A pair of junior national records, and multiple qualifications for the NACAC Under-18 (U18) and Under-23 (U23) Championships, and the world juniors, highlighted a very competitive Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Combined Junior and Senior National Track and Field Championships, and Invitational, over the weekend at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
Zion Davis and Kei-Mahri Hanna both re-wrote junior national records over the weekend.
Davis, of Star Elite Athletics, has been the athlete to beat in the under-20 boys 400m all season long, and he lived up to that top billing, blazing to a new junior national record of 45.64 seconds in the final of that event on Saturday.
Not only that, but it’s the fastest time for any Bahamian athlete this year, it’s the fastest in the Caribbean, and it ties him for number 21 globally on the World’s Top Performance List for junior athletes for 2026.
The former junior national record of 45.81 seconds was done by Wendell Miller in 2021.
Davis, 18, is headed to the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) U18 and U23 Track and Field Championships, and the 21st World Athletics Under-20 (U20) Championships, this summer, and is bound for the University of Alabama as an incoming freshman athlete after that.
Finishing second to Davis on Saturday was Javano Bridgewater, of Grand Bahama (GB) Heats Athletics, in 46.77 seconds and coming in third was Zion Shepherd, of Tazmanian Speed, in 46.88 seconds.
Also qualifying for both NACAC U18 and U23 and the world juniors, and setting a new junior national record, was Davis’ club teammate Kei-Mahri Hanna, also of Star Elite Athletics, in the under-20 girls 400m hurdles.
Hanna, an 18-year-old athlete who just completed her freshman year at Temple University, destroyed the junior national record of 57.24 seconds, pulling away for the win in 56.78 seconds. Syrmiah Crawley, of Red-Line Athletics, finished a distant 1:02.96. Katrina Seymour owned the now former junior national record, setting it in 2011.
Hanna’s time is the second fastest in the Caribbean, and lists her as number six in the world in the under-20 girls 400m hurdles, for 2026.
Jahcario Wilson, of Bahamas Speed Dymanics, had a strong meet, winning the under-18 boys 100 meters (m) and 100m hurdles, while becoming the third-fastest in the world this year in the latter.
Wilson, 16, won the under-18 boys 100m hurdles in 13.14 seconds, qualifying for NACAC U18 and U23 and the world juniors in the process.
Wilson is now number three in the world this year for under-18 athletes.
Rohman Rolle, of BM Management, finished a distant second in 14.11 seconds, and Shawne Ferguson, of the Roadrunners Track and Field Club, was third in 14.62 seconds.
“Today was a good day — I feel good about it,” said Wilson. “The goal was just to go out there and perform well. I know that it will be stiff competition [NACAC and world juniors], but I’m ready for the challenge. I still feel like I could be more technically sound, particularly with my trail leg — just minor things that I could fix. I’m ready to go to NACAC and compete — looking forward to the challenge.”
In the 100m, Wilson won in 10.57 seconds — the same time he ran in the heats. His Bahamas Speed Dymanics’ teammate Terrin Beckles was second in 10.77 seconds, and Rolle finished a close third in 10.78 seconds.
Over in the sprints, Jazae Johnson was fantastic as she has been all season.
The 15-year-old Leap of Faith athlete clocked 11.58 seconds in the heats of the under-18 girls 100m, and came back in the final and won in 11.57 seconds.
She qualified for both NACAC U18 and U23 and the world juniors.
Taree Forbes, of UPward Performance, finished second in the final in 11.94 seconds, and Rhayanna Saunders, of GB Heats Athletics, was third in 12.08 seconds.
“I just wanted to come out here today and perform, and I feel like I was able to do that,” said Johnson. “I want to thank my parents for always being there and supporting me, and thanks to my coaches and to everyone who continues to support me. I just had to get out and focus on my drive phase and I feel like I was able to do that. I’m excited to go to NACAC and perform. I’m looking forward for what’s to come.”
Over in the long jump, Johnson, won with a massive leap of 6.10m (20’ 0-1/4”). J’Kaiyah Rolle, of Star Elite, finished second with a leap of 5.71m (18’ 9”), and Forbes was a close third with a jump of 5.69m (18’ 8”).
There were other fantastic results as well.
Varon Pinder, of Noble Preparatory Academy, won the under-18 boys 400m in a huge personal best time of 48.04 seconds, leading three young men under 49 seconds. CARIFTA bronze medalist in that event, Zion Bradford, of the Golden Eagles out of Freeport, Grand Bahama, finished second in 48.37 seconds. Jonathan Higgs, of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, was third in 48.78 seconds.
CARIFTA teammates Alexis Roberts, of Team Roberts, and Saige Demeritte, of the visiting RSS Athletics, switched places in the under-20 girls 200 and 400m.
Roberts won the 200m in 24.14 seconds with Demeritte second in 24.21 seconds. Demeritte won the 400m in 53.99 seconds with Roberts second in 54.24 seconds.
There were some strong results in the field events as well.
Jenico Gibson, of Fast Track Athletics, won the under-18 boys triple jump with a massive leap of 14.80m (48’ 6-3/4”). Nathan Walker, of Leap of Faith, finished second with a jump of 14.09m (46’ 2-3/4”), and Dwayne Capron Jr., of Jumpers Inc. Global, was third with a leap of 13.81m (45’ 3-3/4”).
Ahnae Smith, of Blue Chip Elite, had a couple of big throws in the under-18 girls discus and shot put events. She won the discus with a throw of 39.34m (129’ 1”), and took the shot put with a throw of 13.10m (42’ 11-3/4”).
Carmeljo Woodside, of Triple Threat Throws, did the same in the under-18 boys division. Woodside won the under-18 boys discus with a throw of 52.01m (170’ 8”), and took the shot put with a throw of 15.03m (49’ 3-3/4”).
Ahkeel Williams, of Air Assault, took the under-18 boys javelin with a throw of 58.81m (192’ 11”).
Caitlyn Smith, of UPward Performance, won the under-18 girls triple jump with a leap of 11.98m (39’ 3-3/4”).
Taysha Stubbs, of Blue Chip Elite, won the under-20 girls javelin with a throw of 46.20m (151’ 7”), just holding off Kamera Strchan, who competed unattached. Strachan finished second with a throw of 45.30m (148’ 7”).
A number of other junior athletes were special as well, such as Eagan Neely, of Bahamas Speed Dynamics, winning the under-20 boys 200m in 21.29 into a strong headwind, after clocking 21.21 seconds in the heats, Keyezra Thomas, of Speed Begins, winning the under-18 girls 400m in 55.27 seconds and coming second in the under-18 girls 200m in 24.85 seconds, Everette Fraser, of Fast Forward Athletics, winning the under-20 boys 100m in 10.58 seconds after running 10.48 in the heats, and Kyden Thurston, of the T- Bird Flyers, winning the under-18 boys 3,000m in 9:35.63, just to name a few.
Thomas, who has won multiple CARIFTA medals in the under-17 girls division, said she’s looking forward to competition this summer.
“I’m just happy that I came out of nationals healthy, and now I’m looking forward for what’s to come,” she said. “I’m just looking to go to NACAC and make my family and my country proud. I just have to stay focused and trust my coaches. I’m looking forward to doing my best and hopefully I’ll come out on top.”
Other results could be found on the website tekresults.net.
