris DeMarco Men's national basketball team head coach American Chris DeMarco
Memorable Moments World Championships Devynne Charlton Displaying why she's still the fastest on the planet in the short races, Charlton blasted the field in the women's 60 metres hurdles to repeat as champion at the World Athletics' 2025 World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, lowering her world record to 7.72 seconds. However, she led Team Bahamas at the World Championships outdoors in Tokyo, Japan where she once again had to settle for sixth place in the longer 100m hurdles in a season's best of 12.49. • SEE PAGE FIVE
Bahamian forward Rhema Collins emerges as ‘a centrepiece’ for FIU By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net RHEMA Collins’ breakout season in women’s college basketball continues to gain attention, as the Bahamian forward emerged as a centrepiece for Florida International University’s women’s basketball team during the 2025–26 campaign. After steadily developing through the early stages of her collegiate career, Collins has taken a major step forward this season with her consistency to become one of the most productive players in Conference USA. Collins’ rise has been driven by opportunity paired with confidence. Playing extended minutes and operating as a primary scoring option, she
has shown the ability to control games in multiple ways. Her size and strength allow her to finish COLLINS through contact in the paint, while her improved footwork and mid-range touch have made her difficult to contain. Just as important, she has become a reliable rebounder and defender, giving FIU a true two-way presence in the frontcourt. Heading into late December, Collins is averaging 19.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on the season, showcasing her elite productivity. In her most recent outing on December 20, 2025, FIU fell in a tightly contested
game at home against Florida Atlantic, 60–57. Collins played 29 minutes, having a relatively quiet night finishing with 9 points on 3-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, and three assists, while adding two steals and two blocks. Her stat line in the narrow loss demonstrated her all-around contribution, even when the Panthers came up just short. That performance followed a string of other standout games that have defined her season. Earlier in December, Collins led FIU in a 78–61 victory over Youngstown State, scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, marking her third straight double-double and sixth of the season. In that game, she also recorded a careerhigh four steals, showing her disruptive ability on defence as well as offence.