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V.I. National Cross-Country Championships Determine Top Runners

Ideal cross-country conditions were at play on the University of the Virgin Islands Albert Sheen St. Croix Campus on Saturday morning, Nov. 5, including cloudy skies, rain showers and soggy grass fields. The runners participated in open competition over distances of one mile to 5K.

Veterans Day 5K (3.1-Mile Male/Female Race)

The first race of the day was the Veterans Day 5K with the defending champion in the V.I. Half-Marathon, Juan Robles, holding on to his title with a time of 16:57. Evan Jones of St. John and the St. Thomas Track Club/Gift Hill Academy had a strong race to take first in the under 20 males and second overall in 17:16; Jack Ramsdell of the St. Croix Track Club/Good Hope Country Day School finished second in the under 20 in 18:24; Josiah Keels of SCTC/Educational Complex High School was third in 21:22. Mike Klein, the defending V.I. 50-Mile Run Champion, took the masters title with a time of 21:55; Randle Nielsen was second in 23:06.

Ruth Ann David, two-time bronze medal winner in CAC Cross-Country Championships and the defending V.I. Half-Marathon Champion, took the open title for females over the 3.1-mile course in 20:11. Two of the top junior girls — Rachel Conhoff of SCTC/GHCD (Good Hope Country Day School) and Tallise Thompson of St. Thomas Track Club/St. Thomas Montessori School, went stride-for-stride and exchanged leads throughout the race. Conhoff prevailed to take the junior title in 21:24; Thompson was a close second in 21:39; Kaylah Browne of St. Croix Central High School was third in 33:03.

Junior Male Under 16 2-Mile…

After taking a bad step in his previous race and sustaining an injury, Dominic Pugleisek of GHCD came back to take the title with a time of 11:21; Brice Richards of GHCD had a strong second place finish in 11:57; Mikey Dizon Bauman of GHCD was a close third in 11:59; Neta Williams of St. Thomas was fourth in 12:15; Valance Modeste of SCTC/ECHS was fifth in 13:06

Junior Female Under 16 2-Mile…

Mikaela Smith of SCTC/ECHS ran a strong race to maintain her winning ways for the girls’ junior 2-mile with a time of 13:21; her teammate Jasinia Tuitt was not far behind for second in 13:57; Niam Berry of St. Thomas was third in 14:29; Kelsy Bohla of GHCD was fourth in 15:02; Myah Russell was fifth in 16:48 Boys Under 14 1-Mile Makari Mathews of SCTC/GHCD led the way with a time of 5:31; Mason Lambert of GHCD was second in 5:47; Achille Thompson of St. Thomas was third in 5:52; Na’Coy Estick of AA was fourth in 6:04; Leone Lacane of Lew Muckle School was fifth in 6:10.

Girls Under 14 1-Mile…

In yet another very competitive race of the day, Michelle Smith of SCTC/Eulalie Rivera School and Shaiah David of St. Thomas went stride-for-stride in the girls 1-mile race. Smith, on her home course, pulled away on the only hill on the course to win the title with a time of 6:05; David was right on her hills for second in 6:10; Tyannah Lake of Hounds and Foxes Track Club/Arthur A. Richards School was third in 6:21; T’Anna Stanley Lake of HFTC/Freewill Baptist School was fourth in 6:37; Jaida Ashe of HFTC/Church of God School was fifth in 6:53

Boys Under 10 1-Mile…

Kaden Gleason broke 6 minutes to take the title with a time of 5:59; Alexander Etienne of HFTC/COGS was second in 6:42; Khristopher Bellow of St. Thomas was third in 6:53; Kayden John of COGS was fourth in 7:08: Todakie Bassou of ERR fifth in 7:17

Girls Under 10 1-Mile…

Alyra Joseph of SCTC/ERR took first place in 701; Candance Fellix of GHCD was second in 7:10; Amiyah Eddie of ERRA was third in 7:41; Brecia Brooks of Lew Muckle School was fourth in 7:46; Kristen Jones of HFTC/RR was fifth in 7:49.

Notes:

1] The cross-country season consists of a series of cross-country meets held in October and November at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas and St. Croix Campuses.

2] Athletes ranging from youth through masters from clubs, schools or unattached competed in the championships.

3] The 4H/V.P. Cross-Country Series on St. Croix was hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service’s 4H Program and UVI; it was organized by the V.I. Pace Runners and the St. Croix Track Club. The series on St. Thomas was hosted by the University of the Virgin Islands and organized by the St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners (STAR).

4] The meets were sanctioned by the V.I. Track and Field Federation and the St. Croix Interscholastic Association.

5] The Veterans Day 5K/V.I. Cross-Country Championships were sponsored by the VITFF, which provided trophies to the winners. It is receiving applications for competition grants to the Foot Locker Cross-Country Championships from the newly crowned V.I. Champions and competitors.

For information, logon to http://virginislandspace.org/vitff.html or e-mail: isv@mf.iaaf.org or call 643-2557.

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