Sept. 30, 2002 – The V.I. Track and Field Federation has its preliminary Central American and Caribbean Games team in place, federation member Wallace Williams announced. The games will be held from Nov. 23 to Dec. 5 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
However, Williams said there could still be berths to be filled, since some of the athletes named to the team may not be able to attend the competition.
The V.I. Olympic Committee president, Hans Lawaetz, said that while the CAC games usually are held during the summer, facilities at the games site, the University of San Salvador, are available only in November and December, which are vacation months for the country's schools. He said the later dates have caused problems for the track and field and swimming teams because most of the athletes in those sports are students in high school or college and will be in classes during that time.
The territory also is sending teams to compete in boxing, equestrian events, cycling, shooting, sailing, tennis and bowling. However, the athletes on those teams are out of school.
Lawaetz said El Salvador was the only country that bid to host the games, and there have been some organizational problems. For example, the country has no suitable sailing venue, so the sailing events will be held in Mexico.
Williams said that Virgin Islanders Kenneth Telemaque, Kadie Joseph, Adrian Durant, Lawrence Lockhart, and Julio Felix have confirmed that they will take part in the track and field events.
Other athletes named to the team but not confirmed due to possible scheduling conflicts are Rodney Pitts, Misoui McBean, Billy Bohlke, Vaughn Walryn, Laverne Jones, Ruth Ann David, Sherma Aurelien, Evilise Gomez, Xiamara Gomez and Tyfia Lee.
Time trials will be held sometime in October to fill the remaining spots on the team, Williams said.
For more information about the track and field team, visit the V.I. Pace Web site. For more information about the October time trials, call team leader Ronald Russell at 772-0242.
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