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Castries B'ball Continues, V/F To Follow
(27 February 2001) - The Central Castries Independence Basketball Tournament produced a big match-up this evening, when Prophets opened their campaign against unbeaten Rewop (2-0) at Vigie Multipurpose Sports Complex. Just a couple of years out of Vide Boutielle Secondary School, Jerry Antoine took the ball up court for Prophets and took control, scoring seemingly at will. He had eighteen points before fouling out in controversial fashion.
The game swung either way 'til the final seconds, and with Prophets clinging to a 62-61 advantage, Rewop point guard Derek Browne rose up for a jumper from the wing. Antoine came away with a clean block, but his legs got tangled up with Browne's as they came down. Browne hit one of two to send it to an extra frame.
In overtime, it was the Neil Joseph show. The Rewop off guard, free of Antoine's stifling defense, drilled consecutive threes with his team down 68-62. He hit again at 70-68 to give Rewop their first lead of overtime, a lead they would never relinquish, eventually winning 77-70. Browne had 20, Joseph 13.
In Saturday's games, Rewop defeated Courts Jets 71-51, thanks to 24 from guard/forward Aloysius Daniel, who leaked out consistently for easy layups. Neil Joseph hit 13. Teenaged centre Ed Desir, 2000 Junior Basketball Player of the Year, had 12. CDC beat Police 71-57 in the other game. Meanwhile, the St. Lucia Amateur Basketball Association will tip off its first national tournament since 1999 in Vieux-Fort on Saturday, 3 March. The St. Lucia All-Island Club Tournament (Southern Zone) will get underway with seven clubs from Laborie and Vieux Fort. Southern Sales Roots Alley BaIlers, Knights, Maze Snipers, Dragons, Builders' Choice Square United, Shernell's Green Lake and Cavaliers are to compete on a round-robin basis in the preliminary round.
The top four teams will compete in a two-round playoff, with a best-of-three final. The Southern Zone finalists will advance to the quarter final round of the All-Island Tournament. The Southern Zone opens with a ball-o-rama 5:30pm Saturday. The first game, Sunday 4 March, will feature Shernell's Green Lake and Maze Sniperz.
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We…Have…Volleyball!
(26 February 2001) - The 2001 club volleyball calendar started Monday evening at Vigie Multipurpose Sports Complex, with the independence competition.
Four women's teams (Ciceron Seagulls United, Le Club Volleyball, LCV Reserves and Jetsetters) and four men's teams (Seagulls, LCV, Jetsetters and Mon Repos) are entered for this tournament, which runs to 10 March.
In the opening women's game, Seagulls got the bwtter of a scrappy first set, 25-21. Shana Aubrey asserted herself and LCV's defense went south in he second, which Seagulls won at 14. Behind a strong defensive effort LCV got back into the game with a 25-19 third set win. In the fourth set, though, it was just too much Aubrey, as the 21-year-old smashed the last two points for CSU to win 25-22. The LCV side froze as the former Bocage Secondary hitter did her thing.
Meanwhile, schools' volleyball continues. In under-nineteen boys' action, Sir Ira Simmons Secondary won 25-10, 25-22, 25-12 over Corinth Secondary. In under-nineteen girls' play, Leon Hess Comprehensive conceded the first set to the Aubrey alma mater (Bocage) 25-22, but came storming back with 25-18, 26-24, 25-12 set wins. Thus far, it's been a bit scrappy, but even the kids on the weaker teams are enthusiastic, and athleticism conceals some technical flaws.
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Indie Games Good For Levern, Abilene
(27 February 2001) - Well, I was hoping to have received complete results of the 2001 Independence Track and Field Championships by now, but I guess that 's a bit much to ask! I can tell you that Hugh Breustraal's Abilene Wildcats were in dominant form, behind Lester and Nathan Justin, Michael Felix, Dion Saltibus and Sarah Alexander.
Abilene were winners in the men's 4x400m relay, with a time of 3.38.41, 3.05 seconds ahead of Energizers and precisely five seconds ahead of Road Busters. Energizers, featuring the Reynold sisters - Lisa and Shaina - took the women's 4x400m relay. Shaina was golden individually, taking the women's 400 from teammate Heather Nelson. Lisa, a former 800m national champion, was second to current title-holder Mina Philip in that event.
