Ryan Ingraham leaped his way to a gold medal yesterday, winning the men's high jump competition at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-23 Championships, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Ingraham set a new meet record, matching his season's best jump of 2.28 meters (m) - 7' 5-3/4".
Dakarai Hightower, from the United States, was a distant second with a jump of 2.10m (6' 10-1/2"), and Domanique Missick, from the Turks and Caicos Islands, settled for the bronze medal, with a best leap of 2m flat (6' 6-3/4").
The five-member Bahamian team wasted no time making its presence felt at the three-day meet, which wrapped up yesterday in the tiny town of Kamloops. The small Bahamian team finished with a total of four medals - a gold, a silver and two bronze medals.
On Friday evening, Trevorvano Mackey captured a bronze medal in the men's 100m dash. Mackey finished the race in 10.30 seconds. He ran a wind-aided 10.21 seconds in the heats. American Diondre Batson won the gold medal, in 10.08 seconds, and Tyquendo Tracey, of Jamaica, settled for the silver medal, in 10.21 seconds.
Mackey returned on Sunday, and won a silver medal in the men's 200m, running a personal best time of 20.46 seconds. Remonty McClain, from the United States, won the gold medal, in 20.32 seconds, and Everton Clarke, from Jamaica, settled for the bronze medal, in 20.51 seconds.
Over in the field, Lathone Collie-Minnis finished third in the men's triple jump with a leap of 15.86m (52' 0-1/2"). He finished behind Eric Sloan from the United States, who won the event with his leap of 16.20m (53' 1-3/4"), and second place finisher Steve Waithe from Trinidad and Tobago who finished with a best leap of 15.94m (52' 3-3/4").
Alfredo Smith managed a seventh place finish in the men's long jump. He had a best leap of 6.93m (22' 9").
Unfortunately, Katrina Seymour was unable to finish the final of the women's 400m hurdles. Kiah Seymour, from the United States, went on to win that race in a time of 56.35 seconds.
There are several factors that played a part in the size of the team that traveled to Canada. For instance, several of the athletes who qualified for this meet were at the 20th Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland.
Another reason for the low showing of athletes is that it is late in the season, and most of them are winding down, some of them getting ready for the start of the new school year.
However, it was an impressive performance for the five Bahamian athletes who travelled. Three of them are coming back home with medals which says a lot about the performances they turned in.
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