By BVIAA

When the Dive BVI 5K Series kicked off the British Virgin Islands 2015 road racing season in Virgin Gorda on Saturday, defending women’s champion Kathleen Brownsdon found herself in an unusual place—being challenged.

The Virgin Gorda resident found herself in a ferocious battle with 13-year old Tallulah Kinkead before securing the victory in 21 minutes and 34 seconds with Kinkead placing second in 21:49.

“My daughter warned me before the race that she got nominated for Female Road Racer of the Year,” Brownsdon recalled of Kinkead. “And then she passed me one time and I was like ahhh..but then we had the downhill and my legs are a little bit longer and I was able to pass her again. Then she passed me almost at the end. I was like, I can’t let this happen yet, but by the end of the season, she’ll be beating me probably.”

Kinkead, in her Virgin Gorda debut, said the course was easy and she really liked it. “I hadn’t seen about half of the runners before,” she stated. “It pushed me a little.”

Kinkead has her eyes on being among the top runners at the end of 2015. “I have one person that I’m still trying to chase,” she said. “That’s Kat(rina) Crumpler.”

Veteran Virgin Gorda resident Emrol Amsterdam was the overall winner in 20:44. Following Amsterdam were Zebalon McLean and Mervin Dainty, in 20:58 and 21:02 respectively.

Amsterdam, who began training recently said having the runners coming over from Tortola makes the race competitive.

“I expect to do a better time in the next race,” he said, noting that he has to train. “There’s a guy here that beat me a couple years ago, Dainty from Virgin Gorda, and when those guys come out it tells me I have to train harder. It can’t pay for those guys just to come out their bed and beat you man. Because of my age, I have to keep training hard to keep them guys off.”

Participants contributed $150 in donations towards the Virgin Gorda Animal Rescue and Kontrol (ARK). The next race is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on Feb 7. Registration begins at 6:10.

Final results

Men:-1. Emrol Amsterdam 20 minutes and 44 seconds. 2. Zebalon McLean 20:58. 3. Mervin Dainty, 21:02. 4. Jeffrey Fowler, 21.15. 5. Ravi Sukhu, 21.23. 6. Curwin Andrews, 21.24. 7. David Kinkead, 21:58. 8. Ezron Simmons, 22:32. 9. Keith Williams, 22:45. 10. Charles Kerins, 22:58. 11. Marlon Felix, 23:17, 12. Pablo Olarte 25:30, 13. Jermain Abrams 25:37, 14. Alex Holliday 26:39, 15. Wilbert “Sampi” Samuel, 30.33. 16.Steph en Beard, 30:45. 17. Keny Jones, 31:45.18. Scott Butz, 32:13. 19. Mel Wicks, 34:07. 20. Indi Abrams, 35:39. 21. Zoltan Birinyi, 36:43. 22. Perez St. Helene, 47:25.

Women: 1. Kathleen Brownsdon, 21:34. 2. Tallulah Kinkead, 21:49. 3. Oniasih Ni Made, 23:54. 4. Anna Kinkead, 25:49. 5. Rhiannon Jones, 26:08. 6. Berenice Garcia, 26:29. 7. Casey McNutt, 26:51. 8. Philomena Robertson, 27:35. 9. Dalores Bagot, 28:01. 10. Kim Berardine, 29:33. 11. Roslyn Gilbert, 31:09. 12. Andrea “AJ” Syrett, 31:11. 13. Ghislaine Hoogendijk, 31:16. 14. Clair Burke, 31:21. 15. Becca Knight, 31:34. 16. Kristen Collins, 33:25. 17. Tara Murphy, 33:25. 18. Annette Wicks, 35:56. 19. Lisa Redfern, 36:30. 20. Linda Giersing, 38:42. 21. Chris Yates, 39:31. 22. Chloe King, 42:26. 22. Sarah Van Name, 42:26. 22. Beth Besom, 42:26. 25. Liz Tapley, 47:25. 26. Betty Biancardi, 49:57. 26. Lynne Hawkins, 49:57.

By BVIAA

Chantel Malone repeated as the British Virgin Islands Sr. Female Athlete of the Year, when the 2014 awards were presented by Sol on Saturday evening at The Moorings’ Mariner Inn, during the BVI Athletics Association 6th Athletes Awards Gala.

Malone who was honored by the BVI Government a week earlier after winning the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games Long Jump gold medal on November 25, and was fourth during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland over the summer, won the award for the third time since 2011. She also won the Jr. Award during its inaugural year in 2009 and repeated in 2010 before moving to the senior ranks.

She was ranked #55 in the world in the Long Jump after leaping 6.55m in the Commonwealth Games.

“It’s very uplifting to have these kind of events because we don’t want our work to go unnoticed and I feel it gives the athletes something to look forward to at the end of the year,” Malone said. “By having this event, it’s a boost for them because they want to be Athlete of the Year, they want to be the top in their class and so they work hard towards achieving the plaque.”

Eldred Henry, who became the first athlete in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) region to throw the Discus over the 200ft mark with his toss or 61.90m and became the territory’s third collegian to win an individual National Jr. College title, collected his successive senior honor. Henry’s Discus mark has him ranked at #75 in the world in 2014.

Sprinter Nelda Huggins who established National Jr. Records in the 100 and 200m with marks of 11.59 seconds and 23.91 while qualifying for the IAAF World Jr. Championships before placing sixth in the Youth Olympic Games 100m, also repeated as Jr. Female Athlete of the Year. She was the Youth Female Athlete of the Year in 2009 and 2011.

