Alpheus Finlayson for the IAAF
5 January 2001 - Sprinter Pauline Davis-Thompson won the Charley Major Award for the Bahamian Track and Field Athlete of the Year last week, at the First Annual Golden Awards Banquet of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association. Major was a superstar high jumper from the Bahamas who dominated the event in the United States during the late 1920’s.
After nearly twenty years of international competition, which included a record seven World Outdoor Championships and five Olympic Games, Davis saved the best for last. She won the silver medal in the 200m at the Sydney Olympics with a personal best of 22.27 secs, the third best time of the year 2000. In her final time on the track, Davis-Thompson, who has since retired, ran the third leg of the Bahamas 400m relay team that won the gold medal.
In her long career Davis-Thompson won numerous world medals. In 1995 she won a silver medal in the 200m at the World Indoor Championships in Barcelona and a silver medal in the 400m at the World Outdoor Championships in Gothenburg.
In 1996 Davis-Thompson anchored the Bahamas 400m relay team to a silver medal in the 400m relay in the Atlanta Olympics. In 1999 Davis-Thompson was the bronze medallist in the 200m at the World Indoor Championships in Maebashi, Japan. At the World Outdoor Championships in Seville she ran on the gold medal winning 400m-relay team.
In addition to winning the Charley Major Award for the Athlete of the Year Davis-Thompson also won the Female Senior Athlete of the Year Award.
Winning the Male Senior Athlete of the Year was Avard Moncur who won the 400m setting a new Bahamian record of 44.72 seconds at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Moncur who attends Auburn University in Alabama ran the leadoff leg of the fourth place 1600m-relay team in Sydney. He just missed making the final of the 400m.
Moncur also won the Athlete of the National Championships Award with a 44.93 seconds performance.
Winning the Female Athlete of the Nationals Award was Chandra Sturrup who became the first Bahamian woman to go under 10.90 seconds when she ran 10.86 seconds, the second best time of 2000. Sturrup trains with Marion Jones in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Male Junior Athlete of the Year was won by Long and Triple jumper Leevan Sands. Sands, who will be entering Auburn University this semester set a new Junior National record of 16.22m in the Triple Jump while placing fifth in the World Junior Championships. Sands also had a personal best of 7.83m in the long jump. Both performances rank eighth on the IAAF Junior list for 2000.
The Female Junior Athlete of the Year was Chafree Bain who set a personal best of 49.66 seconds in the discus in 2000. Bain was dominant in both the Carifta Games and the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships this year.
Frank "Pancho" Rahming, secretary of the federation and the Head Coach of the Sydney Olympic Team won the Henry Crawford Award for Coach of the Year.
Carrie Young won the Roderick Simms Award for Official of the Year.
Nehemiah Hield, formerly lead singer with BahaMen of "Who Let the Dogs Out" fame put the icing on the cake with his soulful singing.
Most of the top Bahamian athletes were in attendance for this stellar event. Missing was Davis-Thompson who was suffering from the flu in Atlanta and decided at the last minute not to travel.
