It is a busy track and field season for Virgin Islands Track and Field National Teams, according to the V.I. Track and Field Federation. Team travel overlapped this week as the V.I. National Youth Team competed in the Central America and Caribbean Age Group Championships in Curacao; the V.I. National Senior Team competed in the CAC Senior Championships in Moreila, Mexico; the V.I. National Youth Team competes in the Ukraine; the V.I. National Senior (University Team) competes in Kazan, Russia.
The CAC Track and Field Championships—Moreila, Mexico
Leslie Murray experienced the arduous task of travel to Mexico as flight delays were the result of the active volcano near Mexico City. He did make it to the start and just missed advancing to the finals in the 400m hurdles by one spot as he finished ninth overall in the competition with a time of 51.10.
Wanetta Kirby, a recent graduate of Norfolk State University, was selected for this team but was unable to travel to Mexico due to a job commitment. She was entered in the long jump and is the V.I. Heptathlon record holder.
Nathan Taylor was the coach/team leader for CAC Championships. Funding was provided by The Virgin Islands Olympic Committee
The World University Games—Kazan, Russia
Ninfa Banard, after a great college career at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff where she won three titles in the 2013 conference championships and graduated with honors, she had a very strong performance at the World University Games as she became the first V.I. team member to advance to the semi-finals in a middle distance event of the games. In the opening round, she was fourth in the second heat with a time of 2:10.86 to advance to the semi-final with a time of 2:11.37. She improved on her performance in the 2011 championships by 11 seconds. She set the V.I. national record this year with a time of 2:08.
David Walters became the first V.I. National Team member to advance to the semi-finals of the World University Games 100m. In the first round, he finished third with a time of 10.72 to advance to the quarter finals where he finished fifth in 10.48, just short of his personal best of 10.45, advancing to the semi-finals where he finished 7th in 10.62.
Hasheem Halim, a graduate of Virginia Tech University, barley missed qualifying for the finals in the World University Games triple jump by one spot as he put in a season best jump of 15.31 in the preliminary round for 13th place with 12 advancing to the finals.
Yet to compete are: Leon Hunt and Collister Fahie in the long jump, Eddie Lovett in the 110 hurdles and the 4×100 male relay team of Leon Hunt, Eddie Lovett, David Walters and Collister Fahie. Calvin Dascent, a recent graduate of Morgan State University, was selected for this team but was unable to compete due to personal commitments.
The World University Games is a competition of the Virgin Islands University Sports Federation. Due to the timing of the selection of the CAC Track and Field Championships and uncertainty of circumstances associated with that competition, the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation authorized the V.I. National Track and Field team members to compete in Kazan.
Keith Smith is the coach/team leader of the World University Games Track and Field Team
The relay team prepared for this competition at a training camp coordinated by V.I. National coach Adrian Durant and hosted by Cornell University where V.I. National coaches Nathan Taylor is head coach and Durant is his assistant. The camp is funded by the V.I. Olympic Committee.
The XV CAC Age Group Championships–Curacao
Ahmed Joseph won the Bronze Medal in the baseball throw and finished 19th out of 39 competitors in the 13 -14 year-old boys heptathlon (80-meter dash, 1200meters, 80meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, baseball throw and shot put with 4535. The top three went to athletes from Puerto Rico (Gold), Guadeloupe (Silver), and Trinidad and Tobago (Bronze).
Krystahl Gordon finished 29th out of 39 competitors in the 13-14 year-old girls heptathlon (80-meter dash, 1000meters, 60-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, baseball throw and shot put with 3,243 points. The top three went to athletes from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Gold), The Bahamas (Silver) and Guadalupe (Bronze).
Valence Modeste finished 25th out of 39 competitors in the 11 – 12 year-old boys pentathlon (60m, 1000m, long jump, high jump and baseball throw) with personal record 2,647 points. The top three went to athletes from Venezuela (Gold), Guadalupe (Silver) and the Bahamas (Bronze), respectively.
Mikaela Smith finished 35th out of 39 competitors in the 11 -12 year-old girls pentathlon (60m, 800m, long jump, high jump and baseball throw) with a personal best of 1,806 points. The top three went to athletes from Barbados (Gold), Bermuda (Silver) and the British Virgin Islands (Bronze).
Mireille Smith was the coach/team leader for the CAC Age Group Championships
Travel for the V.I. National Team for the CAC Age Group Championships to Curacao was made possible by a grant from the V.I. Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
The IAAF World Youth Championships–Ukraine
Kayla King will represent the V.I. for the first time in the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ukraine. Other qualifiers for that team but who will not be competing are: Quashira McIntosh (family emergency) and Kohun Eugene (passport issue).
IAAF World Championships—Moscow, Russia
Eddie Lovett, a junior 110m hurdler at the University of Florida and the 2012 NCAA National Indoor Champion, to date is the only qualifier for the IAAF World Championships to be held in Moscow, Russia, from Aug. 10 – 18. After an outstanding season in NCAA competition, he helped his team to the NCAA National Championship (tie with Texas A & M). He is the current Pan Am Junior Champion.
Athletes at World University Games hope to make the qualifying marks.
Leslie Murray 400m is near the qualifying mark.
Laverne Jones-Ferrette 100m, 200m; Tabarie Henry 400m and Mohammad Halim are recovering from injuries and may not compete.
Charles Golphin is the coach/team leader