Kyron McMaster who took up the 400m Intermediate Hurdles in January after a breakout year in the open 400m in 2013, then struck Carifta Games bronze in just his third race, was the Male Jr. Athlete of the Year. McMaster established a National Jr. Record in the 400m Hurdles when he ran 53.26 seconds and qualified for the IAAF World Jr. Championships and also competed in the Youth Olympic Games.

Youth Female Athlete of the Year honors went to Arianna Hayde who tackled the Heptathlon and established a National Jr. Record when she scored 3769 points in placing seventh at the Carifta Games debuting in the multi event.

Djimon Gumbs won the Youth Male Athlete of the Year award. He had the top marks in both the Shot Put and Discus Throws and joined his sister Trevia who won the 2012 Jr. Female award becoming the third brother-sister combo to pull off the feat. Koen and Kala Penn and Tarique and Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses are the other siblings to achieve the feat.

The Road Racing Athletes of the Year saw the closest battles as well. Ravi Sukhu and Curvin Andrews were the male recipients and Rosmond Johnson and NiMade Oniashi were the female winners.

North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (NACAC) President, Victor Lopez praised the BVI Athletics Association for holding a gala in honor of its outstanding athletes.

“I wish every NACAC area association would have one of these events,” Lopez said. “Nowadays, it’s very important for our young kids to be recognized and be honored because they have too many distractions such as entertainment and other activities that they could devote themselves to. An event like this is a reward for the young athletes and the senior athletes for the work they have been doing throughout the whole year.”

Lopez who coached for 26 years at Rice University where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame and the Victor Lopez Classic is held annually in his honor, said track and field is a lot of sacrifice with long hours throughout the year.

“Events like the gala and other events where they recognize outstanding achievements like they had for Chantel Malone last week after she won the CAC Games Long Jump gold medal, is an important event,” he noted. “The kids like to be recognized and honored and it gives them a chance to be together—from age group through seniors—and it inspires the young ones to become like the seniors. Parents also appreciate it very much because of the sacrifice they too make in supporting their kids.”

Athletes of the Year presented by Sol

2014 BVI Athletics Association Youth Male Athlete of the Year—Djimon Gumbs

2014 BVI Athletics Association Youth Female Athlete of the Year—Arianna Hayde

2014 BVI Athletics Association Jr. Male Athlete of the Year –Kryon McMaster

2014 BVI Athletics Association Jr. Female Athlete of the Year—Nelda Huggins

2014 BVI Athletics Association Sr. Male Athlete of the Year—Eldred Henry

2014 BVI Athletics Association Sr. Female Athlete of the Year—Chantel Malone

Most Outstanding Athletes Awards by Divisions

2014 Most Outstanding Combined Events Female Athlete—Trevia Gumbs

2014 Most Outstanding Combined Events Male Athlete—Eldred Henry

2014 Most Outstanding Men’s Open Track Athlete—Shaquoy Stephens

2014 Most Outstanding Women’s Open Track Athlete— Tahesia Harrigan-Scott

2014 Most Outstanding Men’s Open Field Athlete—Eldred Henry

2014 Most Outstanding Women’s Open Field Athlete—Chantel Malone

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-20 Track Athlete— Khari Herbert

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-20 Track Athlete—Taylor Hill

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-20 Field Athlete—Kevin Vanterpool

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-20 Field Athlete—Tynelle Gumbs

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-18 Track Athlete—Kyron McMaster

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-18 Track Athlete—Nelda Huggins

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-18 Field Athlete—Akeem Bradshaw

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-18 Field Athlete—Dekoya Hodge

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-15 Track Athlete— Jelani Norman

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-15 Track Athlete—Beyonce DeFreitas

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-15 Field Athlete—Djimon Gumbs

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-15 Field Athlete—Arianna Hayde

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under 13 Field Athlete—Koen Penn

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under 13 Field Athlete— Xiomara Malone

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-13 Track Athlete—J’Quaan Smith

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-13 Track Athlete—Zara Brown

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under-11 Track Athlete—Kyron Walwyn

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under-11 Track Athlete—Izariah Frett

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under 11 Field Athlete—Kyron Walwyn & Stephen Emmanuel

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under 11 Field Athlete—Izariah Frett

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under 9 Field Athlete—Asia McMaster

2014 Most Outstanding Girls Under 9 Track Athlete— Adaejah Hodge

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under 9 Field Athlete—Jobari Pembeton

2014 Most Outstanding Boys Under 9 Track Athlete—Kahleem Lettsome

2014 Premier Dental Collegiate Athlete of the Year—Eldred Henry

2014 College Classic Series Overall Male Co-Champions Khiry Creque & Tarique Moses

2014 College Classic Series Overall Female Champion Katrina Crumpler

2014 Most Improved Female Athletes—Deya Erickson, 100m Hurdles and Shaniyah Caul, 400m

2014 Most Improved Male Athlete—Kyron McMaster, 400m Hurdles

Coach of the Year—The Coaches of Top Notch Track Club

2014 Male Road Race Athlete of the Year—Co-champs Ravindra Sukhu and Curwin Andrews

2014 Female Road Race Athlete of the Year—Co-champs Rosmond Johnson and NiMade Oniash

2014 Colonial Insurance Comeback Athletes of the Year-Kiara Huggins

2014 BVI Athletics Association Officials Awards—Muriel Penn, Dezarre Woodley and Steve George

2014 BVI Athletics Association Lifetime Achievement Awards—Gordon Calendar and Claudius “Claudie” Smith.