BVI To Host 2nd OECS Track and Field Championships

April 28, 2016 by
Rey O'Neal, right, former BVI Olympic Committee & BVI Athletics Association President speaks during a media briefing, as BVI Olympic Committee President Ephraim Penn & BVI Athletics Association President Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway, listens

Rey O’Neal, right, former BVI Olympic Committee & BVI Athletics Association President speaks during a media briefing, as BVI Olympic Committee President Ephraim Penn & BVI Athletics Association President Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, listens

By BVI Athletics Association

The British Virgin Islands will host the 2nd Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Track and Field Championships, July 1-3 at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds and officials are expecting ‘top flight competition’ from the sub region’s athletes.

The BVI will host athletes and officials from Anguilla, St. Kitts-Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

“The BVI Olympic Committee is a part of the Association of Olympic Committees of the OECS (ANOECS) and ANOECS played a key role in getting these championships started,” noted BVI Olympic Committee president Ephraim Penn, during a press briefing at the BVI Olympic Committee office. “The decision was made in 2013 when the event was held in St. Kitts, to get things moving in this direction. Our regional Olympic Committees wanted to start national championships in the OECS, so that our up and coming athletes could get exposure to top flight competition, first among themselves, then regionally and internationally. The first one they came up with, with its rich history, is the athletics championships.”

Although there was an OECS championships from 1987-1991, under the new arrangement with ANOECS, Penn noted the first championship was held in St. Kitts in 2014 and last year’s slated for BVI was cancelled because of work planned for the track. He congratulated the BVI Athletics Association for taking up the mantle after the track has been resurfaced to move forward with the championships this year.

“I know the athletes in the OECS are looking forward to it, the Olympic Committees in the OECS are looking forward to it and I’m sure the fans will be in for a great treat,” Penn stated. “These are the athletes you will see later in August competing in the Olympic Games, so you’ll get a first glance of some of the top athletes in the OECS who will be in Rio. From discussing the event with other Olympic Committees, we get a sense that they are fully supporting their Athletic Associations and they will be funding them sufficiently to be here, so we expect big crowds and top flight competition. I’m encouraging fans to come out and see track and field at a very high level and enjoy the warm up for Rio.”

Former BVI Olympic Committee president and BVI Athletics Association founding member and longest serving president Rey O’Neal, an OECS Congress member, said what was great about the previous OECS Championships, is that outside of the Carifta Games and to a much lesser extent the biannual CAC Jr. Championships, there were very few opportunities for athletes from the small islands to compete.

There were a number of athletes at the time who still wanted to compete but, were not at a level where they would go to the CAC Sr. Championships, and the OECS meet gave them a chance to develop at their own pace.

“It was possibly the best development meet that could have been made available,” he noted. “There hasn’t been a whole lot for developing athletes outside the 20 and under age group. It was good to see the OECS Championships come back on stream. We are on the right track and I think it will be an excellent meet.”

Regarding athletes in this year’s competition, O’Neal, a member of the Association of Track and Field Statisticians, said Antigua and Barbuda’s Men’s 4x100m Relay team a Pan Am Games and 2015 IAAF World Championships finalist as well as their sprinters will be here. He noted that Grenada has a formidable 4x400m relay quartet-though he’s not sure if everyone will make it-but they currently have the two fastest quarter milers in the world in Kirani James and Bralon Taplin.

The field events will be stronger than they have ever been and Grenada has a tradition for Javelin Throwers. O’Neal noted that the BVI’s Eldred Henry and Dominica’s Dillon Simon are two Shot Putters who have been throwing distances unthought of several years ago. The St. Lucian pair of High Jumpers, Laverne Spencer and Jeannelle Scheper, ranked in the top 20 in the world last year, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Priscilla Frederick, will lead a qualify field.

“On the track, the sprints are obviously going to be strong and St. Kitts-Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda, figure to be the leaders. While Grenada has several top 400m runners, there are several others we expect to see here and we have a few one lappers of qualify as well, but, there’s going to be a lot of good competition,” he said. “We anticipate a number of our All Comers Records falling.”

