It was considered the marquee event of this year's BTC/BAAA National Track and Field Championships, and it certainly lived up to its billing. The fans had high expectations and so did the athletes, and the Open Men's 400 meters (m) final delivered in a big, big way.  The line-up included the best-of-the-best quarter-milers in the country including Demetrius Pinder, Chris Brown, Avard Moncur, LaToy Williams, Ramon Miller and Andrae Williams. It was what the fans had gone to the Grand Bahama (GB) Sports Complex to see. With the expectations high based on what he has been doing in college and the fact that he was performing for the home crowd, one may have thought that such a weight of expectations would have been too heavy for the likes of Demetrius Pinder. However, the youngster from Pinder's Point and a former Tabernacle Baptist Falcons senior proved that his shoulders are broad and able to take the pressure. Pinder fought his way to a gold medal win and a personal best time of 44.78 seconds, making a statement that what he has been doing in college was no fluke. The time set by Pinder was far below the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) 'A' World Championships qualifying time of 45.25 seconds, and the third fastest time in the world this year. There is no doubt that Demetrius Pinder is at the top of his game. The performance set the crowd ablaze with excitement as they cheered for Pinder with a standing ovation. In fact, from the crack of the gun to the start of the race, fans were on their feet cheering. It was hard to tell who was really leading the race, while they were on the back stretch. It wasn't until they turned the curve near the 150 mark for the home stretch that it was evident that Pinder held a slight lead. Miller, Brown and Williams were right on his heels. It wasn't until they reached the 40m mark that Pinder pulled away from the crowd for good to cross the finish line in first place. "I want to give God thanks for this victory tonight, and I'm happy with the way this race went," said Pinder after the race. "I've been working hard in preparation for this and it's good to see the way things came out. This was really good." Ramon Miller finished second in a time of 45.34 seconds, Chris 'The Fireman' Brown was third in a time of 45.73 seconds and Andrae Williams was fourth in a time of 46.18 seconds. It was the first time since going off to college, that Grand Bahamians got a chance to see Pinder back on the track. In college, he has been burning up the tracks for the Texas A&M Aggies and was recently named the NCAA Athlete of the Year. Pinder said that he wanted to come back home and put on a show, not just for Grand Bahamians, but for all of the Bahamian fans who have supported him. He said that it was especially rewarding to return home to Grand Bahama and let fans get a glimpse of what he's been doing in college. "I wanted to come out here and make my Bahamian people proud, because they all have been very supportive of me and of what I do," said Pinder. Pinder said that he feels strong and healthy and feels as if he could run all day. He credits this to the work he and his coach have been putting in over the past few months. He said he may be at his peak now, but he plans to continue to build his strength and keep going. The young Grand Bahamian said that after the Nationals, his plans are not to take a break, but to continue training hard and try to stay as strong as possible. In fact, Pinder said that he's headed to Europe on Monday, where he will have a big race on Wednesday, June 30. Now that he's graduating from college, Pinder has his sights set on turning pro and running the circuit. "There's a lot I have to learn out there, but I'm looking forward to the experiences and learning more about this sport," said Pinder. He thanked all of the Bahamian fans who have prayed for him over the years and he encouraged them to continue to pray for him as he sets out on a path that is unfamiliar to him. Pinder was voted the top male senior athlete of this year's nationals and was presented with a check from BTC, along with a plaque and a new Blackberry phone.

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