National Youth Cricketers named among 2023 National Scholars

Story and photos by
Robertson S Henry

Two accomplished national youth cricketers, 19-year-old medium fast bowler Solomon Bascombe and 18-year-old off-spinner Luke Wilson have been awarded National Scholarships based on their outstanding academic performance.

Wilson and Bascombe were among the 26 graduates of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) who received the prestigious five-year university scholarships on Tuesday October 24, 2023 during the annual Schools Independence Rally which was held at the Victoria Park.

SEARCHLIGHT caught up with these exceptional young men and spoke to them about their accomplishments, plans for the future and finding the right balance between sports and academics.

Solomon Bascombe in action for the Windward Islands Under-19 against the Leeward Islands Under-19 at the Arnos Vale on August 11, 2022 (photo by Robertson S Henry)

While admitting that finding the right balance was difficult, Bascombe, who received the Elaine Connell Award for placing fifth nationally, said it helped him build a strong character.

“It often required that I work late into the night or wake very early in the mornings. However, I had the support of my parents, teachers, coaches and other well-wishers to guide me on my journey thus far and hopefully into the future.”

A resident of Belair, Bascombe is a former student of the Windsor Primary School, the St Mary’s Roman Catholic School and the St Vincent Grammar School (SVGS), which he entered in 2016 after placing 12th for boys and 16th overall in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

As a student of the SVGS, on three occasions, Bascombe was a member of the school’s winning team in the National Under-15 Secondary Schools cricket competition; he was awarded the SVG Young Cricketer of the Year Award in 2019, after being a member of the West Indies Under-15 cricket team; he also received the award for the best performance in cricket upon leaving the SVGS.

Bascombe was again awarded the Young Cricketer of the Year in 2022 after being SVG’s MVP in the Windward Islands Under-19 tournament and getting the most wickets in that year’s Cricket West Indies Regional Rising Stars Under-17 tournament. He was subsequently inducted into the West Indies Under-19 Provisional Squad.

At the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Bascombe received grade one passes in Communication Studies, Physics, Biology, Physical Education & Sport and a grade two for Geography at Unit I. For his Unit 2 courses, he received grade one passes for Biology, Physics and Physical Education & Sports and a grade 2 for Geography.

He has been accepted to Loughborough University, the top sports science university in the world, where he will pursue studies in biomechanics and kinesiology, beginning 2024. He had visited Loughborough in 2019 while touring England with the West Indies Under-15 cricket team.

“With the knowledge I attain there, I intend to return to SVG to help our sportsmen and women reach as far as their talent can take them. I also hope to help young athletes attain scholarships to institutions worldwide through my work with [non-profit group] Athletes in Action.

Bascombe revealed that he drew inspiration from his fellow National Scholar and friend Luke Wilson; Olympian and SVG’s newest Sports Ambassador Shane Cadogan; and Olympic swimmer Nikolas Sylvester. He spoke of his parents Lincoln and Karen Bascombe as being the biggest blessings in his life.

“They have instilled in me values that I wish to hold on to for the rest of my life. Their work ethic has shown me what is needed to make it in this life, and their honesty about not only the good times in their lives, but also the bad has taught me more than I can ever learn in a classroom. They are my greatest supporters, my best critics, and my most invested coaches.”

Luke Wilson, who placed 11th among the National Scholars and received The Elvis Daniel Award, said finding the balance between sports and academics came naturally. “…I think I usually prioritized sports and some of the part-time work I did and focused a lot less on my academics than most people, but especially during exams, the case would be the opposite, so it’s just about knowing when to allocate the most time to each thing.”

The Arnos Vale resident attended the St Mary’s RC School, followed by the St Vincent Grammar School, says his “most important academic achievement at the St Mary’s RC School was placing first nationally for the CPEA [in 2016] and being named as valedictorian.”

Luke Wilson sweeps in the SVGCC 2022 cricket final at Arnos Vale (photo by Robertson S Henry)

At the St Vincent Grammar School, Wilson was also named the valedictorian on graduating in 2021, but thinks his sporting endeavours took precedence. He was named SVG Youth Cricketer of the Year 2020, captained the SVG national Under-19 teams in 2022 and 2023 and was also selected to the Windward Islands Regional Under-17 and Under-19 teams in 2022 with outstanding performances.

At CAPE, he received grade one passes in Geography, Environmental Science, Sociology and Computer Science at Unit 1 and a grade 2 in Communication Studies. At Unit 2, he received grade ones for Geography, Environmental Science and Computer Science and a grade 2 in Sociology.

Wilson has not yet made a decision about his next steps, but told SEARCHLIGHT: “I’m between Geographical Information Systems and Aviation in terms of my studies, and while I haven’t decided as yet, I’m looking at either England or Canada.”

He said he has always had a love for airplanes and everything to do with aviation. This interest, he said, was nurtured by his father Andrew Wilson, who would take him to the Argyle International Airport every Saturday, while it was under construction. His father also organized for him to meet pilots on a few occasions.

The National Scholar said while there is no one person who served as a pillar of inspiration on his academic journey, he had a “great support structure” around him, which included his parents, friends, coaches, teachers and team mates.

“The support has always been there, and that helped me not only in academics but most of my extracurricular endeavours.”

He spoke glowingly of his mother Lystra Culzac, who he said “has always been there in whatever way she could. I think her belief in allowing me and supporting my choices has allowed me to do well in most areas. She was never strict about academics and often encouraged me not to disregard the other aspects of life, which is why I think I did so well in cricket and other non-academic opportunities I have had.

“She often went above and beyond to ensure that my brother and I had whatever we needed and always did her best to provide a lot of what we wanted. It wasn’t always easy for her or us, but I’ll always be grateful for the sacrifices she’s made for me.”

He added that, his father being an avid cricket fan, he often served as his coach away from training.

“I remember many times, we would practice in the yard when I was a lot younger, and even to this day, we often sit and analyze my performances after matches. My mom often joined in on the coaching, but dad knew a bit more of the technicalities.”

Bascombe and Wilson, two friends whose educational and sporting pathways often mirrored each other, told SEARCHLIGHT they plan to return to the land of their birth upon completion of studies, to contribute to the development of the coming generations, for there are many persons who contributed to their success in life and made them the men that they are today.