Saturday January 17th started the 2009 track and field season for the Bahamas Association Of Athletic Association with the annual Odd Distance Meet that catered to over three hundred athletes and featured all of the track and field clubs based in New Providence.

The meet developed into an exciting afternoon of track and field competition that saw the awaited return of junior track and field standouts Nathan Arnette and Printassia Johnson. Both athletes were injured and spent most of the 2008 season observing and rehabilitating. Both looked to be healthy and in good condition early into the season.

With several of the country's top junior track and field athletes graduating to the college and university levels at the end of the 2008 season the BAAA will try to establish early, who will step up to the plate this 2009 season among the junior athletes.

The under-nine, under-11 and under-13 divisions seemed to be the crowd pleasers as parents were out in good numbers to cheer there kids on to good performances.
 

However, the top performance of the meet came for 16-year-old C.V. Bethel Senior high school student Raquel Williams as she tossed the shot put 12.73 meters (41 feet 9 ¼ inches) for the victory. She also won the discuss event with a toss of 34.27 meters (112 feet 5 inches) just short of the Carifta Standard 37.50 meters.

The meet also featured a show down between the Ambassadors Athletic Club's Warren Fraser and Star Trackers Nejmi Burnside who clashed for the first time in the open men's 350 meters. Fraser won in 43.92 seconds.

Veteran Jason Williams from Alliance Athletics Club won the 100m but was quieted in the men's 600m.

Carifta 4x400 meter bronze medallist, Brandon Miller representing the Ambassadors Athletic Club was able to secure the victory in one minute 22.02 seconds. Star Trackers Nathan Arnett collected second in one minute 23.89 seconds.

On the women's side National Junior 4x100 meter record holder Club Monica's V'Alonee Robinson also had a good opener to the season. She doubled up to win the 75m and 250m events.

Robinson won the 75 metres race in nine seconds flat defeating her teammate Kellie Rolle who finished second in 9.20 seconds while Bahamas Speed Dynamic's Dominque Morley finished third in 9.39 seconds. Robinson then won the 250 meters in 32.54 seconds over Ambassadors Athletics Leticha Stevens who clocked 34.20 seconds.

The next BAAA meet is the High School Relays set for January 31st at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.