Althea Byfield

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. [2][3]

Althea Lee formerly Althea Byfield
Personal information
Full nameAlthea Latoya Lee[1]
Born (1982-11-28) 28 November 1982
Kingston, Jamaica
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Sport
CountryJamaica
SportBasketball, Netball
ClubBasketball: Metrobelles; Texas A&M–Commerce (2003–06)
Netball: Jamaica
TeamBasketball:  Jamaica
Netball:  Jamaica
Medal record
Netball
Representing  Jamaica
Netball Youth Championships
Silver medal – second place 2000 Cardiff WalesNetball
Netball World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2007 AucklandNetball
Bronze medal – third place2003 KingstonNetball
World Netball Series
Bronze medal – third place2010 LiverpoolFastnet

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 travelled to the United States to attend Midland Junior College in Texas.[4]

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.[4] 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.[4][5] The 2005–06 season saw her playing time reduced, somewhat due to a larger playing bench.[6]

Byfield was also part of the Jamaican national women's basketball team selected to compete in the Caribbean Basketball Championships in 2006,[5] and subsequently at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship for Women.[7] As of October 2008, she was playing for the Metrobelles in the Jamaican National Basketball League.[8]

Netball career

As a member of the Jamaican U21 squad, Byfield won a silver medal at the 2000 Netball World Youth Championships in Cardiff.[9] Later, she was a member of the national squads that participated in the 2003 and 2007 Netball World Championships,[10] 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,[11] having previously played for Waulgrovians and Blades United.[12] In 2008, Byfield was signed with the Central Pulse in New Zealand for the 2009 ANZ Championship season.[13] 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 goal keeper.[14] She was not signed for the 2011 season.[15]

References
  1. "2010 Commonwealth Games athlete profile: Althea Byfield (JAM)". Archived from the original on 11 October 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  2. Woodcock, Fred (11 November 2008). "New Pulse import takes turmoil in her stride". The Dominion Post (New Zealand). Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  3. Jamaican national netball team: Senior squad Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  4. "Player Bio: Althea Byfield". Texas A&M University–Commerce: Women's basketball. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  5. Mugisa, Kwesi (1 June 2006). "CARIBBEAN NETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SET TO TIP OFF SOON – Byfield looking to shine for Jamaica". Jamaica Gleaner. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  6. "One on One: Althea Byfield". Texas A&M University–Commerce: Women's basketball. 27 January 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  7. "FIBA competition history: Althea Byfield". 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2009. (Note: The FIBA incorrectly reports her name as "Atlhea Byfield".)
  8. Burrowes, Paul (25 October 2008). "Affair of honour at Stadium Courts tonight". The Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  9. "2009 Central Pulse team profile". Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  10. Woodcock, Fred (1 October 2008). "Internationals to boost Pulse". The Dominion Post (New Zealand). Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  11. Bogle, Dania (5 June 2011). "JAMALCO rally, cop Super League title". Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  12. Bailey, Robert (31 January 2009). "Tivoli looking to score heavily". Jamaica Gleaner. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  13. "Byfield confirmed for ANZ Champs". The Jamaica Star. 24 December 2008. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
  14. Miles, Penny (23 October 2009). "Mystics win bidding war for Byfield". The Dominion Post (New Zealand). Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  15. Napier, Liam (17 September 2010). "Dehn in, Byfield out". Sportal.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
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