Former Bishops’ High School student Ashley Tasher hopes to soar ahead of the competition when she makes her debut at the XLII CARIFTA Games which will be held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas from March 28- April 1.
Now a junior at Medgar Evers College Preparatory High School long with Guyana World Junior 400m silver medallist Kadecia Baird, Tasher was recently selected to represent Guyana for the first time at this year’s CARIFTA Games.
Tasher is expected to compete in the girls’ under 17 long jump competition while Baird will be competing in the 200m and 400m.
Before she migrated to the United States just over two years ago, Tasher emerged as one of the country’s most promising youth sprinters.
At the 50th edition of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) National School Track and Field Championships, Tasher shattered the girls’ under 14 100m and 200m records.
During her first year at Medgar Evers, the former Running Brave track club athlete competed in the sprints events (100m, 200m, and 400m) and helped her school to several relay victories before her coach decided to try her out at the long jump in an effort to gain team points.
“At first it was just for points…I didn’t have any professional experience but when I jumped and won on the first try my coach entered me in the event and I’ve been progressing ever since,” Tasher told Stabroek Sport exclusively.
Incidentally that coach who decided to try Tasher out in the long jump competition was none other than Guyana’s national triple jump record holder Nicola Martial who competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
After that instant success in the event, Tasher decide to shift her focus from track to jumping. Tasher won the long jump event at the Day Of Distance meet and the Holiday Classic last year as well the 42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King track meet and the Brooklyn Borough Championships earlier this year.
In January, Tasher posted the number three ranked mark in the US to win the Hispanic Games. There Tasher jumped 18 feet 5.75 inches or 5.63 metres which still stands as her personal record.
The girls under 17 long jump at CARIFTA last year was won by Bahamian Dannielle Gibson, who leaped 5.89m to win the event, while Samara Spencer of Jamaica (5.87m) took second and Tamara Moncrieffe (5.79m).
All three of those athletes are no long eligible to compete in the under 17 category.
On a good day, Tasher therefore stands a chance of not just getting out of the preliminary round of the long jump competition, but making the final and probably the podium.
“I’m very excited that I have been given the opportunity to represent my country at such a big meet. I plan on going out there and giving it all I’ve got to making myself and my country proud,” Tasher said.
The Girls Under 17 CARIFTA long jump record is 6.14 which was established by Bahamian Jackie Edwards in 1987.
Tasher, who is now 16-years-old, also said that the 26-year-old record is attainable and intends to give her best effort towards eclipsing it.
The mark is close to half a metre further than Tasher’s personal record.
“My expectations are to break the record in the long jump which I am quite capable of doing,” Tasher added.
Tasher said she hopes to continue to improve on her personal record in the long jump even to enhance her chances of getting an athletics scholarship into a top division one athletic school.
As far as track is concerned, Tasher still competes for her school in relays at a few meets and told Stabroek Sport that she will definitely try her best if called upon at CARIFTA to fit into one of the relay teams.
