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Bahamas wins gold medal in discus throw at CAC Jr. Championships
By Office of Communication, The College of The Bahamas
Jul 11, 2014 - 7:58:28 AM

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Nassau, BAHAMAS – When Khlye Higgs hurled the discus 56.64 metres at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships in Mexico on the weekend, it earned The Bahamas yet another gold medal at the international competition and contributed to a robust overall performance by Team Bahamas.

The Bahamas finished in fourth position with 20 medals: seven gold, eight silver and five bronze.

Khyle’s gold medal was another record-breaking achievement for The College of The Bahamas student-athlete, who since March has set three junior national records in the throws.

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He was still elated over the accomplishment, when asked to comment on Monday.

“I was pretty ecstatic when the competition was done and I had won the gold medal. The event itself was exciting,” he said. “Seeing all of the other athletes get fired up for every throw and doing their best to represent their country was a great experience and it forced me to compete at a higher level, which made winning so much better.”

One of the most promising junior field athletes in the country, Khlye was adamant about the factors that have contributed to his success thus far. Among other things, he singled out the quality of coaching that he has received from Olympian Bradley Cooper, head coach of field events at The College of The Bahamas.

“Well, God is ultimately responsible for everything that has happened in my life, especially my recent performances. After CARIFTA, I began to decline in performances and thankfully, God put a coach in my life named Bradley Cooper who stuck with me through all of the challenges and supported me every step of the way. Without people like him, my parents, and my training partners like Gerrard Burrows, Frederick Laing, Delron Inniss and Ashley Oembler, accomplishing this would have been near impossible,” Khyle explained.

Ultimately, Khyle plans to continue making his mark at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. But he is also determined to break the national records of his coach, Bradley Cooper, and create his own “extraordinary legacy”.

Meantime, Coach Cooper commended Khyle for his discipline, determination and an outstanding achievement.

“I wish for him to one day break the Bahamas Record and win an Olympic Medal,” he said. “This is a dream come true for (The College of The Bahamas athletics) programme… I would like for other parents and athletes to see what can be accomplished at home and for the powers that be to realize we need to begin to invest in our own.The athletics department has the potential to develop Olympians and winners.”

Khyle’s athletic performance has been steadily progressing since March. Earlier this year, he set a new junior national record at CARIFTA. Subsequently, at the national meet, he established another record. His finish at the Jr. CAC set a new precedent for The Bahamas in the junior division.

Director of Athletics at The College Kimberley Rolle called the achievement nothing short of phenomenal.

“In the short amount of time that Khlye has been with us, he has really done something historic in the life of The College of The Bahamas. This is the first time that COB has ever had a gold medal athlete at an international competition,” she said.

“The question is how do we sustain this level of success to move him to the senior level of competition. We need to ensure that we have the kind of support system in place that will ensure his success. We need to ensure that Khyle Higgs is not an isolated case but that this becomes a norm.”

Team Bahamas returns to New Providence on Tuesday, July 8th. A contingent from The College of The Bahamas is sure to be among the exuberant Bahamians who will welcome them back.


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