Just turned 21, Tamara Popo threw 11.90m to win the shot putt, a personal best for her. She also holds the national record (40.83m) for the women's discus, which she was unable to throw as she had to return to work. Sarah Alexander took shot putt silver.
The real excitement came from 16-year-old Sportswoman of the Year Levern Spencer, who cleared 1.76m for high jump gold, before running away with 100m and 200m titles.
Nathan Justin won the two shorter men's sprints, the 200 in 21.92s, ahead of Jeremie Richardson and Damian Henville of Mercury. The junior 200 was won by Nathan's brother, Lester, who won narrowly in 23.4s from Mercury's Ray Joseph and Abilene's Shem Emmanuel.
Road Buster Jason Sayers clocked 17:24.57 to take 5K gold. He also won the 1500m for a share of the most outstanding male athlete title.
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Cricketer Eugene Rewarded
 (25 February 2001) - To say that Windward Islands had an inauspicious run in the 2001 Busta Cup would be to seriously understate the case. They ended dead last from eight teams, without picking up so much as a single point. There were few bright spots, but John Eugene's (photo left) century against Guyana at Bourda would have been one such. A day before he was named St. Lucia's Sportsman of the Year 2000, the 30-year-old Gros Islet batsman hit his third first-class century (139) and his second in the space of a few months. He scored an unbeaten 130 against South Africa A for the Windwards last year. With 406 Busta Cup runs (the ninth highest aggregate) he may hope to make the Busta XI against the full South Africa team.
But the Sportsman of the Year title, and a parcel of land with which Sports Minister Mario Michel gifted him on Sunday, came as a result of John's efforts in helping Gros Islet retain their domestic title. He scored over seven hundred runs, with four centuries and an average over 99. For Red Stripe Bowl champion the Windwards, he was third leading scorer. John's reward was quite appropriate. His new land, courtesy the Urban Development Corporation, overlooks the new Beausejour Cricket ground, currently under construction.
It seems that every time John is to receive a reward, he celebrates in advance. The 2000 Gros Islet 25-over competition was concluded Sunday, with the finals between John's Sandals Halcyon team, and national skipper Alton Crafton's Together Youth. Taking first knock, John came in at number three and scored 103, beginning with an array of leg glances and cut shots, then closing with seven fours and four sixes. The hotel team scored 208 for seven. They nearly won by John's score. In spite of a half century from St. Lucia and Windwards opener Together Youth, the side fell for 109.
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Ewan Inside
(26 February 2001) - 6'8" 230 lb St. Lucian centre Ewan Auguste scored the first six points for Washburn University, and he kept scoring as they cruised to a 96-65 victory in the first round of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association tournament on Monday. Auguste had 21 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the field and 5 of 7 at the free throw line. He led both teams with eight rebounds, recorded four assists and added three blocks and two steals for good measure. Consider that Ewan did all of this in 22 minutes. With eleven minutes remaining, he took an elbow in his back and went to the bench, clearly satisfied with a job well done.
"We had to take advantage of that and go to work inside," Auguste said. "Coach said if we go inside, after a while they would start doubling us and then we'd be able to get open shots on the perimeter. That's what we tried to do." Washburn, 23-4 and ranked No. 7 in this week's NCAA Division II poll, scored 52 points inside the lane.
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Snakebite
 (25 February 2001) - All season long, you've been hearing about Ewan Auguste, the outstanding St. Lucian basketballer at Washburn University in Topeka, KS. Last year, he was a Division II All-American. This year, along with Vincentian forward Randolph Williams, Ewan has led Washburn to a top-ten national ranking and a conference championship.
Meanwhile, another St. Lucian has been toiling in obscurity. Sherman Barthelmy (photo), like Ewan, will be graduating this year. A 6'5" forward and a former schoolmate of Ewan's at St. Mary's College in Castries, Sherman - Snake to his friends - enrolled at Central Missouri State University in 1995. In spite of a solid freshman season, he almost never played as a sophomore, prompting him to transfer to Missouri's Drury College.
