Bahamian athletes continue to perform well Bahamian collegiate athlete Shakeem Smith and the UTEP Miners men’s 4x100m relay team won a gold medal in that event at the Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The team of Smith, Sean Bailey, Dennis Johnson and Jevaughn Powell turned in a season’s best time of 40.03 seconds. Smith is shown at right.
It was a busy weekend for track and field athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and among them were several Bahamians who came away with strong performances.
The Purdue University Boilermakers Tamar Greene successfully defended his Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships triple jump title in Champaign, Illinois. A wrist brace could not slow him down as he used his fourth attempt to leap for a season’s best 16.11 meters (m) (52’ 10-1/4”).
ROBERT IRBY
Special to the Independent Tribune
CONCORD â The only team to beat the Cannon School softball team this season is the Charlotte Christian Knights, and they did so again Friday, as the Cougars fell, 8-1, in Game 1 of the NCISAA 4A championship.
The Cougars (16-2) will need to win both remaining potential matchups Saturday in order to be champions. If they win Game 2 Saturday at noon, they will push the series to a decisive Game 3 â to be played immediately after Game 2 â to determine who will wear the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association crown.
The Knights (16-1) got the best of their conference rival from Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association for the second time this season behind a stellar performance from pitcher Wynne Gore.
ROBERT IRBY
Special to the Independent Tribune
CONCORD â Led by a stellar performance from pitcher Sidney Rose, the Cannon School softball team advanced to the NCISAA championship series Tuesday with an 8-3 home victory over North Raleigh Christian Academy.
The No. 1-seeded Cougars (16-1) will play host to No. 2-seeded Charlotte Christian for the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 4A crown on Friday and Saturday in a best-of-3 series. Cannon defeated Charlotte Christian just last week to win the conference title.
Gabby Polsky makes the tag at the plate. Joan Moore/Special to The Independent Tribune.
In Tuesdayâs semifinal game, Roseâs contributions came both on the mound and at the plate, as she pitched a complete game for the Cougars while also tallying two hits and three runs batted in.
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Weâre talking about a teenage girl whose idea of a fun night is being all alone and watching horror movies at 3 oâclock in the morning.
But as she looks back, Pridgen admits that when she began her freshman season on the Cannon School girls track and field team this spring, the one worry she had was going up against the bigger, more seasoned athletes at the high school level.
Since she was 5 years old, Pridgen had competed on the AAU and USATF summer track circuit, where athletes are grouped solely by age. And she excelled, earning medals on state and national levels, almost literally leaving her competition in the dust as a distance runner.