A group of nearly 60 runners and walkers lined up for the start of the 11th Annual UVI/Queen Mary Highway 5K Walk/Run on Queen Mary Highway in Frederiksted in the race to determine who would reach the Albert A. Sheen Campus of the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix first. In the closest finish ever, multiple V.I. national record holder Billy Bohlke of V.I. Pace Runners and14 year-old Malique Smith of the St. Croix Track Club and The St. Croix Educational Complex High School Barracudas Track and Field team battled through the 3.1 mile point-to-point course step for step. With lead changes between them throughout the race, they made the only turn on the course at the palms of the UVI campus together with Smith only a shoulder ahead and for the final 500 meters in the race to the finish, Bohlke eased just a step or two ahead with less than 30 meters to go, and Smith with a fierce sprint came back to break the tape by mere inches. Both runners ran the same time of 17 minutes 58 seconds. Virgil Johnson from Versales, Kentucky, on St. Croix celebrating the Johnson’s 25th wedding anniversary, finished third in 19.55.
In the women’s race Mirelle Smith (Malique’s mom) of the St. Croix Track Club took the early lead in the women’s event for nearly a mile into the race until Theresa Harper with the V.I. Triathlon Federation and multiple winner of the event, took the lead for good with a first place finish in 21:59. Smith was second in 23:01; Earthla Augustin of the V.I. Pace Runners took third place and the first UVI alumni in 26:04.
The Finishers Male:
- Malique Smith 17:58; 2. Billy Bohlke 17:58; 3. Virgil Johnson 19:55; 4. Mike Klein 20:11; 5. Randell Nielsen 20:48; 6. Shariff Mohammed 21:04; 7. Scott Fricks 22:50; 8. Senator Terrance Nelson 23:59; 9. Dexter Hippolite 24:37; 10. Antonio Stevens 24:54; 11. Robbie Stamper 25:12; 12. Tyrone Pascal 25:56; 13. Errol Chichester 26:01; 14. Fred Flint 26:10; 15. Larry Fite 26:14; 16. Alexander Elizzee 26:23; 17. Chris Combie 26:59; 18. Jai Hewlett 27:16; 19. Ephraim Rodriquez 28:08; 20. Teddy Seymour 28:12; 21. Mathiuis Clavier 28:27; 22. Kenneth Sarran 28:44; 23. Mervin Mills 28:49; 24. Karl Wright 28:24; 25. Clemett Hewlett 29:30; 26. Douglas Simpson 34:66; 27. Cajay Lagette 35:53; 28. Troy Shuster 38:62; 29. Winston Williams 37:38; 30. Mani Capriola 38:19; 31. #110 38:31; 32. Ray Lutz 38:37; 33. Stanley Jones 39:15; 34. David Capriola 39:52; 35. Oliver David 40:04; 36. Alphonso Andrew 41:05; 37. Kevin Miller 43:12
The Finishers Female:
- Theresa Harper 21:59; 2. Mirelle Smith 23:01; 3. Earthla Augustin 26:04; 4. Ashley Padie 28:22; 5. Antoinette James 28:30; 6. Cindy Fite 29:51; 7. Charmaine Hewlett 32:10; 8. Angela Crofton 37:32; 9. Judith Rogers 39:16; 10. Ingrid Richardson 41:40; 11. Krystal Wynter 43:18; 12. #106 43:28; 13. Mana Flemming 43:30; 14. Nicola Charles 43:32; 15. Gloria Francis 25:27; 16. Tammy Smith 45:28; 17. Tiffney Parilla 47:16; 18. Claver Lazare 47:17; 19. Rhonda Williams-Henry 48:15; 20. Antoinette James 48:16; 21. Cicily Lawrence 49:51; 22. Francilla Francis 56:01; 23. Annette Bevins 56:01
The Finishers: UVI Students (Male)
- Tyrone Pascal 25:56; 2. Douglas Simpson 34:36; 3. Kevin Miller 43:12
The Finishers: UVI Students (Female)
- Krystal Wynter 43:18; 2. Tammy Smith 45:28; 3. Tiffany Parilla 47:16; 4. Cicily Lawrence 49:51; 5. Francilla Francis 56:01; 6. Annette Bevins 56:01
The Finishers UVI Faculty (Male)
- David Capriola 35:52
The Finishers UVI Staff (Male)
- Ephraim Rodriquez 28:08; 2. Karl Wright 28:24; 3. Winston Williams 37:38
The Finishers UVI Staff (Female)
- Judith Rogers 39:16; 2. Mana Flemming 43:30; 3. Nicola Charles 43:32; 4.
