4H/V.I.Pace Runners Cross-Country Season Begins on October 1

The annual cross-country season kicked-off for St. Croix on Wednesday afternoon at the University of the Virgin Islands Albert Sheen Campus with the running of the 4H/V.I.Pace Runners Cross-Country Series. With some 60 competitors, the elementary school girls were the runners in the first race of the day. Tayna Lake, a sixth grader at the Alexander Henderson School, took the lead early over a one-mile loop and won the race with a time of 7 minutes and 9 seconds as she held off a charging group with second place finisher Michelle Smith, a third grader from Eualalie Rivera School, whose time was 7:18; third place went to Layla Rivera, a sixth grader from Alexander Henderson School, came in at 7:31.
First Race Female 1 Mile
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
Elementary Girls
1/ Tyanna Lake/ 7:09/ 6th/ Alexander Henderson School
2/ Michelle Smith/ 7:18/ 3rd/ Eulalie Rivera
3/ Layla Rivera/7:31/ 6th/ Alexander Henderson
4/ Crystalee Debique/ 7:33/ 6th/ Pearl B. Larsen
5/ Batoul Abdallah/7:36/ 4th/ Pearl B. Larsen
A group of 109 boys toed the start line in the boys’ elementary 1-mile race. Makari Mathew, a fifth grader at Good Hope Country Day School, won the race with a time of 6:08; James Beck, a fifth grader of Freewill Baptist School, was second in 6:39; Jamar Ventura, a sixth grader from Alfredo Andrews, was third in 6:43
Second Race Male 1 Mile
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
Elementary Boys
1/ Makari Matthers/ 6:08/ 5th/ Good Hope Country Day
2/ James Beck/ 6:39/ 5th /Free Will Baptist
3/ Jamar Ventura/ 6:4/3 6th/ Alfredo Andrews
4/ Jeremiah Nurse/ 6:55/ 4th/ Alfredo Andrews
5/ Jadon Nurse/ 6:59/ 6th/ Alfredo Andrews
The third race of the day was a two miler and included the junior varsity boys and girls running together. Jack Ramsdell, an eighth grader from Arthur A. Richards School, was the winner in 12:01; Nayan Bansal, an eighth grader from Good Hope Country Day, was a close second in 12:05; Kervin Mathurn, a 10th grader from St. Croix Central High School, was third in 12:39.
Third Race JV Male 2-Mile
M – 2 MILE
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
U-16
1/ Jack Ramsdell/12:01/ 8th/ Arthur A. Richards
2/ Nayan Bansal/ 12:05/ 8th/ Good Hope Country Day
3/ Kervin Mathurin/ 12:39/ 10th/ Central High School
4/ Jason Snow/ 12:41/ 8th/ Good Hope Country Day
5/ Shevon Phillips/ 13:14/ 10th/ Central High School
Mikaela Smith, a freshman at St. Croix Educational Complex High School, held off a challenge from Rachel Conhoff, a tenth grader from Good Hope Country Day School, to win the race with a time of 12:32; Conhoff was second in 12:58; Jusenia Tuit, a seventh grader at Arthur Richards School, was third in 13:18.
Third Race JV Female 2-Mile
F – 2 MILE
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
U-16
1/ Mikaela Smith/ 12:32/ 9th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
2/ Rachel Conhoff/ 12:58/ 10th/ Good Hope Country Day
3/ Jusenia Tuit/ 13:18/ 7th/ Arthur A. Richards
4/ Krystahl Gordon/ 16:19/ 10th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
5/ Eva Luna Whitman/16:38/ 10th/ Good Hope Country Day
Varsity boys and girls mixed with open runners of all ages taking on the 5K (3.1 mile) distance and were led by Malique Smith, a senior at the St. Croix Educational Complex High School, with a time of 18:28; his teammate, Rodney Griffin, a junior, was second in 19:28; Gary Nelthropp, a senior at Good Hope Country Day, was third in 19:49.
Fourth Race Male Varsity
M – 3.1 MILE
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
U-20
1/ Malique Smith/ 18:28/ 12th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
2/ Rodney Green/ 19:28/ 11th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
3/ Gary Nelthropp/ 19:49/ 12th/ Good Hope Country Day
4 /Barthelemy Peter/ 20:40/ 11th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
5/ Tyler Flavia/ 21:04/ 11th/ Good Hope Country Day
Nikkoiya Cromwell, a junior at St. Croix Educational Complex High School, took first place for Varsity girls with a time of 25:12; Deana Nicholas, a junior at St. Croix Central High School ,was second in 37:40.
Fourth Race Female Varsity
F – 3.1 MILE
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
U-20
1/ Nikkoiya Cromwell/ 25:12/ 11th/ St. Croix Educational Complex
2/ Deana Nicholas/ 37:40/ 11th/ Central High School
Randall Nielson won the open male race in 20:23 and John Harper was second in 26:45
Fourth Race Male Open
M – 3.1 MILE
Place/ Name/ Time/ Grade/ School
OPEN
1/ Randall Nielson/ 20:23 — Unattached
2/ John Harper/ 26:45 — Unattached
Andrea Christian was the only participant in the female open race and her time was 37:25.
Fourth Race Female Open
F – 3.1 MILE
Place Name Time Grade School
OPEN
1/ Andrea Christian/ 37:25 — Charles H. Emanuel School
Notes:
1] There are four races in the series including Wednesday, Oct 1; Wednesday, Oct. 8; Wednesday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 1. The races start at 4 p.m. with the exception of the Nov. 1st race, which is run in the morning. The races are held at the University of the Virgin Islands Albert Sheen St. Croix Campus.
2] The Oct. 22 races are St. Croix school championships
The Nov. 1 races include the Veterans Day/V.I. Cross-Country Championships with invitations to all V.I. runners to compete.
3] The series is hosted by University Cooperative Extension Service 4H Program, organized by The Virgin Islands Pace Runners and The St. Croix Track Club, and sanctioned by the V.I. Track and Field Federation (VITFF).
4] Sponsors include: The Buccaneer Hotel and Queen B’s Service Station
5] The VITFF has bid for the Pan Am Cross-Country Cup, which includes competition for runners from every country in the Western Hemisphere.
For information, logon to: http://virginislandstrackandfield.org
http://www.eteamz.com/stxtc/
http://virginislandspace.org
or e-mail: isv@iaaf.org