PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Association

On the strength of its women’s team, hosts British Virgin Islands landed the 2^nd OECS Track and Field Championships on Sunday night in a close battle with St. Kitts-Nevis and Grenada at the A. O. Shirley Grounds.

The BVI amassed 183 points to claim the title. St. Kitts-Nevis edged Grenada by a point for second place-176-175. The BVI was also the top team in the Women’s Division with 129 points, followed by Grenada with 81 and St. Lucia who earned 58. St. Kitts-Nevis garnered 139 points for the Men’s Division top honors. Grenada followed with 94 and St. Vincent and the Grenadines gained 84 for third place.

In all, over the two days of competition, 22 Championships Records and 19 All Comers Records were established. The BVI’s Tahesia Harrigan-Scott capped off a sprint double when she took down teammate Karene King’s 200m mark of 23.76 seconds from 2014, with her 23.30 run.

In the Men’s equivalent, after false starting in the 100m where he was favored to win, St. Kitts-Nevis’ Antoine Adams dropped a 20.38 seconds time on the board in the 200m, to shatter his countryman B.J. Lawrence’s 20.59 mark from 2014. Adams’ time was also an All Comers Record eclipsing Jamaica’s Jermaine Brown’s two-year old 20.46 seconds mark.

Eric Alejandro of non OECS member Puerto Rico, met his goal of booking his ticket to the Rio Olympic Games in the 400m Hurdles, when he smashed the All Comers Record of 51.85 seconds, with his 49.16 time. The BVI’s Kyron Master who finished second, established the Championships Record of 51.02.

Marbeq Edgar engaged in an enthralling 1500m battle with St. Vincent and the Grenadine’s Delhonni Nicol-Samuel who was seeking to collect a second title after winning the 5000m on Saturday night. When St. Kitts-Nevis’ Masai Jeffers sought to take control on the final lap, Edgar surged and went on to victory and successfully defend his title. He improved his time of 3 minutes, 56.69 seconds from 2014, to 3:53.90. The time erased the BVI’s Greg Rhymer’s 20-year old 3:57.35 as the new All Comers Record.

The Trinidad and Tobago Women’s 4x400m Relay team entered the competition seeking to qualify for Rio and got a fight from a BVI foursome for the first three legs before the baton was dropped by the BVI anchor leg who had to retrieve it. The Trini’s went on to demolish the 20 year old All Comers Record of 3 minutes 45.12 second established by St. Kitts-Nevis, after stopping the clock at 3:33.93, but was off the mark needed for Rio.

The BVI quartet of Tarika Moses, Ashley Kelly, Lakeisha Warner and L’T’Sha Fahie, became the territory’s second team to go under 3:40.00, with their 3:39.74 time, for a new Championships Record after demolishing the 3:57.77 mark established by St. Kitts-Nevis on home sold two years ago.

The final record on the track came when St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Brandon Valentine-Parris brought his team from the back and ran down Grenada’s Junior Charles in the last 50m, to break the meet and All Comers Records, with a 3 minutes 09.41 seconds time.

Five records were established in field events. In the best High Jump field ever assembled in the BVI with three jumpers who had jumped over 1.90m, St. Lucia’s Levern Spencer cleared the bar at 1.90m for an All Comers Record, shattering the 1.65m mark that was set by three BVI athletes.

Her teammate Albert Reynolds demolished Grenadian Emron Gibbs’ 69.40m Championships Javelin Throw Record and the 20-year old BVI All Comers Record held by another Grenadian Trevor Modeste, who threw 64.05m, with his 77.23m winner.

Carifta Games Women’s Javelin Throw champion Candisha Scott of Grenada, shattered Rochelle Ehtienne’ 36.56 meet record with a heave of 50.35m also a BVI All Comers Record.

Dominica’s Dillon Simon extended his Shot Put meet record from 18.18m to 18.85, also an All Comers mark that wiped out Grenada’s Paul Phillips’ 15.61 effort that had been on the books since 2000.

The BVI’s Chantel Malone leapt 6.38m in the Long Jump to surpass Antigua and Barbuda’s Jenita Lewis’ 6.22 meet record from 2014.

Grenada’s Kenisha Pascal, won the inaugural Veda Bruno-Victor Female Athlete of the Meet award, after winning the 800m, 1500m, 3000m then helping her 4x400m Relay to second place. Victor-Bruno was on hand to present the award.

St. Lucia’s Marbeq Edgar was the recipient of the Joseph “Reds” Perreira  Male Athlete of the Meet Award, after winning both the 800m and 3000m.

Antigua & Barbuda’s Chavaughn Walsh passes to Daniel “Bagga” Bailey. PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Assocation

With the addition of Trinidad and Tobago’s Women’s 4 x 400m Relay added to the 2^nd OECS Championships line up as they seek to qualify for Rio, BVI Athletics Association officials are now expecting 185 visiting athletes and officials for the 2 day competition on Saturday and Sunday.

With the July 11 window for qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio closing, the competition has become a last chance qualifier for Rio, with a mouth watering display of talent at the A. O. Shirley Grounds.

In all, all 9 OECS Countries-Anguilla, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada and hosts BVI-will be joined by non OECS Members, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, making it the meet the biggest to ever be staged in the BVI.

On a program already filled with hot action, Saturday’s 4x100m Relays are sure to be barn burners when Rio qualifiers Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis and Barbados men line up on Big Blue, with all three teams having run under 38.68 seconds.

St. Kitts-Nevis which is among the eight teams automatically qualified for Rio by virtue of a finals berth in the IAAF World Relays last year, will bring their 38.76 average from two races into the completion. Antigua and Barbuda already assured a spot in Rio with their 38.07 average is ranked as the #10 team heading into Rio.

Barbados at #17 with their 38.60 average will need a time of 38.59 seconds to bump Cuba from the #16 sport and book their ticket to Rio.

Saturday’s Women’s 4 x 100m Relay will be no less appealing with Puerto Rico, St. Kitts-Nevis and the BVI as the headliners. Puerto Rico with their 43.53 seconds average is the #16 team in the rankings and will be seeking to hold on to that sport for Rio. The BVI who will bring a 44.05 seconds time into the field will be joined by OECS record holders St. Kitts-Nevis.

With Trinidad and Tobago needing a time of 3 minutes 28.63 seconds to qualify, the Women’s 4 x 400m on Sunday evening will definitely see the 20-year old All Comers Record record of 3:45.12 established by a St. Kitts-Nevis quartet going out the window.

The Trini’s will be looking to move from #20 to #16 for a spot in Rio and comes into the competition with their 3:32.25 average from a year ago. They will certainly get competition from Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and hosts BVI and if Puerto Rico enters, it makes it another track burner.

Opening ceremonies are set for 3 p.m. on Saturday with action kicking off a 4 p.m. and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and the limited VIP red seats for $15.