The BVI’s Tahesia Harrigan-Scott and Chantel Malone are the reigning OECS 100m and Long Jump champions O’Neal noted and that both of the territory’s female relay teams should do well, with the 4x100m team running 44.05 seconds last week in Florida.

“We really think the crowd will enjoy what they see and there will be competition at a high level,” O’Neal said.

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100 Days To Go to Rio 2016

April 27, 2016 by

#100daystogoWednesday 27 April marks a significant milestone in the build-up to the Olympic Games Rio 2016. Only 100 days now remain until the Opening Ceremony, the countdown has well and truly begun. Friends and fans of the BVI can buy their tickets and Rio 2016 packages online via the BVI Olympic Committee web site at bviolympics.org.

With the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Ancient Olympia last week and the start of the Olympic Torch Relay, there is a growing sense that the Games are just around the corner. Another milestone in the countdown was completed today as the Flame was officially handed over to Rio 2016 – on 100 days to go – at a special ceremony held at the Panathenaic  Stadium in Athens, the venue for the inaugural Olympic Games of the modern era back in 1896.

Before embarking on its three-month journey around Brazil, which starts in Brasilia on 3 May and will see it being carried by 12,000 people through every state capital and over 300 towns en route to the Maracana Stadium in Rio, the Olympic Flamewill make a short stopover in Switzerland. Following a ceremony at United Nations in Geneva on Friday, it will briefly go on display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

In Rio, meanwhile, preparations are continuing apace. With the venues now 98-percent complete and most of them having been put through their paces at test events, the visual look of the Games is quickly taking shape, adding to the belief that the city is now ready to play host to the world’s finest athletes in August.

Though many have yet to qualify, a sizeable number of competitors have already made sure of their places at Rio 2016, with the likes of Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt and British boxer Nicola Adams – a gold medallist in the women’s 51kg at London 2012 –set to grace the big stage in 100 days’ time. From the BVI, Tahesia Harrigan-Scott has secured her place in the 100m dash as has 200m runner, Ashley Kelly.

The qualification process is complete in a number of sports, however, namely artistic gymnastics, all the equestrian events, football, handball, hockey, rhythmic gymnastics, shooting, track cycling, trampoline gymnastics and water polo.

In particular, excitement is building among the home athletes. Speaking after Brazil’s women’s artistic team had sealed their place at Rio 2016 at the recent gymnastics test event, Brazilian gymnast Jade Barbosa said: “We all fought to the end and it was great. Now we’ve qualified we can train specifically in our events and with the Olympic Games in mind. This is a very talented team and we’re all focused. It’s all been worth it so far.”

As the final competition rosters start to take shape and the Olympic Flame makes its way around the host nation, Brazil’s dream of hosting the Games will become a reality. Check out www.olympic.org and www.rio2016.com for more ways to follow, as well as more information and the different ways you can take part in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

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BVI Quartet Improves 4x100m Relay National Record

April 27, 2016 by

By BVI Athletics Association

Karene King, left, Chantel Malone,Tahesia Harrigan-Scott and Ashley Kelly. Photo: Annabelle Skelton-Malone

Karene King, left, Chantel Malone,Tahesia Harrigan-Scott and Ashley Kelly. Photo: Annabelle Skelton-Malone

Running together for the first time since 2013, the BVI’s quartet of Ashley Kelly, Tahesia Harrigan-Scott, Chantel Malone and Karene King, broke their six year old 4 x 100m Relay National Record at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday.

In placing second, the quartet had a time of 44.05 seconds, to erase the 44.34 mark they established in 2010 on home soil, in beating St, Kitts-Nevis, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) record holders. Their mark is the third best ever recorded by an OECS squad behind St. Kitts-Nevis’ 43.52 and 43.98 from 2009.

They will line up at the Penn Relays on Saturday in the USA vs Rest of the World.

In individual competition, Malone won the Long Jump with a leap of 6.43m, while Harrigan-Scott had a season’s best of 11.34 seconds in the 100m. Kelly lowered her five-year old 100m best from 11.61 seconds to 11.58, and moved from No. 5 to No. 3 on the territory’s All Time List. King ran her 200m in 23.97.

