The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation (VITFF) congratulates Evan Jones on winning the silver medal in the 1500 meters at the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Junior Track and Field Championships this past weekend in Nashua, Bahamas.
Jones is a former student at Gift Hill Academy on St. John, a member of the St. Thomas Track Club and a student/athlete at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In his second year at CARIFTA he was originally entered in only the 5000 meters, which was thought to be the event that provided the best opportunity to be competitive.
Mireille Smith, V.I. team leader thought it a good idea to enter him in the 1500 meters as well — as sort of a warmup for the 5K. That strategy proved to be a good one as Jones had an excellent race and the right move at the right time to take and hold the lead in the 200 meters only to be overtaken at the final straight to the finish line by Jamaican Javon-Taye Williams, who won the race for the gold medal in 4:02.02. Evans time for second and the silver medal was 4:02.93; Alexandra Gauthierot of Guadeloupe, FWI, was third for the bronze medal in 4:03.26. It was the closest middle-distance race in the competition, with the top three medalists separated by a stride or less.
Congratulations are in order for all the Virgin Islands National Junior team members as they faced adverse conditions the past two years going into CARIFTA 2018, including the non-availability to the track and field facilities in the territory and the impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria.
VITFF entered six athletes in the competition for the Virgin Islands CARIFTA Junior Track and Field Team, which has two classifications: male and female, under 20 and under 17 including:
Evan Jones St. Thomas Track Club, graduate Gift Hill Academy, University of North Carolina Wilmington in the 1500m: second in 4:02.93, and in the 5000m: seventh in 16:05.37
Ahmed Joseph Cheetahs Track Club, a graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School and a freshman at Central Michigan University: seventh in the javelin throw with 48.52m
Ariana Edgar St. Croix Track Club, Elena Christian Junior High School: eighth in the shot put 11.23
Mikaela Smith St. Croix Track Club, a senior at Station Camp High School in Tennessee: ninth in the 800m in 2:26.64
Talise Emily Thompson St. Thomas Track Club, E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut: finished tenth in the 3000m in 11:34.16
Jaekwon Bridgewater Cheetahs Track Club, Ivana Eudora Kean High School in 100m prelim: eighth in 11.73, and 200m prelim: fifth in 23.64
Anelia Austrie St. Croix Track Club, St. Croix Educational Complex competed in the high jump
National coaches: Keith Smith, St. Croix Track Club; Shane Degannes, St. Thomas Track Club; Mireille Smith, St. Croix Track Club; technical official: Ioleta Potter, Cheetah’s Track Club
Funding for the team was provided in the form of competition grants from the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee and the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
Virgin Islands CARIFTA Previous Medalists:
Iyiechia Petrus won first V.I. medal, a bronze in 400m 57.36 at Kingston, Jamaica 1982
Franklin Feltieu won first male medal, a bronze in the 800m 1:57.5 at Kingston, Jamaica 1982
Iyiechia Petrus won her second medal, silver in the 400m 57.32 in Martinique 1983
Iyiehia Petrus won her third medal, a silver in the 800m 2:15.12 in Martinique 1983
Flora Hyacinth won her first medal, a bronze in the 400m 54.70 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus won her fourth medal, a bronze in the 800m 2:14.75 Barbados 1985
V.I. won first relay women medal, bronze in 4x100m relay 48.09 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus fifth medal
Flora Hyacinth second medal
V.I. won first relay women medal bronze in the 4x400m relay 3:50.48 Barbados 1985
Iyiechia Petrus sixth medal
Flora Hyacinth third medal
Jimmy Fleming won his first medal, a bronze medal in the 100m 10.80 Barbados 1985
Jimmy Fleming won the first gold medal for the V.I. in the 200m 21.65 Barbados 1985
Rodneshyia Pitts won her first medal, a bronze in the 100m 12.15 Barbados 1997
Rodney Pitts won his first medal, a bronze in the 100m 11.09 Barbados 1997
Rodneshyia Pitts won her second medal, a silver in the 100m 12.25 Martinique 1999
Adrian Durant won bronze medal in the 200m 21.14 Trinidad & Tobago 2003
Sanny Eugene won bronze medal in the 800m 2:18.87 Bermuda 2004
Juan Robles won bronze medal in the 3000m 9:53.88 Bermuda 2004
Sanny Eugene won gold medal in the 800m 2:12.75 Tobago 2005
Anecia Willliams won bronze medal in 1500 4:54.13 Guadeloupe 2006
Allison Peter silver medal in the 100m 10.91 St. Kitts & Nevis 2008
Allison Peter gold medal in 200m 23.99 St. Kitts & Nevis 2008
Leslie Murray won the bronze medal in the 400m 46.74 St. Lucia 2009
Leslie Murray won the silver medal in the 400m hurdles 51.20 St. Lucia 2009
Allison Peter won bronze medal in the 100m 11.50w St. Lucia 2009
Allison peter won bronze medal in the 200m 23.51 St. Lucia 2009
Allison Peter won gold medal in the 200m 23.29 Cayman Islands 2010
Allison Peter won silver medal in the 100m 11.51 in the Cayman Islands 2010
Evan Jones won silver medal in the 1500m 4:02.93 in Nashua, Bahamas 2018
Notes:
1] The CARIFTA Track and Field Junior Track and Field Championships started in 1973 and the Virgin Islands has competed in 37 of the 47 annual competitions
2] The Virgin Islands has won 26 CARIFTA medals
3] Iyiechia Petrus was the first female Virgin Islands National Junior Track and Field Team member to win a CARIFTA Medal and is tied with Allison Peter for the most medals won at 6. She is the only V.I. female athlete to competed in the first IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, 1983
4] Allison Peter is the first female Virgin Islands National Junior Track and Field Team member to win a CARIFTA gold medal, she has won two and is tied with Allison Peter for the number of medals won also at 6
5] Franklin Feltieu is the first Male Virgin Islands National Junior Track and Field Team member to win a CARIFTA medal
6] Jimmy Fleming is the first Virgin Islands National Junior Track and Field Team member to win a CARIFTA gold medal
7] The following V.I. CARIFTA medalist competed in the Olympic Games: Flora Hyacinth; Jimmy Fleming; Adrian Durant; Allison Peter
8] Flora Hyacinth was the first female in the world to jump 45’ in the triple jump
9] Allison Peter is the first V.I. female to win an IAAF medal (100m silver, 200m silver in IAAF World Youth Championships)
10] Leslie Murray is the first V.I. male to win an IAAF medal (400m IAAF World Junior Championships)
11] The Virgin Islands (ISV) has competed at CARIFTA every year starting in 1973, missing 72, 76, 78,79, 80. 86, 87, 88, 92, 98.
Good win. The Caribbean is producing the best athletes in the world and will only continue. Just look at one of the many examples as seen here https://youtu.be/FlAH3uD2OWA