If one would take a closer look at the divisional scores of the annual Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary School (BAISS) track and field meet, they would think that Queen's College Comets ran off with this year's crown. But it was the St. Augustine's Big Red Machine who claimed another title, despite only winning three of the eight divisions contested.
The Big Red Machine held off the threats by the stack field, inclusive of the Comets and the St. Anne's Blue Waves to capture their 24th consecutive BAISS win. The three-day total accumulated by the Big Red Machine was 1,307.50 points. The school won the junior and senior girls as well as the senior boys divisions. The Comets won five divisions and closed with 1,259.50 points, a major improvement from the previous years. Finishing in third was the Blue Waves with 468 points; the St. John's College Giants scored 339.50 points, and Temple Christian Schools Suns had 290.50 points for fifth.
Coming in sixth was St. Andrews Hurricanes with 281 points, Nassau Christian Academy and Aquinas College trailed with 184 and 180.50 points respectively. Jordan Prince William and Charles W. Saunders rounded out the top 10 schools.
"It means quite a bit to the athletes and the school," said coach Dianne Woodside. "Even if you had won by one point it would have been a sweet victory. But of course you know this means a lot when you have an All-star team like Queen's College coming against St. Augustine's College. We did our best. Our kids really, really came out and performed to the best of their abilities. I spoke to them about being a true SACer and what SAC is all about and they came out and gave 120 percent today to maintain their lead."
The race for the crown started early Friday morning with the preliminary rounds of the 200 meters (m). While the Big Red Machine needed to pick up wins in the finals of the events to extend their lead, the Comets were hoping to sneak past with the points picked up in the divisions.
Angel Collie got things rolling for the Comets by winning the bantam girls 200m. Her time was 27.27 seconds. The Big Red Machine's Tyler Davis came in second in 28.46 seconds and Miar Rolle third in 29.31 seconds. The bantam boys 200m was won by Julian Brown of St. Andrew's College. Brown stopped the clock in 27.41 seconds, Michael Adderley and Timekco Smith were second and third respectively in 27.90 seconds and 29.00 seconds.
Warding off the threats posed by the Big Red Machine, in the junior girls 200m, was Andira Ferguson of the Comets. She held off Taj Dorsett and Blayre Catalyn by clocking 25.53 seconds for the win. Dorsett ran 25.83 seconds and Catalyn's time was 26.58 seconds. The Comets won the junior boys and the intermediate girls half lap event, thanks to Nitchev Casseus and Jenae Ambrose.
Casseus crossed the finish line in 22.90 seconds to capture the title over Avneil Barrow who ran 24.56 seconds and Michael Troups in 24.84 seconds. Ambrose's time is a new meet record, 24.48 seconds, which erased the 12-year-old marker of 25.01 seconds held by Utica Edgecombe.
Shaunae Miller set another record this time in the 200m for senior girls. She is now the meet record holder in the 100m, 200m and the 400m. Miller did not run the 400m this year and opted to compete in the 100m and 200m only. She ran 22.70 seconds to ink her name in the meet book for the 200m. The nine-year-old record was held by Samaria Smith, a time of 23.34 seconds.
The senior title was won by Anthony Adderley of St. John's College. His time was 21.57 seconds, well below the qualification standards set in place for the upcoming CARIFTA Championships, by the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA).
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