St. Augustine’s Jr. Khari Herbert, was second in the CIAA Conference Championships 400m with a season’s best 46.95 seconds, after advancing with 47.17. He anchored the 4x400m Relay to a second place finish in 3 minutes, 12.39 seconds in helping retain the conference title with 203 points.

At the Triton Invitational in San Diego, twin sisters and Central Arizona sophomores Tynelle and Trevia Gumbs, had marks of 50.18m and 47.58m respectively in the Hammer Throw on Friday. Tynelle then threw the Discus 39.83m and Trevia, 39.69m. In Saturday’s action, Tynelle had a disappointing mark of 34.05m in the Javelin while Trevia recorded a season’s best of 13.48m in the Open Shot Put.

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Senseman Sensational In KPMG Tortola Torture Record Run

April 25, 2016 by

By Dean ‘The Sportsman” Greenaway

The day dawns on KPMG Tortola Torture runners. Photo: Todd VanSickle/Tortola Torture

The day dawns on KPMG Tortola Torture runners. Photo: Todd VanSickle/Tortola Torture

When Eric Senseman of Denver, Colorado toured the 33.4 miles KPMG Tortola Torture Ultra Marathon course – including climbs up Windy Hill to the 1528 foot turn around at Sage Mountain parking lot, then the descent through Brewers Bay and over Ridge Road to Beef Island including Little Mountain and finishing at Loose Mongoose – he figured he could do it in about five hours.

Despite dropping the Cane Garden Bay Hill climb from last year’s inaugural event, organizers added two miles and 500 feet of elevation with the inclusion of the Sage Mountain trek. Halfway through the grueling run on April 16, Senseman adjusted the time by 15 minutes, then went out and had the fastest split over every segment of the course-including 26 minutes and 29 seconds from the base of Windy Hill to Sage Mountain – and a 32:04 descent from Sage to Brewers Bay, en route to an overall 4 hours 45 minutes and 05 seconds time.

Virgin Gorda resident, Vincent Fournier was second in 5:24.03 and last year’s winner, St. Croix’s Bridget Klein – the first woman overall – was third in 5:38.55 as the only three under six hours.

While he made it look easy, Sensman said it was a difficult race. “Beautiful for sure, which made it easier to deal with the difficulty,” he said. “Initially I said five hours after touring the course but during the race, I said 4:45, when I was halfway through and I realized I was doing better than expected. I’ve run 20 Ultra Marathons and probably 80 races shorter than a Marathon, which is to say, I have a lot of experience with different terrain, distances and with my own fitness, how training has gone-all that matters in how you figure out how fast you can run.”

He said after driving the course and noticing the first 13 miles was flat with small inclines, he figured he could run a 7-minute mile pace and 10 minutes for the final 18 miles. He said on the basis of past results and his fitness he determined the five-hour goal.

“I was a bit conservative. It’s hot, difficult to deal with and I don’t train in heat so that was an ex factor to deal with it was hard to say, but, it went well,” he pointed out. “I kept my body temperature down, lots of water and ice over the head and that allowed me to stay cool and run a good pace.”

Event organizer Richard Morgan said it was a phenomenal race and it went better than he could ever imagine. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he stated. “We had views of St. Croix today and you could see Puerto Rico running along Soldier Hill. Everyone’s still smiling and that’s the main thing.”

He added: “The crazy thing is, when we asked Eric to come down, he had to ask his coach and his coach said yes, but, you’re not allowed to run at full speed because its mid season and he has other races to do and this was an add on. This was like a training run for him,” Morgan said.

“I’m going to try and get him down next year and get him to run at full speed. I think he can go 4:15.”

Fournier said the race was fun, but long. “What I found about it is that I’m used to doing all these smaller races and you get your heart pumping in all the small races but in this one, I was never really out of breath, but at some point my legs were just dead,” he noted. “I could talk and say hello to people but my legs were like totally dead. The toughest past had to be going down into Brewers Bay, because going down holding the weight just kills my legs. That was the hardest part for me. After that, going uphill was fine.”