He'll graduate with a degree in Business Administration this year, and he'll be pleased to have contributed well to the Drury basketball programme. This year, the Panthers won nineteen of 26 games, with a perfect home record. Snake started all but one game, averaging 7.7 points per outing on 51% (77-150) shooting. In 24.4 minutes per game, he also pulled down 5.5 rebounds. From St. Lucia, Snake made his reputation as a defender. He's borne that out at Drury, with 22 blocks and 25 steals.
Snake ended his senior season as the third leading rebounder and sixth leading scorer for the Panthers, who play in NCAA Division II. They're perennially among the leaders in the Heartland Conference, and they were seventh in the South Central Region, which Washburn won.
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Jean Takes Two
(25 February 2001) - Freshman sprinter Laura Jean, from St. Lucia in the West Indies, anchored the Albright College (PA) women's indoor track team to 42.5 points at their conference indoor championships last Saturday. Albright ended fifth from ten schools.
Jean led the Lady Lions with victories in the 55-metre and 200-metre dash. She also ran with the 4x160-metre relay team that took silver. Jean ended the 55 in 7.59 - a split second off the conference record. She ran 27.33 for 200-metre gold as well, and was the 4x160 anchor.
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UK-Lucian Vet Is On Target
 (24 February 2001) - 36-year-old Boston United and St. Lucia striker Ken Charlery (photo left) is enjoying an Indian summer these past two years. Born in Stepney in the United Kingdom, Charlery was top scorer for Third Division Barnet last season, with 13 goals. This campaign, after a record-breaking transfer (£25,000) he's the leading scorer for Boston United. He's already matched his 99-00 output, with 13 goals from 29 starts. Charlery is the ninth-leading scorer in the Football Conference, one behind the trio of Darran Hay (Stevenage) Gary Fletcher (Northwich) and Geoff Pitcher (Kingstonian).
Total Football magazine, in its February 2001 issue, describes Ken as an "unstoppable goal machine who shows no signs of slowing down." Barnet aside, he's played for Beckton, Maidstone, Peterborough, Watford, Birmingham City, Southend United and Stockport County. Coming into this season, the man who's had a handful of internationals for St. Lucia had 118 goals in 432 League games. He's had £1 million spent on him for his career.
Boston United, based in Lincolnshire, currently lie 13th in the 22-team Nationwide Football Conference. They've scored a total of 46 goals this season, and their big St. Lucian target man is preparing for a stretch run. With seven games in hand, Charlery is in a good position to make a run at league-leading scorer Warren Patmore of Yeovil, who has 19 goals.
 Barnet, Ken's former club, are also at mid-table in the Third Division. Another St. Lucian, 29-year-old central defender Warren Hackett (photo left), is the mainstay of the Barnet back four. Barnet have won just ten games this season, with seven draws, but player/manager Tony Cottee feels his team can still make a late push for the playoffs and challenge for a Second Division place.
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Ichabods Prepare For Post-Season
(24 February 2001) - The Washburn University Ichabods, ranked fifth in NCAA Division II, wrapped up the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship with a 93-75 victory over Missouri-Rolla on Saturday.
Washburn ended with a 22-4 record, collecting their sixth MIAA title and first since the 1996-97 season.
Speaking of the five players who were playing their last regular season game for the Ichabods, WU coach Bob Chipman said "This group of seniors has worked so hard. When you want something so badly for them, it's a sense of relief for them to get their first championship. They deserve it."
Senior forward Randolph Williams, from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, showed off his passing skills in Saturday's game. Williams ended with just four points, but he only shot the ball four times. By contrast, he dished the ball eight times in the game, also pulling down four rebounds.
6'8" 230 lb St. Lucian forward/centre Ewan Auguste is another player graduating this year. He had 22 points on 9-13 shooting, along with 5 assists and 4 steals in the UMR game. "This was four years of hard work that finally paid off, [but] the season is by no means done. We can't be satisfied."
The Ichabods play Truman State in a first-round MIAA tournament game at 7 p.m. Monday in Lee Arena.
