Althea Byfield

{{Short description|Jamaican international basketball and netball player}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Althea Lee formerly Althea Byfield

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| fullname = Althea Latoya Lee{{cite web |title=2010 Commonwealth Games athlete profile: Althea Byfield (JAM) |url=http://results.cwgdelhi2010.org/en/Participant.mvc/ParticipantInfo/f1c54f61-9e79-45b7-910d-3b436fb2470a |accessdate=5 October 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101011110230/http://results.cwgdelhi2010.org/en/Participant.mvc/ParticipantInfo/f1c54f61-9e79-45b7-910d-3b436fb2470a| archivedate= 11 October 2010 | url-status= usurped}}

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|11|28}}

| birth_place = Kingston, Jamaica

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| height = {{height|m=1.83|precision=0}}

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| country = Jamaica

| sport = Basketball, Netball

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| club = Basketball: Metrobelles; Texas A&M–Commerce (2003–06)
Netball: Jamaica

| team = Basketball: {{bkw|Jamaica}}
Netball: {{nb|Jamaica}}

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{{MedalCountry|{{JAM}}}}

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Althea Latoya Lee (born 28 November 1982 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican international basketball and netball player. Lee is currently retired in both sports internationally and now resides in the United States.{{cite news |last=Woodcock |first=Fred |title=New Pulse import takes turmoil in her stride |publisher=The Dominion Post (New Zealand) |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/4756550a6658.html |date=11 November 2008 |accessdate=15 February 2009}}[http://jamaicanetball.org.jm/seniors.html Jamaican national netball team: Senior squad] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722070738/http://jamaicanetball.org.jm/seniors.html |date=22 July 2011 }}. Retrieved 16 February 2009.

Early life

Althea Byfield was born in Kingston on 28 November 1984, the daughter of Tony Byfield and Jean Rumble. She also has a twin brother, Ian. Byfield attended high school at The Queen's School in Jamaica, and subsequently traveled to the United States to attend Midland Junior College in Texas.{{cite web |title=Player Bio: Althea Byfield |publisher=Texas A&M University–Commerce: Women's basketball |url=http://lionathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/byfield_althea00.html |accessdate=14 February 2009}}

Basketball career

Byfield played basketball at Midland in the 2001–02 Western Junior College Athletic Conference season. In 2002, she transferred to Texas A&M University–Commerce, majoring in kinesiology, but did not play basketball until the 2003–04 season. In that season, Byfield started in 16 of 19 games played, averaging 7.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per match; she was also named Lions Newcomer of the year. In the following season, Byfield was the only player in the Lone Star Conference to be ranked in the top ten players for rebounds (3rd), assists (10th) and steals (3rd); she also had the seventh-highest minutes played throughout the LSC season, averaging over 33 minutes per game.{{cite news |last=Mugisa |first=Kwesi |title=CARIBBEAN NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SET TO TIP OFF SOON – Byfield looking to shine for Jamaica |publisher=Jamaica Gleaner |url=http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060601/sports/sports8.html |date=1 June 2006 |accessdate=14 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523230955/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060601/sports/sports8.html |archive-date=23 May 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} The 2005–06 season saw her playing time reduced, somewhat due to a larger playing bench.{{cite web |title=One on One: Althea Byfield |publisher=Texas A&M University–Commerce: Women's basketball |url=http://lionathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/012706aad.html |date=27 January 2006 |accessdate=14 February 2009}}