Klein described the race as being ‘tougher than last year.’ “I’m not going to lie,” she said. “The addition of Sage Mountain and the beach finish definitely adds a little more to the race so it was definitely harder, but, it was fun,” she said, noting that she had a goal in mind. “But once I got out there and realize what the additions were going to add, I said forget it, keep running and have fun and we’ll see when we get done. The course is beautiful, really big up which makes the downhill even more once you get to it, because that’s definitely the hardest downhill of the course. But, its hard race for sure.”

In the team category, the trio of Michael “MIkey” Ennis – who replaced Anna Kinkead – defended their title with Mike Killhoury and Julius Farley, finishing in 5:03.24. The 2-man squad of Guy Williamson and Roddy Dos Santos was the fastest of their group in 5:12.19.

Top finishers:
Men: 1. Eric Senseman, 4 hours, 45 minutes and 05 seconds. 2. Vincent Fournier, 5:24.03.3. Simon Cook, 6:25.55. 4. Sean Blanton, 6:29.14. 5. Mike Klein, 6:40.18.

Women: 1. Bridget Klein, 5:38.55. 2. Claudia Ferrari, 6:33.10. 3. Judy Haycraft, 7:24.11.

Event Photos Full Results

 

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Henry wins Mesa Classic Discus Throw Open Division

April 15, 2016 by
By VINO
Eldred Henry used a season’s best to win the Mesa Classic Discus Throw Open Division in Arizona last weekend, Saturday April 9, 2016. Photo: Provided

Eldred Henry used a season’s best to win the Mesa Classic Discus Throw Open Division in Arizona last weekend, Saturday April 9, 2016. Photo: Provided

Virgin Islands athlete Eldred Henry used a season’s best to win the Mesa Classic Discus Throw Open Division in Arizona last weekend, Saturday April 9, 2016.

Competing unattached, Henry had a winning throw of 55.35m, then was third in the invitational Shot Put with a 17.75m effort.

At the same competition, Central Arizona sophomore Tynelle Gumbs followed up her recent 56.13m effort in the Hammer Throw with 54.45m heave to place 11th overall in the invitational division. Her series included all throws 50.18m or better.

She was ninth in the Open Discus Throw with a 42.28m mark, which came on her final attempt.

At the Johnson C. Smith Invitational, St Augustine Jr Khari Herbert was fourth in the 400m in 47.69 seconds. Coming off an injury that affected his performance in the final of the NCAA Division II Championships 400m, he opened his outdoor campaign with 47.15 at the Florida Relays last weekend.

Tahesia G. Harrigan-Scott, competing in the Miami Alumni Classic on Saturday, opened the outdoor season with a fifth place finish in the 200m. She was timed in 23.77 seconds.

St Martin & Anguilla competitions

Five of the territory’s 2018 Youth Olympic Games hopefuls, will compete in French St Martin on Saturday April 16, 2016 and in Anguilla on Sunday April 17.

The athletes and their respective events are: Tashara Edwards, 200m; Naya Penn, 100/200m; Zara Brown, 100/200m. Xiomara Malone, Long Jump and High Jump and Z’Niah Hutchinson, Long Jump and High Jump.

Development Series resumes

Following a break in action, the BVI Athletics Association’s Development Series resumes on Friday April 15, 2016 at the A O Shirley Grounds, targeting U9, U11, U13, U15 and Open Division athletes. Competition opens with the Javelin Throw for males and females, followed by the Long Jump targeting U11 through the Open Division.

Running events will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the top eight fastest times advancing to the finals beginning at 7:30 p.m. Events include the 60m for U9 Boys and Girls; U11 Boys and Girls 80m dash followed by the U13, U15 and Open 200m dash. The 60m final is slated for 7:30; the 80m at 7:40 and the 200m at 7:50.

A second meet is scheduled for April 22. Events on the programme will include: 100m U13 through Open. Open 400m; 150m for U9 and U11, Shot Put, U15 to Open; Triple Jump, Open and High Jump, U13 to Open.

