The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation (VITFF) held the annual Virgin Islands Cross-Country Championships at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix Campus on Saturday morning, and the trophies were distributed to runners from the territory over a variety of categories.
The order of events was shifted for the early morning event and the Veterans Day 5K led things off. This race featured the top St. Thomas runners, top V.I. Master Shane Degannes, top junior male runner and high-schooler Malique Smith, V.I. Marathon champ Bridget Klein, and top St. Thomas girl Talisee Thompson.
In the early going and the first mile, Degannes and Smith switched back and forth on the lead until the second mile when Degannes dropped in a few surges and pulled ahead for some 30 meters — and that’s how it would end with Degannes the overall winner in a time of 17:35. Smith of the St. Croix Track Club and St. Croix Educational Complex High School was second overall and the first under 20 in 18:18; Isaiah Horsford of UVI St. Thomas-St. John was second in the open category in 19:11; Chase Thomas of UVI St. Thomas-St. John was third in 22:07.
Trailing Smith in the under 20 males were Romell Rivera of Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS), St. Thomas-St. John, in 19:40 seconds and Lukata Samuel of CAHS, third in 19:40.
Bridget Klein (No. 124) of St. Croix dominated in the open female 5K and took the title in 20:46; Talissee Thompson of V.I. Montessori School and International Academy, St. Thomas-St. John, finished second overall and first in the under 20 group in 23:05; Nikkoya Cromwell of St. Croix Track Club/St. Croix Educational Complex (SCEC) was second in the under 20 girls in 24:20; Sameea Hendrickson of UVI St. Thomas was second in the open race in 36:51.
In the under 16 girls two mile, Rachel Conhoff of St. Croix Track Club/ Good Hope Country Day School won going away with a time of 13:12; Krystahl Gordon of St. Croix Track Club/SCEC was second in 14:10 and Maya Etheridge of Antilles School, St. Thomas-St. John, was third in 14:39; Jencoy Blaise of Addelita Cancryn, St. Thomas-St. John, ran an excellent race to top the under 16 boys in the two mile with a time of 12:01; Silas Wisechert of St. Thomas-St. John was second in 13:40; Collin Liger of St. Croix Track Club/SCEC was third in 14:04.
.jpg "Under 16 Boys compete in two-mile race (photo by Wallace Williams)")
In a battle to the wire, Elton Richardson of Freewill Baptist School, St. Croix, won the St. Croix under 14 boys one-mile race with a time of 6:04 and Machari Mathews of Good Hope Country Day School, St. Croix, was second in 6:06; Valance Modest of St. Croix Track Club/St. Mary’s School was third in 6:20.
Mikaela Smith of St. Croix Track Club/SCEC ran the fastest mile of the day in the under 14 girls in 5:46, which is a race and course record, and also her personal best; Britney Leonard of St. Thomas-St. John was second in 7:07; Crystalee Debique Pearl B. Larsen School, St. Croix, was third in7:12
Michelle Smith of St. Croix Track Club/Eulalie Rivera School ran 6:59 and matched her personal best to win the girls under 10 one mile; Lindsay Barr of V.I. Montessori School and International Academy, St. Thomas-St. John, was second in 7:14; Batoul Abdallah of Pearle B. Larsen School, St. Croix, was third in 7:23.
Ethan Farrell of Calvary School St. Thomas took the under 10 boys male mile in 6:34; Mason Lambert of Good Hope Country Day, St. Croix, was second in 6:38; Steven Beck of Freewill Baptist School, St. Croix, was third in 6:52.
Notes:
1] The Veterans Day 5K/V.I. Cross-Country Championships are official Virgin Islands Championships sanctioned by the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation. They were hosted by the 4H Program of the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix Campus. They are organized by the Virgin Islands Pace Runners and the St. Croix Track Club.
2] Participating in the competition were runners from:
St. Croix: St. Croix Track Club, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, Eulalie Rivera School, Mary’s Fancy Track Club, Pearle B. Larsen School, St. Mary’s School, Evelyn Williams School, Arthur A. Richards School, Good Hope Country Day School, Freewill Baptist School, V.I. Pace Runners and Claude O. Markoe School
St. Thomas-St. John: St. Thomas Association of Road Runners (STAR); V.I. Montessori School and International Academy, Antilles School, Addelita Cancryn School, Charlotte Amalie High School and the University of the Virgin Islands
3] Sponsoring Partners: Queen B’s Service Station, The Buccaneeer Hotel, Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation
4] Ground Transportation: Constance Alexander Taxi
5] Accommodations: Arawak Bay…The Inn At Salt River
6] St. Thomas-St. John team selection: STAR
7] Funding for St. Thomas-St. Thomas athletes travel, accommodations and ground transportation from St. Thomas-St. John: The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation
8] Full results posted on: http://virginislandspace.org http://eteamz.com/stxtc http://virginislandstrackandfield.org
For information, e-mail: isv@mf.iaaf.org wallacewilliams@msn.com or call 643-2557.
