Bahamas’ Biggest Team selected to get GOLD at 50th CARIFTA Games 

By Rashaed Esson 

Staff writer

#TheBahamas, March 31, 2023 – After a difficult and lengthy selection process which concluded at 3 o’clock Tuesday morning according to Drumeco Archer, President of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAAs), executives announced the largest team for The Bahamas, ever, to compete in this year’s CARIFTA Games; 80 strong will represent the host country when the region convenes for the athletics meet.

Officials have expressed great confidence in the team’s ability to bring home gold for The Bahamas at the 50^th CARIFTA Games, which is only days away, lasting from April 7-10.

The members of the under-17 girls are Jamiah Nabbie, Darvinique Dean, Akaree Roberts, Bayli Major, Erin Barr, Madison Moss, Grace Komolafe, Tylah Pratt, Zoe Adderley, Terrell McCoy, Danielle Nixon, Kennise Scavella, Tamia Taylor, Kamera Strachan, Dior-Rae Scott, and Shayann Demeritte.

The under 17 boys are Andrew Brown, Ishmael Rolle, Eagan Neely, Zion Shepherd, Tyrone Conliffe, Ross Martin, Kenny Moxey Jr., Quinton Rolle, Zion Davis, Joshua Williams, Erris Pratt, Demian Brice II, Rubin Bain, Jalen Stuart, and Larouche Morley. The relay pool will include Javano Bridgewater, Trent Ford, Cayden Smith, Christopher Williams-Martin, and Zion Hendfield.

Missing from the team is Keyezra Thomas of the Bishop Micheal Eldon School, who dominated in the under 14 girls 100m and 200m races.  Being 13 years old, Thomas is too young to compete in the 2023 CARIFTA Games.  But 2024 will see her on the track.

For the under 20 girls, the members are Amari Pratt, Shatalya Dorsett, Lacarthea Cooper, Treasure Burrows, Jasmine Mackey, Akaya Lightbourne, Apryl Adderley, Lanaisha Lubin, Annae Mackey, Koi Adderley, Calea Jackson, Cailyn Johnson, Javonya Valcourt, G’Shan Brown, Vanessa Sawyer, and Essence Sands.

The relay team includes Quincy Penn, Nya Wright, and Melvinique Gibson.

The under 20 boys is represented by Zachary Evans, Brenden Vanderpool, Carlos Brown, Adam Musgrove, Mateo Smith, Clinton Laguerre, Philip Gray, Raywind Winder, Robert Deal, Christopher Saintus, Otto Laing, Tayshaun Robinson, Shimar Bain, Johnathan Rodgers, Laquan Ellis, Nathaniel McCardy, Kaden Cartwright, Tyler Cash, Lavardo Deveaux, and Reanno Todd.

For the relay team, Tumani Skinner, Johnathan Fowler, Berkley Munnings, Jeremiah Adderley, and Zion Campbell will compete.

The team will be under the wing of eight coaches namely, John Ingraham, Head Coach, assisted by Noel Pratt, Earl Rahming, Rachante Colebrooke, Patricia Rolle, Keno Demeritte, Andrew Tynes, and Alexis Roberts.

There will also be three managers namely, Pharez Cooper, Mildred Adderley, and Sophia Higgs; and five chaperons, who were strategically chosen to manage a large team given their experience.

“We have coaches for jumps, sprints, hurdles [and] whatever discipline the athletes are part of,” highlighted Cooper.

On April 6^th, the athletes will settle at the CARIFTA village at Superclub Breezes in Cable Beach, Nassau, along with athletes from the other competing countries: Anguilla, Haiti, Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica, Aruba, Martinique, Bahamas, Montserrat, Barbados, Netherlands Antilles, Bermuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Dominica, Suriname, French Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Turks & Caicos Islands, Guadeloupe, US Virgin Islands and Guyana.