June 25, 2003 – Several of the territory's top track and field athletes will be representing the V.I. at meets throughout the Caribbean this summer, including two important Pan-American Games qualifying events, according to a release.
The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation has assembled a team of outstanding athletes who will be traveling in early July to the Central American and Caribbean Track and Field Championships in Grenada. At the end of July the group will head to Puerto Rico for the Frankie Colon Memorial meet.
The federation and the V.I. Olympic Committee, who will provide all the funding for V.I. athletes at these competitions, view these two meets as final qualifiers for the Pan-Am Games and as preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
V.I. athletes will also compete this summer in the Junior Pan-American Games in Barbados, the Central American and Caribbean Youth Championships and the World Masters Championships, both in Puerto Rico, and the World Championships in Paris, France.
Track and field athletes representing the V.I. are: Laverne Jones, a four-time all-American sprinter at Oklahoma University, formerly a runner for the St. Croix Education Complex team; Adrian Durant, a silver medalist in this year's CARIFTA Championships and an outstanding freshman at the University of South Carolina, and Kenneth Telemaque, captain of his South Carolina State University team and winner of the conference 400 meter event.
Jones and Durant both competed in this year's NCAA Championships, held earlier in the month in Sacramento, Ca.
Also on the team are: Kady Joseph, a Charolotte Amalie High School graduate who sprinted to a third place finish in the 400 at the MEAC Championships representing Morgan State University; all-American long-jumper Vaughn Walwyn; long distance runner Lisah Hamilton; middle distance runner Billy Bohlke; two-time V.I. Olympians and CAHS graduates Ameerah Bello and Valma Bass; Rodney Pitts, of Abilene Christian College; Shanna Williams, of Florida Atlantic University; Julio Felix, and Sherma Aurelein.
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