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Nickie Does Maryland
(25 February 2001) - There was some quiet success for athletes from the Eastern Caribbean at the 2001 MEAC Indoor Championships this weekend.
University of Maryland-Eastern Shore hosted the two-day meet. Nickie Peters, a junior from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, won the men's mile in 4:18.62 for Coppin State College. Teammate Beryl Harris, a St. Lucian, ran 4:29.96 for tenth place. Peters ended second in the men's 800-metre run with a time of 1:53.45, and Harris (1:58.90) was tenth.
Among the women, St. Lucia's Windy Augustin was sixth in the women's mile, clocking 5:18.33 for Florida's Bethune-Cookman College. She was seventh (10:58.70) in the women's 3K run, and twelfth (2:24.35) in the 800m run.
Asha Louis, Windy's teammate and another St. Lucian, forewent her usual 400m and 800m races this indoor season. She was tenth in the women's high jump at MEAC with a clearance of 5" (1.52m).
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Not Second-Best
(24 February 2001) - 19-year-old Adrian Albert has been first runner-up a few times too many these past two years. Consistently one of St. Lucia's top table tennis players, he's fallen in every major championship to his nemeses, Chris Wells and Carlos Innocent.
Albert advanced to the finals again on Saturday, defeating Wells at Castries City Hall to book a meeting with 1998 national champion Godfrey Leacock.
The 38-year-old Guyana-born veteran came up from Vieux Fort for this tournament at the behest of Guy Cabrera, president of the local association, and he appeared ready to surprise himself by winning.
Leacock and Albert split the first two games in the final, and Albert was well set in game three. Leading 15-13, the reserved youngster let his game slip, conceding five straight points. He fought back tie it up at 18, but Leacock won two straight points for double championship point. Albert, spurred by vocal support from the small crowd Hall, staved off both championship points, then scored twice more for his first career title.
In the under-seventeen division, 14-year-old Randal Martyr, a third-form student at St. Mary's College, defeated Hilary Roach 21-13 21-8 after overcoming Wendel St. Omer in the semis.
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Cable & Wireless re-commits to West Indies Cricket
(February 23, 2001 - Press Release)
 Cable & Wireless and the West Indies Cricket Board today announced a new 3-year agreement for the continuation of the company's sponsorship of the West Indies Cricket team and the Cable & Wireless 2001 home series.
Making the announcement on behalf of the company, Cable & Wireless' newly-appointed CEO for the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands, Errald Miller said: "as a West Indian and an ardent cricket fan, it gives me pleasure to announce the renewal of our sponsorship agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board.
For the past 16 years Cable & Wireless has staunchly supported the development of cricket in the region, and we are happy to continue our relationship with the WICB." Mr. Miller added: "Like telecommunications, cricket is part of the fabric of life in the West Indies. Our association with the sport has always been strong, and I am confident that new agreement will ensure that our relationship with fans and with the board continues to grow."
The new US$8.3 million dollar agreement, which begins in 2002, ensures that the West Indies Cricket Board can continue to implement its development initiatives of the past four years to secure the long-term health of the sport in the Caribbean.
In response to the announcement, President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Mr. Pat Rousseau, remarked: "The West Indies Cricket Board has enjoyed a long and healthy relationship with Cable & Wireless and we are thrilled to see this continue.
The confidence in our team and the loyalty to the people of the region is clearly demonstrated by Cable & Wireless' continuing demonstration of their commitment to the sport of cricket in the Caribbean. Coming at a time when both Cable & Wireless and West Indies cricket are facing serious challenges, I believe the partnership will prove to be even more beneficial for all concerned."
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Schools' Volleyball Has A Bumpy Start
(21 February 2001) - After three years in absentia, you wouldn't expect a smooth schools' volleyball tournament. Neither would you have looked forward to a sterling exhibition of how the game should be played. The tournament began a few days late because the Department of Youth and Sports failed to account for the schools' calypso competition, which was held on the scheduled opening date for volleyball, 16 February.