Byfield was also part of the Jamaican national women's basketball team selected to compete in the Caribbean Basketball Championships in 2006, and subsequently at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship for Women.{{cite web |title=FIBA competition history: Althea Byfield |url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/07/fibaAmer/wome/teamPlay/play/p/eventid/3948/langlc/en/openNodeIDs/6038/playernumber/48397/roundid/5653/selNodeID/6038/fe_teamPlay_playProf.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706202237/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/07/fibaAmer/wome/teamPlay/play/p/eventid/3948/langlc/en/openNodeIDs/6038/playernumber/48397/roundid/5653/selNodeID/6038/fe_teamPlay_playProf.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 July 2008 |year=2007 |accessdate=20 February 2009}} (Note: The FIBA incorrectly reports her name as "Atlhea Byfield".) As of October 2008, she was playing for the Metrobelles in the Jamaican National Basketball League.{{cite news|last=Burrowes |first=Paul |title=Affair of honour at Stadium Courts tonight |newspaper=The Jamaica Observer |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/html/20081024T210000-0500_141723_OBS_AFFAIR_OF_HONOUR_AT_STADIUM_COURTS_TONIGHT.asp |date=25 October 2008 |accessdate=15 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029171019/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/html/20081024T210000-0500_141723_OBS_AFFAIR_OF_HONOUR_AT_STADIUM_COURTS_TONIGHT.asp |archivedate=29 October 2008 }}

Netball career

As a member of the Jamaican U21 squad, Byfield won a silver medal at the 2000 Netball World Youth Championships in Cardiff.{{cite web|title=2009 Central Pulse team profile |url=http://www.pulse.org.nz/team.php |accessdate=14 February 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208060725/http://pulse.org.nz/team.php |archivedate=8 February 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy }} Later, she was a member of the national squads that participated in the 2003 and 2007 Netball World Championships,{{cite news |last=Woodcock |first=Fred |title=Internationals to boost Pulse |publisher=The Dominion Post (New Zealand) |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/AAMB1/aamsz=300x600/4711483a1823.html |date=1 October 2008 |accessdate=15 February 2009}} with Jamaica winning bronze medals in both tournaments. In 2010, she featured in Jamaica's Commonwealth Games campaign in India and won bronze at the 2010 World Netball Series in England.

In domestic netball, Byfield plays for Jamalco in the Jamaican Netball Association Open League competition,{{cite news |last=Bogle |first=Dania |title=JAMALCO rally, cop Super League title |newspaper=Jamaica Observer |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/JAMALCO-rally--cop-Super-League-title_8965455 |date=5 June 2011 |accessdate=7 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614152838/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/JAMALCO-rally--cop-Super-League-title_8965455 |archive-date=14 June 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} having previously played for Waulgrovians and Blades United.{{cite news |last=Bailey |first=Robert |title=Tivoli looking to score heavily |publisher=Jamaica Gleaner |url=http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090131/sports/sports5.html |date=31 January 2009 |accessdate=15 February 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090203083023/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090131/sports/sports5.html| archivedate= 3 February 2009 | url-status= live}} In 2008, Byfield was signed with the Central Pulse in New Zealand for the 2009 ANZ Championship season.{{cite news |title=Byfield confirmed for ANZ Champs |publisher=The Jamaica Star |url=http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20081224/sports/sports6.html |date=24 December 2008 |accessdate=14 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228141447/http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/20081224/sports/sports6.html |archive-date=28 December 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} She became one of the team's standout players, although the Pulse finished their season in 10th place. Byfield transferred to the Northern Mystics in 2010 as their starting goalkeeper.{{cite news |last=Miles |first=Penny |title=Mystics win bidding war for Byfield |publisher=The Dominion Post (New Zealand) |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/netball/2992331/Mystics-win-bidding-war-for-Byfield |date=23 October 2009 |accessdate=29 October 2009}} She was not signed for the 2011 season.{{cite news |last=Napier |first=Liam |title=Dehn in, Byfield out |publisher=Sportal.co.nz |url=http://sportal.co.nz/netball-news-display/dehn-in,-byfield-out-98632 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721105243/http://www.sportal.co.nz/netball-news-display/dehn-in,-byfield-out-98632 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2011 |date=17 September 2010 |accessdate=22 November 2010 }}

References

External links

[https://archive.today/20130117001538/http://www.anz-championship.com/playerprofile.asp?team=54278&id=25208&comp=14303&orgid=2344&showbanner=1 2010 ANZ Championship profile]

Category:Jamaican netball players

Category:Jamaican women's basketball players

Category:Commonwealth Games competitors for Jamaica

Category:Netball players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Category:Northern Mystics players

Category:Central Pulse players

Category:East Texas A&M University alumni

Category:Basketball players from Kingston, Jamaica

Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Jamaican twins

Category:ANZ Championship players