The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation (VITFF) announced on April 18 that a number of V.I. National Track and Field Team members competed in their initial outdoor meets for the 2013 season. They include:
Leslie Murray, the IAAF 400m hurdles Bronze Medal winner for the Virgin Islands in the IAAF World Junior Championships, took first place in the event at the Norfolk State University Relays with a time of 50.50. As of today, that mark puts him in the top 16 in the world on the IAAF World Ranking and number 6 in the Central America and Caribbean.
Eddie Lovett, a sophomore at the University of Florida and the NCAA Indoor Champion in the 60m hurdles, gained a ranking of number 15 in the world on the IAAF World Ranking with a 13.60 in the 110m hurdles in Gainesville at the Florida Relays last week.
Tabarie Henry is easing into the outdoor season by running for the Green & Gold Elite 4 x 400m relay team, which finished second in the event at the Texas Relays with the number 2 time in the world of 3:02.21. Henry ran the third leg on a team that included: Zwede Hewitt first leg, Marcus Boyd second leg and Olympic Gold Medalist Geremy Warner the anchor.
Leon Hunt took second place in the Norfolk State University Relays Long Jump with a leap of 7.23 meters and also finished third in the 100m with a time of 10.50, which put him at number 43 in the world on the IAAF World Ranking — the first time he will be on that list.
David Walters, a senior at Langston University, took 1st place in the North Texas University Classic in the 100m with a time of 10.48 to place him in the top 40 in the world on the IAAF World Ranking.
Ninfa Barnard, a senior at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, recorded two second place finishes for the outdoor season, one of them in the 800m with her best time this year for that event in 2:11.34 at the LSU Relays and a 2:11.94 at the North Texas Spring Classic. She also runs on the relay team.
Seymour Walter, a junior at South Carolina State University, took first place in the 800m at the University of North Florida Invitational with a time of 1:52.26. He also finished first at the 41st Robert “Jet” Johnson Bulldog Relays with a time of 1:57.95
Deandre Rawlins, a sophomore at Florida Memorial University, posted times indoors and outdoors, including 51.55 at the Miami Hurricane Alumni Invitational. He competed for the Virgin Islands in the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Deseree King, a sophomore at Georgetown University and IAAF World Junior Championships participant for the Virgin Islands in 2010, posted a 4th place finish in the 400m at the Virginia Invitational with a time of 55.52; she posted a 5th place finish in the 400m at the George Mason Spring Invitational with a time of 54.74; she placed fifth also in the 200m at George Mason in 24.36. In the 800m; she ran a 2:12.36 for 12th place at the Colonial Relays.
Stephanie Jerson, a junior at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, ran second in the 400m at the UCA Open with a time of 57.65; her best time for the year is 56.72 for an 8th place finish at the LSU Relays. She finished 6th at the Jim Mize Invitational with a 12.36 in the 100m. She also runs on the relay team.
Allison Peter, London Olympian in the 100m and 200m as well as a two-time IAAF World Youth Championships Silver Medal winner, had a slow start for her outdoor season as a professional in the 100m with a time of 12.88 for an 8th place finish at the Quantas Melbourne meet in Australia, her first visit to that country.
Sianna Wynter, a sophomore at Morgan State University, is into her outdoor season and has posted a 4th place finish in the 200m at the Don Webster Invitational and a 5th in the 400m at the UMBC Big Dawg Invitational with a time 59.15.
Stephanie Rhoden, a freshman at St. Benedict College, is well into her first outdoor season as a college student/athlete. She has posted two 3rd place finishes in the 400m with times of 57.33 at the Johnson City University Invitational and 57.43 at the USC Gamecock Open. She is also running on the relay team, and she posted first time marks in the indoor season.
Malcom Martin, a freshman at St. Benedict College, completed his first indoor season and has posted outdoor times of 2:10.50 in the 800m and 53.53 in the 400m.
Notes: The following track and field championships are coming up this summer:
1] June 29-30 — CAC Age – Group (Youth) Championships — Curacao
2] TBA — CAC Senior Championships — Trindad and Tobago
3] July 10-14 — IAAF World Youth Championships — Ukraine
4] Aug. 10-18 — IAAF World Championships—Moscow, Russia
5]Aug. 23-25 — Pan Am Junior Championships — Medellin, Colombia
and athletes interested in becoming V.I. National Team Members are required to:
A] Register with the VITFF at http://virginislandstrackandfield.org
B] Submit performances to: isv@mf.iaaf or wallacewilliams@msn.com for verification toward meeting qualifying standard/s
C] Athletes should make sure that their passport is valid
Leon Hunt is the captain of the Senior V.I. National Track and Field Team, and Adrian Durant is a national coach. They are coordinating the effort to develop the V.I. National Relay Teams in preparation for qualifying for the CAC Senior Championships and the IAAF World Championships and the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas in 2014 and 2015. This includes plans for the “Cruz” Training Camp planned for Cornell University this summer.
V.I. National Track and Field Teams are established from athletes who are eligible, in good standing with the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation and meet the qualification standards established by the IAAF, the NACAC, the CAC and the VITFF. The size of the team is determined by the quotas established by the above governing bodies and the availability of funding.
For information, contact VITFF at isv@mf.iaaf.org, 643-2557, wallacewilliams@msn.com or http://virginislandstrackandfield.org
