Blue Chip Athletics continues to produce some of the top throwers in the country, and by extension the region, getting young Bahamian athletes qualified and prepared for major international competitions.
The 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games is just two weeks away, set for the Easter holiday weekend, April 8-10 at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. The final local qualifier, the Bahamas National High School Track and Field Championships/CARIFTA Trials, will be held this weekend, March 25-27, at the stadium. There are more than 40 qualifiers for The Bahamas’ team and throwers, particularly Blue Chip Athletics and Air Assault athletes, occupy a significant portion of those qualifiers. Air Assault is a branch of the Blue Chip Athletics Throwing Club, catering solely to javelin throwers.
Following a number of top finishes at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) and Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) athletics championships, the number of qualifiers of throwers from Blue Chip Athletics has risen to eight, and more are expected at the CARIFTA Trials this weekend.
“It’s always a great feeling, a sense of accomplishment when as a coach, you would see your athletes doing great things. It’s an accomplishment, not only for the kids but the coaches and the country as well,” said Corrington Maycock, head coach of Blue Chip Athletics. “These athletes are doing great things, and individually, they all want to be great. Funding is always needed but nonetheless we will continue to produce great throwers and great athletes. We’re thankful for the opportunity to train at Queen’s College and to be able to use that equipment, but when you consider funding, or the lack or funding in this case, that is always needed to get your own equipment and better equipment and continue the trek for these kids to be great. That would be ideal.”
At the BAISS Track and Field Championships, there were first and second finishers by Blue Chip Athletics athletes in the under-20 girls javelin in the persons of Dior-Rae Scott and G’Shan Brown, respectively, in the under-20 girls discus in the persons of Annae Mackey and Brown, respectively, in the under-20 boys javelin in the persons of Kaden Cartwright and Robert Deal II, respectively, and in the under-20 boys shot put in the persons of Deal and Kristian Mondesir, respectively.
There were first place finishes in the under-20 girls shot put with Mackey, in the under-17 boys javelin with Ashton Moxey and in the under-17 girls javelin with a new meet record with the performance of Kamera Strachan. Additionally, there was a medal sweep in the under-20 boys discus with the performances of Cartwright, Deal II and A’jai Culmer, respectively, and there was a first, third and fourth place finish in the under-17 boys shot put given the performances of Tristan King, Jayden Stuart and Reuben Bain, respectively. That trio, in that order, were first, third and seventh in the under-17 boys discus.
In the under-17 girls shot put, Blue Chip Athletics athletes Milan Mondesir and Danielle Nixon, in that order, were second and fourth. In the under-15 girls discus, T’Arjahnaye Green finished second and in the under-17 girls discus, Nixon finished third.
In addition to the eight qualifiers for CARIFTA, seven athletes from Blue Chip Athletics have qualified for the 127th running of the Penn Relays, set for April 27-29, 2023, at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – the home stadium for the University of Pennsylvania’s football, track and field and lacrosse teams.
As far as Blue Chip Athletics collegiate throwers are concerned, Rhema Otabor is representing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Tarajh Hudson, Bernesha Knowles and Carnitra Mackey are at Northwestern State University, Keyshawn Strachan is at Auburn University, Michaelangelo Bullard is at Texas State University, Acacia Astwood competes for the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners, Abner Johnson is at Cowley College, and Latia Saunders represents Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (Florida A&M).
Calea Jackson, Kaden Cartwright and G’Shan Brown have signed their letters of intent to attend the University of Miami in the fall.
“We still need bodies. Every day, we’re searching for new talent. We’re trying to keep the feeder program going, always looking for talented throwers who could be the next top athletes. We’re trying to build the field events, particularly the throwing events so that we could continue to experience success in the future,” said Maycock.
Based on results, Blue Chip Athletics has proven that it provides a top throwing program in the country, and by extension in all of the Caribbean region.
Maycock is looking to get more athletes qualified for the 50th Oaktree CARIFTA Games at the CARIFTA Trials/High School Nationals this weekend.
Like the CARIFTA Games, the CARIFTA Trials/High School Nationals will be held over six sessions from a Saturday to a Monday at the Thomas A. Robinson stadium – just two weeks apart.
The CARIFTA Trials/High School Nationals will get underway at 9 a.m. on each day of the three-day meet. The second sessions each day will start around 3-4 p.m. This is the first time that both events are being combined.