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Stoby, Mays Lead Virgin Gorda Half Marathon Tune Up

April 12, 2016 by
PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Association

Reuben Stoby and Maria Mays led the field of 33 participants in the men and women’s divisions respectively, during the first of two Dive BVI 10K Series races on Saturday, which are a tune up for the 5th Virgin Gorda Half Marathon and 6 Mile Challenge on May 14.

Stoby ran the race over the first half of the Half Marathon course with a trek out to Nail Bay and the notorious ‘beast’ in 46 minutes and 14 seconds. Mays was timed in 51.16 in the women’s division.

“We had directional on the road so that everyone would know where to turn so that for the Half Marathon, they are on their game and knew exactly where to go,” explained race director Casey McNutt. “We had 17 people from Tortola that came over to gauge what they are going to experience in the Half. Right now, we have 72 pre registered for the Half Marathon and 6 Mile Challenge. We are leaps and bounds a little over a month out from where we were last year. We have a tremendous amount coming from the U.S. Virgin Islands with 28 preregistered so far, so it’s really nice to see them coming over.”

Saturday’s race came ahead of the upcoming early bird preregistration period that end on Friday. McNutt said the early bird cut off is where participants can register for $60 before the fee goes up to $70 from April 16. The $40 fee for the 6 Miles Challenge will increase to $50.

“We have an amazing kit for all the participants, the race bags are awesome and we’ll have a lot of great merchandise on sale at the Half Marathon Festival,” she said. “This is our fifth anniversary and we’re really excited bout it. It has gotten better every year. So we’re hoping that people take advantage of the early registration and book early.”

The next 10K will cover the last 6.2 miles of the course including taking in vistas of historic Copper Mine and the renowned Baths, on April 30.”

Final results. Men: 1. Reuben Stoby, 46:14. 2. Julius Farley, 48:51. 3. Curwin Andrews, 50:56. 4. Vincent Fournier, 51:50. 5. Alan Cundall, 53:56. 6. Ben Mays, 57:19. 7. Dennis Versoza. 1:07:25, 8. Ryan Everett, 1:08:57. 9. Luke Plummer, 1:09:44. 10. Paul Hubbard, 1:17:47. 11. Zebalon McLean, 1:22:33. 12. Tim Backlund, 1:25:24. 13. John Hudspeth, 1:34:19.

Women: 1. Maria Mays, 51:16. 2. Rosmond Johnson, 57:59. 3. Kat Brownsdon, 1:01:11. 4. Anna Gillham, 1:01:44. 5. Kay Reddy, 1:03:15. 6. Becca Knight, 1:06:19. 7. Kim Takeuchi, 1:10:18. 8. Debbie Bell, 1:10:33. 9. Sarina Hancock, 1:12:59. 10. Tiffanie Houston, 1:17:36. 11. Jude Holmes, 1:17:47. 12. Clair Burke, 1:19:01. 13. Nedy Adordionicio, 1:20:45. 14. Michelle Backlund, 1:25:25. 15. Casey McNutt, 1:33:36. 16. Tasia Veenkemp, 1:33:37. 17. Kim Hudspeth, 1:34:19. 18. Kim Beradine, 1:44:58. 19. Chrissann Nickel, 1:44:59. 20. Chris Yates, 1:49:20.

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Kelly Gets Olympic Games Qualifier In Florida Relays

April 5, 2016 by
Photo courtesy of BVI Milesplit

Photo courtesy of BVI Milesplit

By BVI Athletics Association

Ashley Kelly made her outdoor season debut a memorable one by becoming the second BVI athlete qualifying for this summer’s Rio Olympic Games in the 200m while Chantel Malone claimed the Long Jump title also in a season’s best at the Florida Relays.

Kelly finished second in the 200m in 23.17 seconds in the process of lowering the 23.36 she ran last year for the No. 2 mark on the BVI’s All Time List behind Tahesia Harrigan-Scott’s 22.98 from 2007. Kelly returned 35 minutes later and had her fastest 400m time since competing for Illinois, when she covered the oval in 52.95 seconds.

