Bahamians have much to cheer about regarding the success of their international track and field campaign in 2013. At the Moscow World Championships, no medals were won for the first time since 1995 but much hope was shown.
Shaunae Miller
Junior Shaunae Miller, this year's Austin Sealy Award winner for the outstanding athlete at the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games, switched to the 200 meters (m) from the 400m and finished fourth in Moscow in 22.74 seconds. Miller was the only junior athlete on the team and capped quite a successful season.
Her 22.45 seconds, done at the BTC National 'Open' Championships in Grand Bahama this June behind Anthonique Strachan's 22.32 seconds, is a Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior record and is fourth on the CAC senior list for 2013 and 12th on the world's list. At the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games, Miller set a new CARIFTA record for the 200m at 22.77 seconds, breaking Anthonique Strachan's 22.85 mark from Bermuda in 2012.
Miller dominated the world junior list in both the 200m and 400m. In the 200m, she had the top six times in the world. Her 50.70 seconds time done at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, is the fourth best in the CAC region and 16th worldwide. In Moscow, Miller was a member of the 4x400m relay team that won their semi-final but was later disqualified for lane violation.
Anthonique Strachan
The 2011 and 2012 Austin Sealy Award winner Anthonique Strachan concentrated on the 200m this season. As a senior and professional athlete, she improved her personal best to 22.32 seconds at the BTC National 'Open' Track & Field Championships in Grand Bahama. This performance was the second best in the CAC region behind Jamaica's Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce and sixth worldwide. Strachan missed qualifying for the final in Moscow by a hundredth of a second.
Sheniqua Ferguson
The 2008 World 200m Junior Champion and 100m bronze medalist ran 11.18 seconds this season, at the BTC National 'Open' Track & Field Championships for 11th place on the CAC list. She made it to the semi-final in the 100m in Moscow and participated in the 4x100m relay. In the relay she was charged for a lane violation.
Bianca Stuart
The Bahamian national record holder in the long jump had the best performance in the region at 6.73m, done June 12, in Dakar. Stuart was unable to advance to the final in Moscow.
Teshon Adderley
Adderley has run the third best time in the 800m in Bahamian history after Vernetta Rolle and Whelma Colebrooke. Adderley was the first Bahamian to participate in the 800m at the World Junior Championships. This season, she ran 2:06.38. This time was the 15th best in the region this year.
Devynne Charlton
Charlton captured the under-20 girls 100m at the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games, running a personal best of 11.60 seconds. She had won the event two years ago in Montego Bay. Charlton led the 4x100m team to victory at CARIFTA.
Doneisha Anderson
Anderson won a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games. She won the Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award at the CAC Age Group Championships in Curacao, helping The Bahamas to win the championships. Anderson is coached by World and Olympic 400m Champion Tonique Williams.
Donald Thomas
Thomas had a challenging year but in the end, he jumped his best in several years, 2.32m to finish in sixth place in Moscow. This was ninth on the world's list.
Ryan Ingraham
Ingraham jumped a personal best of 2.30m at the Edmonton Invitational in July. This placed him in second place on the regional list and 21st on the world's list. At the World Championships in Moscow, Ingraham, who was still 19 at the time, finished in a three-way tie for 10th place with a performance of 2.25m.
Jamal Wilson
Wilson jumped a best of 2.28m at the Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational. His performance was third in the region, helping The Bahamas to sweep the top three spots.
Trevor Barry
Barry, the 2011 World Championships bronze medalist, was injured this year and was only able to clear 2.25m. This placed him fifth in the region.
Derrick Atkins
After making a comeback in 2012, the national record holder and Osaka silver medalist ran a best of 10.06 seconds for 14th place in the region. He was injured after the 2013 BTC National 'Open' Championships and did not compete in either the CAC Senior Championships in Morelia, Mexico, or the Moscow World Championships.
Shavez Hart
Hart had a best of 10.16 seconds which was 28th on the regional list. At the Moscow World Championships, he did not advance to the semi-final.
Men 4x100m relay
In Moscow, history was made when all four relay teams qualified for the World Championships. The men's 4x100m relay team had broken the national record twice at the CAC Senior Championships in Morelia. Trevorano Mackey had been suspended for a doping infraction and was replaced by Warren Fraser at the Moscow World Championships. The team of Adrian Griffith, Jamial Rolle, Fraser and Hart was able to run 38.70 seconds for a new Bahamian national record in Moscow.
Michael Mathieu
Mathieu, who set a new Bahamian national record in the 200m last year, was able to run 20.35 seconds in San Paulo, Brazil. This placed him 11th on the regional list. Mathieu ran at the National 'Open' Championships but was not fit enough to participate in Moscow.
Ramon Miller
The anchor man from London had the best time of all 400m runners in The Bahamas this season at 44.93 seconds. He ran that time at the 2013 BTC National 'Open' Championships. In the first round of the Moscow World Championships, Miller suffered "tightness" in his legs and was unable to advance to the next round.
Chris Brown
Brown did not have a banner year after having dedicated much of his time to organize his invitational meet. He made it to the semi-final of the 400m but did not advance to the final.
Jeffery Gibson
Gibson ran himself into the Bahamian track and field record book when he ran 49.39 seconds in the men's 400m hurdles at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, breaking Greg Rolle's record of 49.96 seconds which was set in May of 1983. In doing this, Gibson qualified for the Moscow World Championships. He is the first Bahamian to qualify for the event since 1983. Gibson advanced to the semi-final.
Stephen Newbold
Stephen Newbold had a fantastic showing at the 2013 CARIFTA Games even if he did not win. Newbold, the 2011 World Youth Champion in the 200m, ran the 400m this time. In the heats of that event in the morning, Newbold ran a National Junior record of 45.94 seconds, and was only able to run 46.01 seconds for third place in the final that evening. To be able to come back that evening with such a performance was just unbelievable! At the National Junior Championships, Newbold set another National Junior record, this time in the 200m. He ran 20.76 seconds, breaking Michael Newbold's record which stood since 1987.
Teray Smith
Smith finished sixth in last year's World Junior Championships' 200m. At the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games, he upset the field, running from lane eight.
Andre Colebrooke
Eleuthera native Andre Colebrooke finished second in the 800m at the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games. At the Pan American Junior Track & Field Championships in Bogota, Colombia, Colebrooke captured the bronze medal in that event, the first Bahamian ever to do that.
CARIFTA Joy
Finally, one of the greatest performances at the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games was the under-17 boys 4x400m relay. It seemed unlikely that the team of Henry Deluze, Tyler Bowe, Kinard Rolle, and Mikhail Bethel would win. On the final lap, Bethel shocked the fans and finished in 3:16.38.

There are numerous things to be happy about in Bahamian track and field this year. These are only a few!

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