The tournament started at Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School, because the Vigie Multipurpose Sports Complex apparently is NOT meant primarily for sports. An ecumenical service to celebrate Independence had been slated for the Complex on the 22, and the stage was in place by Monday.
In any case, the under-nineteen boy's competition began Tuesday, with Saint Mary's College defeating Vide Boutielle Secondary 25-21 25-18 25-19. SMC skipper David Myers and coach John Calderon (national volleyball player of the year 2000) pronounced their dissatisfaction with SMC's lackluster performance, though they were happy to begin Group A play 1-0.
There are eleven teams in under-nineteen boys' competition: Group A comprises SMC, VBSS, Bocage Secondary, Corinth Secondary and Sir Ira Simmons Secondary; Group B includes Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School and Anse Ger Secondary School. There are also seven under-nineteen girls' teams and four under-sixteen boys' teams.
Meanwhile, the Amateur Volleyball Association will be hosting the Independence tournament beginning this weekend at the Vigie Complex. The usual suspects are registered for men's and women's action: Jetsetters, Le Club and Cable & Wireless Ciceron Seagulls. Mon Repos' Youth and Sports Council have also expressed an interest, with SLP's 2002 Micoud North candidate, Nicholas Jn Baptiste, very much at the forefront for that organisation.
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Oecsathlete.com Gets IAAF Seal Of Approval
(22 January 2001) - Dominic Johnson, St. Lucia's national record holder for the men's pole vault, has confirmed that he will be leaving (Arizona) for Formia, Italy on 15 March. "I will train for four months there and then come back to prepare for Francophonie Games, World Champs and of course, defending my pole vault title at the Central American and Caribbean Games."
The 25-year-old two-time St. Lucian Olympian (Atlanta 96 and Sydney 2000) will be training at the behest of the International Olympic Committee, under one of the foremost pole vault coaches in the world, Vitaly Petrov. "I probably won't compete for a few months once I get there just to get used to the new program," says Johnson. "I'm sure he'll dissect my vault and put it back together again. Vitaly is a tough coach so I'm really trying to get into good shape." Dominic won two of his first three indoor vaults this year.
Dominic has also had good news related to another of his endeavours, an Internet website called oecsathlete.com, dedicated to helping find college and university scholarships for student athletes from the Eastern Caribbean. The site has been up a little less than a year, but Dominic says that traffic is increasing, and he's hoping to embark on a new phase.
Another site, caribbeansports.com, has offered to help promote
oecsathlete.com throughout the Caribbean and North America. Also, oecsathlete.com, which Dominic runs in collaboration with journalist terry finisterre, was the subject of an article in the latest issue of the IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation) newsletter. "We are getting regular site traffic now, hopefully we can get some scholarships for some of these kids."
Young athletes (basketball, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball, basketball) who are hoping to continue their studies in North America can log on to the site, email Dominic ( stlucia614@hotmail.com ) or terry (allsport@slucia.com) or call terry at 758 459 0149 for more information.
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CDC Sports Competition Gets Underway
(22 February 2001) - Davis "Gearbox" Herman conceptualized the CDC Games a long time ago, but his ideas crystallized after he had liaised with Paula Calderon from the Department of Youth and Sports, MP Sarah Flood-Beaubrun and talk show host/social commentator Claudius Francis.
The centerpiece of the Games will be a basketball tournament, which will run for the next three weeks, with games at Vigie Multipurpose Sports Complex and at the CDC court. The tournament began at the latter venue Thursday, with a game between CDC and Derek Browne's Rewop.
Rewop won 49-44 nehind tough defense from 2000 secondary schools' MVP and basketball player of the year Ed Desir, though his tangible contribution amounted to just 5 points and eight rebounds. Rewop's Ricky Fontenelle made a game-high 18 points, including consecutive second-half dunks. He also had seven boards. Neil Joseph poured in 10 points, with 4 assists.
18-year-old Frank Baptiste led CDC with 10 points and 9 rebounds; Mervin "Mervin Joe" Augustin recorded 10 and 5.
Aside from basketball, there is a great deal of competition for the CDC three-a-side small goals football tournament. There are other tournaments as well, including darts and dominoes.
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