“I think it was a really good way to bounce back from my disappointing performance at indoor worlds and to top it off with a Rio qualifier, I’m really excited about that,” Kelly said. “My goal was to really get a good race, a solid race most of all, and I was hoping I could get a qualifier earlier because of how I was practicing. But after worlds, we tried to take it a bit easy because I have a long season and transitioning from indoor to outdoor.”

Although qualifying for Rio, Kelly said when she saw her 52.95 seconds 400m time she was really excited about it.

“I don’t know why I was excited about the 400 time more than the 200,” she said. “In the 400, I wasn’t thinking of anything else. I just went out and tried to execute. I was in the race pretty much by myself because the other girl ran 54.41. From the first 60m, it was just about me breathing and knowing when to transition. I’m happy with the the time.”

Malone leapt 6.66m in the Long Jump, missing the Rio qualifying standard by 4cms and her personal best established last year by 3cms.

In Arizona, coming off demolishing her twin sister Trevia’s Hammer Throw Record with a whopping 56.13m heave that upped her best from 44.99m, Tynelle Gumbs won the Arizona Colleges Athletics Championships with a heave of 47.78m. She also won the Discus Throw with a mark of 43.42m, after taking out another of her sister’s marks that stood at 46.49, with a 47.36 effort in Texas last weekend. Tynelle was third in the Shot Put with 12.96m, followed by Trevia with 12.68m.

Tynelle picked up her third victory, taking the Javelin Throw with a mark of 39.52m.

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Stoby, Crumpler Top Blenheim 5K Field On Beef Island

April 5, 2016 by
The women got a 3 minutes start ahead of the men and only Reuben Stoby was able to catch them. PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

The women got a 3 minutes start ahead of the men and only Reuben Stoby was able to catch them. PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Association

Reuben Stoby and Katrina Crumpler were the top men and women’s finishers in Saturday’s Blenheim Trust 5K Series tour stop on Beef Island, where the women had a three minutes start on the men and only Stoby managed to get to the line before the first woman.

Stoby, whose aim was to catch all the women, meandered the course from Long Bay Beach past the airport and return in 17 minutes and 56.6 seconds.

“The only thing is after I caught them, I slowed down a bit, but I wanted to run a faster time,” he said. “It wasn’t hard trying to catch them. I paced myself really well and I was just patient keeping an eye on them.”

While he wanted to go faster, Stoby said he has been joined by his wife and child and had been spending time with them. “I was only able to do one speed session for the week,” he said. “I still have that sub 17 5K in mind and I’ll get back to training by next week.”

Crumpler who held off Rosmond Johnson to win the women’s division in 21:50.6, in a speed work tune up for the upcoming Boston Marathon, said she didn’t want Stoby to catch her.

“He caught me well before the line and I tried to keep up with him, but he’s too fast,” she said. “I kind of knew he’d catch me and that was fine. It was a fun race. It was one of the closest ones in a long time. Rosmond was right behind me and I thought she was going to overtake me around two miles. She tucked in behind me and pushed me along and I stayed ahead of her but only by a few seconds.”

Crumpler who has two training Marathons under her belt already this year, said she’s aiming to do slightly better than the 3:23 she did in Boston a year ago. “It will depend on weather conditions on the day,” she said. “We’ll see. I’m just going to enjoy it really.”

Final Results. Men: 1. Reuben Stoby, 17 minutes, 56.6 seconds.  2. Julius Farley, 19:21.5.  3. Guy Williamson, 19:46.9.  4. Martin Trott, 20:50.5.  5. Daniel Mitchell, 21:29.1.  6. Shane Donovan, 21:43.9.  7. Adrian Dale, 21:51.8.  8. Zebalon Mclean, 22:42.1.  9. Reu Rymer, 22:43.6.  10. Stefano Tasking, 22:57.1.  11. Patrick Ormond, 23:15.4.  12. Luka Chalwell, 24:04.3.  13. Claudius Rhymer, 24:51.0.  14. Gabriel Obregon, 26:02.0.  15. Dennis Delacruz, 26:36.6.  16. Luke Plummer, 26:37.4.  17. Dennis Versoza, 26:37.9.  18. Sammy Potgieter, 27:17.0.  19. Teejay Torres, 29:09.8.  20. Jim Cullimore, 30:29.2.  21. Howard Moore, 32:00.6.  22. Barry Leon, 36:34.7.

