Bahamian collegiate long and triple jumper Dannielle Gibson, who's currently ranked No. 2 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the women's triple jump indoors, was named as the Big Ten Conference's Female Field Athlete of the Week yesterday.
Gibson, like several other Bahamian collegiate track and field athletes, kicked the 2017 indoor season off on a high note. At the Nittany Lion Challenge, she won the women's triple jump with a distance of 13.33 meters (m) - 43 feet 9 inches. That was a new personal best indoors and the second best jump in school history. The Penn State senior added a third place finish in the long jump with a mark of 5.82m (19 feet 1-1/4 inches).
"It feels exhilarating, not only for myself, like an accomplishment for myself, but for my team as well," Gibson said of the historic leap. "I feel like I have to give it up to my team, because first my teammates starting it off added fuel to the fire, so it was really good to get that start. I look forward to what's going to come next. Mentally, I feel like I'm 10 steps or 10 moves from where I was last year, so it's a continuation of starting from square one and I really feel good about that."
This is the first time in Gibson's career that she won a Big Ten indoor weekly award. The last Penn State indoor field athlete of the week for the conference was Lexi Mastersonon, January 13, 2016.
Gibson shares the honor with Illinois' Kandie Bloch-Jones who finished first in the high jump at the Illini Classic with a mark of 1.84m (6 feet 1/4 inch) that currently ranks third in the NCAA and second on Illinois' all-time list.
Last outdoor season, Gibson captured the triple jump gold medal at the NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association) Under-23 Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador, finishing with a mark of 13.54m (44 feet 5-1/4 inches), recording the best jump of her athletics career. She also finished 11th in the women's triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning second-team All-American honors. She wrapped up the indoor season with a 10th place finish in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 12.88m (42 feet 3-1/4 inches) at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bimini, The Bahamas -- All signs point to Bimini from February 1-5, where three super events are being held over one weekend. This, as Resorts World Bimini, the Hilton Hotel at Resorts World and The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism team up to host the first annual wahoo challenge, featuring a live performance by country star Phil Vassar and a "Big Game Day Watch Party" at the resort's famed sports bar and casino.
The first Resorts World Ocean Sports Wahoo Challenge will offer a guaranteed minimum payout of $35,000.
Resorts World Bimini provides a unique resort venue and an exciting event platform for some of the world's best sport fishing. The resort's luxurious surroundings combined with Bimini's reputation as the big game-fishing capital of the world promises to make this an unforgettable event.
A new website has been launched to make signing up for the event easy. ResortsWorldOceanSports.com is the site for upcoming ocean sports events in Bimini, and will be an information source for a wide variety of ocean sports events produced and sponsored by Resorts World Bimini. The tournament fee of $3,000 per boat with advance registration covers tournament participation of one to six registered participants per boat. All registered tournament boats will receive six tournament tickets. Each ticket includes one tournament shirt, one awards dinner ticket and one participant identification wristband good for all Resorts World Bimini tournament events.
A social credential may be purchased for $300, which includes one tournament shirt, one awards dinner ticket and one participant identification wristband good for all Resorts World Bimini Sport fishing tournament events. Detailed information and tournament rules are available on the website where interested persons can register online, or by downloading and mailing their entry. Early registration is advised.
After a day on the water catching wahoo, anglers will get to enjoy the sounds of American country music artist and songwriter Phil Vassar, performing live February 4 at Resorts World Bimini. Some of his hits include "Just Another Day in Paradise" and "In a Real Love". This live performance is complimentary for all resort and marina guests.
Bimini's super weekend wouldn't be complete without a watch-party for the biggest football game of the season. All the action of the big game will be seen live on the big screen in Resorts World Bimini's 10,000-square-foot, live-action casino featuring popular table games including baccarat, blackjack, craps and roulette, plus a sports book where patrons can bet on their favorite teams while watching the game.
Raffled prizes to be drawn during timeouts and halftime include a seaplane package for two, rooms at the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini, casino free play and more.

Today actually marks 100 days until the kick off of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017, and excitement continues to grow as the city of Nassau prepares to host one of the country's biggest sporting events to date.
To mark the milestone, Prime Minister of The Bahamas Perry Christie and other Bahamas government officials are set to tour the new beach soccer stadium, which is nearing completion. A total of 16 teams will face off on the white sands of The Bahamas from April 27 to May 7 in the new state-of the-art facility against the backdrop of the turquoise ocean at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge.
"The Bahamas is the first country in the Caribbean to host a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, a huge honor for us. With just 100 days to go, we are moving full steam ahead with our preparations and are working hard to ensure that the local community buys into this world-class event that will showcase The Bahamas' sun, sand, sea and sports, and of course, our amazing culture and hospitality to the rest of the world," said Jeffrey Beckles, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Chairman.
Joan Cusco, FIFA Beach Soccer Committee member, said: "The beginning of the 100-day countdown means that the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 is just around the corner. It will come very quickly, and we are all looking forward to it. It is a very exciting moment and it is great to see how the event is firmly walking onwards, building up to what will be a spectacular sports festival."
A total of eight teams have already qualified for the highly anticipated event. The Bahamas, Tahiti, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, Nigeria and Senegal are all in preparation mode for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. Other teams are looking forward to their respective qualifying tournaments in the coming weeks.
The fate of the qualifiers will be decided on February 28 at the official draw for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 event, which determines the four groups and match schedule for the 16 competing teams.
As the clock continues to countdown to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017, the host nation invites all beach soccer fans to Nassau, to experience the unique event. For more information, the public is asked to visit the website www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup.

In an effort to maximize the amount of opportunities available to Bahamian children through sports, the Ministry of Education Sports Unit plans to further develop some of the niche sports in the country this year.
According to Sports Unit Director for the Ministry of Education Evon Wisdom, developing those niche sports, such as bowling, judo, equestrian and archery, will go a long way toward helping more Bahamian children get college educations.
"One of the things we want to do is diversify the menu for young people, along the lines of Olympic development," he said. "One of the ways we thought to do it was through the existing federations and clubs in the country. We chose to focus on sports that would assist student athletes in particular at the Olympic level.
"What you had in the past were individuals that took it upon themselves to learn or take up a niche sport. Now we are making it open to all students, allowing them the opportunity to pick and choose what they may be interested in."
Similar to what has been done with track and field and basketball in the past, Wisdom said that the niche sports could also attract international competition to The Bahamas, which could add to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture's "Sports in Paradise" campaign that's currently in place.
"If you look at what has been done with the IAAF World Relays and the numerous basketball tournaments that come here, they come because we have established athletes and programs in those sports," said Wisdom. "They won't come unless we have something in place. And it's up to us to ensure that our kids aren't boxed in. We have to get out of this small-minded way of thinking and reach for more than what we already have.
"We see sports as a means to do so much in the country. We can better our kids, provide jobs and bring millions of visitors in. We're sitting on something so special. The same way our teams are now regulars at certain tournaments overseas, we can have that here."
Last year, the ministry's sport unit established national championships in a number of sports for the first time, including equestrian, bowling, soccer, baseball, sailing, volleyball and basketball.