Women: 1. Katrina Crumpler, 21:50.6.  2. Rosmond Johnson, 21:55.4.  3. Melissa Brunner, 22:51.5.  4. Kay Reddy, 24:20.3.  5. Lauren Julien, 24:34.0.  6. Melisande Rowe, 24:41.5.  7. Juliane Potgieter, 27:17.9  8. Cayley Smit, 27:20.0.  9. Zoe Bickerton, 28:14.1.  10. Vanessa King, 29:52.7  11. Claire Santillan, 31:13.4.  12. Nedy Ador Dionicio, 31:40.1. 13. Saungie Liburd, 33:22.6.  14. Ghislaine Hoogendijk, 38:45.7.  15. Sydney Smith, 39:01.0.  16. Barbara Pinnock-Smith, 39:09.1.

Power Walkers: 1. Shirley Liburd, 47:14.9.  2. Dawn Nagar, 59:09.5.

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BVI Closes 45th Carifta Games With Silver, Bronze Medals

March 29, 2016 by
Tarika "Tinker Bell" Moses sets the pace early in the U20 Girls 800m final, before going on to close out her Carifta Games career with a silver medal. PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses sets the pace early in the U20 Girls 800m final, before going on to close out her Carifta Games career with a silver medal. PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Association

ST GEORGES, Grenada-The British Virgin Islands wrapped up the 45thCarifta Games in St. Georges, Grenada on Monday night with silver and bronze medals.

Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses won the BVI’s second silver medal in the U20 Girls 800m, to go with Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner’s U20 Girls 400m Hurdles on Sunday, bringing the territory’s total to three. In her first outdoor race of the season, Moses ran 2 minutes, 11.20 seconds behind Jamaica’s Junelle Broomfield’s 2:06.21, to end her Carifta career with a second individual silver medal along with an U17 Girls 400m silver, from 2013.

“This is the most bumps and hits I ever got in an 800m race,” Moses reflected after collecting her award. “But, I just listened to my coach, ran a smart race, be relaxed and I just let the Grenada girl do all the pushing, because I know I had more foot speed. So when I got by the 200m, I used my foot speed and left her and I know I had it in the bag.”

Reflecting on her Carifta career, Moses said in her first appearance she had a fourth place finish in the 400m. She made the 400m final in her second appearance but couldn’t run because of an injury. She earned a 400m silver and the next year she couldn’t run because of her hamstring. “Last year, I didn’t have a good run, I was out of the game,” she noted. “To get a silver in the 800m, it feels amazing to end off (my career) with this medal.”

The U18 Girls 4x400m Relay quartet of Judine Lacey, Zacharia Frett, Shaniyah Caul and Beyonce DeFreitas, bagged, bagged a bronze medal behind Jamaica and the Bahamas, with a time of 3:47.43.

DeFreitas, 15, just missed an U18 Girls 200m bronze medal when she lowered her day old personal best from 24.14 seconds to 23.97, the No. eight performance on the BVI’s All Time List. Winds robbed L’T’Sha Fahie of a personal best in the U20 race, after placing seventh in 24.38.

Akeem Bradshaw was fifth in the Triple Jump with a leap of 14.86m on his second attempt, after cutting the sand at 7.13m on his opening jump, a mar, that was good for fifth place in the Long Jump.

Arianna Hayde and debutant Akira Phillip, finished sixth and seventh respectively in the U18 Girls Javelin Throw. Hayde had a mark of 38.60m, while Phillip recorded a personal best of 38.43m. Britney Peters, competing in the U20 Girls division, finished with a mark of 37.94 and finished sixth overall.

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Warner Ends Carifta Games Career With 400m Hurdles Silver

March 29, 2016 by
Lakeisha "Mimi" Warner gives thanks after splitting the Jamaicans for 400m Hurdles silver> PHOTO: Dean "The Sportsman" Greenaway

Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner gives thanks after splitting the Jamaicans for 400m Hurdles silver PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

By BVI Athletics Association

ST GEORGES, Grenada-After five athletes advanced to finals in the 100 and 400m at the 45th Carifta Games in St. Georges, Grenada on Saturday, there were no medals until Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner snatched silver in the first final on Sunday afternoon in the 400m Hurdles, to end her Carifta career.

Warner split the Jamaican pair of Shannon Kalawan and Nicole Foster, to earn the silver medal in 58.14 seconds, solidifying her IAAF World Jr. Championships qualifying mark, which improves her own national record. Kalawan ran 56.29 to break a 13-year old championships record.

“I know I had to get out if I wanted to stay in the race because these Jamaicans, they going out hard,” explained Warner, who has two U17 Girls 800m bronze medals to go with U17 Girls 4x100m Relay bronze as well as U17 and U20 Girls 4x400m Relay silver medals. “So, I had to go just as hard, make a clean race, no chipping, trust myself, trust God and my coach that I could do it.”

Before Warner’s medal, debutant Rikkoi Brathwaite and L’T’Sha Fahie were both fourth respectively during Saturday’s opening day of the in the U18 Boys and U20 Girls 100m dashes.

Brathwaite-just the second BVI male to make a 100m final in the territory’s 40 years of Carifta Games participation, narrowly missed a bronze medal by 0.03 seconds, finising fourth in 10.69 seconds. He dropped his best from 10.92 a week ago at the Elmore Stoutt High School inter-house championships, to 10.88 in the prelims to advance.

The U20 Girls 100m final was a historic one for the Virgin Islands as the BVI’s Nelda Huggins and Fahie along with USVI’s Nia Jack, all advanced to the final. Jack ran a personal best of 11.70 seconds-which qualified her for the IAAF World Jr. Championships later this year-to finish ahead of Huggins’ 11.80 as both advanced from the heat. Fahie rode a 3.2 meters per second wind and placed second in 11.71.

Huggins aggravated her leg and skipped the final, where Fahie finished fourth in a 2.7 mps wind aided race, running 11.86. Jack ran 12.26 for seventh and suffered slight discomfort in her hamstring.

After a personal best of 53.72 seconds in the U20 Girls 400m preliminaries, Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses finished fifth in the final in 54.02. Judine Lacey won her U18 Girls 400m heat in 56.56 seconds, before leg troubles limited her effectiveness in the final where she ran 57.04 for eight. In the boys equivalent, debutant Rackeel Jack ran 49.57 to finish sixth, after advancing with 49.64 in fourth place.

In the U20 Boys 400m final, Ronique Todman recorded a career best of 48.51 for sixth after running 49.11 to advance.

It marked the first time in his 40-year Carifta Games history, that the BVI had a finalist in all four male and female divisions.

K’Cei Moses was a non advancing sixth in his U18 Boys 400m heat in 51.46 seconds. Counterpart Shaniyah Caul ran 1:00.06 in fifth.

The BVI pair of U18 Girls High Jumpers, Z’Niah Hutchinson and Xiomara “Gia” Malone, settled for 1.55m after missing 1.60.

Beyonce DeFreitas dropped the fastest time in the U18 Girls final of 24.14 seconds, and will face the starter’s gun this evening, as well as Fahie, who ran a personal best of 24.77 in her U20 Girls race to finish fourth.

Zacharia Frett was among those not advancing in the 200m after finishing her U18 Girls race in 25.14. K’cei Moses ran 22.45 for fourth in his U18 Boys race. Todman’s 22.01 also did not make the finals cut.

In Sunday’s U18 Boys Discus Throw, BVI’s Djimon Gumbs finished sixth with a heave of 16.20m.

Kiwanna Emmanuel’s only legal U20 Girls Discus Throw measured 29.14m, as she fouled her other attempts.

The BVI will field an U18 Girls 4x400m relay this evening with Lacey, DeFreitas, Frett and Caul closing the territory’s participation in the event.

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