The Virgin  Islands Track & Field Federation
An Affiliate of the International Amateur Athletic Federation
408 Strand St., Frederiksted,
St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00823
809-772-0412
809-772-0212 Fax
http://www.virginislandspace.org

For Immediate Release November 14, 2001 

V.I. to Compete in Central America and Caribbean Cross-Country Championships in Bermuda 

The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation announced today that a Virgin Islands national cross-country team has been invited to compete this weekend in the Central America And Caribbean Cross-Country Championships in Bermuda, West Indies.  The Federation has selected a team of senior men and senior women consisting of the best distance runners in the Territory to compete.  Selected for the senior men are: Billy Bohlke, a senior runner at Louisiana State University, Masoui Mc Bean, a senior runner at Florida A&M University, Lawrence Lockhart a Freshman at East Tennessee University and Leopold Fredericks, winner of several local road races in the Territory.  Selected for the senior women are: Theresa Harper, winner of several local road races in the Territory, Sherma Aurelien, a freshman runner at Barton Community College in Kansas and Ruth Ann David, winner of several local races in the Territory.

The athletes selected represent the minimum number that qualifies for a full team for men and women, capable of scoring championships points.  This will be the first time the Virgin Islands has competed in the championships since they were held in St. Vincent in the mid 90’s.  The Virgin Islands is considered founder of the Central America and Caribbean Cross-Country Championships, when in 1982 Wallace Williams, Secretary proposed that the championship become a fixture in the regional calendar, one that smaller countries without adequate track and facilities, could host.  The proposal was approved in Havana, Cuba in 1982 and with the V.I. to be the first host in 1983.  With the U.S. military invasion of Grenada, the competition was postponed and held in Puerto Rico 1984.  The Virgin Islands hosted the event at Flamboyant Race Track in St. Croix in 1990. 

Ronald Russell, President of the VITFF, has high hopes for both the men’s and women’s teams and feels that they are the strongest since back in the 80’s.  He also expressed his appreciation that the athletes are making a very special effort under extreme circumstances, to make the trip to Bermuda and to ensure that the Virgin Islands is represented, realizing that they are interrupting their school and work schedules.  Russell also recognized tremendous support received  from  The Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, The Jets Track Club, The Boys to Men, Girls to Women Foundation and the Virgin Islands Pace Runners which loaned the Federation funds to  cover expenses (the Federation was appropriated funds from the V.I. Legislature that have been allocated).  He also recognized the special assistance from Bohlke Airways and American Airlines and U.S. Airwaya in making the trip possible. 

For more information call the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation 340-772-0412

 
www.virginislandspace.org/vitff.htm

 

For Immediate Release November 19, 2001 

Virgin Islands National Cross-Country Teams Wins Bronze in CAC Championships—Bermuda 

Long distance runners for the Virgin Islands National Cross-Country Team overcame the hassles of international travel  to run in Bermuda this weekend and came away with a third place finish for the women in the 18th Central America and Caribbean Cross-Country Championships. 

Ruth Ann David, Theresa Harper and Sherma Aurelien were the just enough to make up the “three member-score” team as they competed in the annual championships which this year were depleted because of teams facing difficulty with air travel. David led the field of runners from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Jamaica over the very hilly and difficult Point Royal Golf Course for at least two miles, she outran all the women from Jamaica to finish seventh overall.  Theresa Harper and Sherma Aurelien held on to score points for the V.I.  Harper was exhausted after a late flight arrival the night before the early morning race.  Sherma Aurelien, a freshman at National Junior College Champion (Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field) Barton Community College in Kansas, traveled the furthest to compete and contributed points for the team.  More suited for the Junior Women race, based on her age and experience, it is believed that she would have finished very high up in the rankings, perhaps first, had she run.  The women’s team is the first to win a medal for the V.I. since the beginning of the event in 1983. 

The men’s team took sixth place and were led by Billy Bohlke a senior at LSU.  Bohlke led the field for nearly two miles in the 7.3 mile course.  The runners form Mexico won the championships with Puerto Rico second and Bermuda barley out running St.Lucia for third. Leopold Fredericks put fort an effort which assured the V.I. of its placing by picking-off a few runners near the end of the race. Lawrence Lockhart a Freshman at East Tenn. State University and Masoui Mcbean, a senior at Florida A&M University, held on to provide team points in finishing the race. 

The trip to Bermuda was made possible with loans from the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, the Boys to Girls Foundation, the Jets Track Club and the Virgin Islands Pace Runners.  Also through the special efforts of American Airline, U.S.Airways and Bohlke International Airways. 

The Central America and Caribbean Cross-Country Championships were initiated by the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation proposal in 1982 in Havana, Cuba. The Virgin Islands hosted the championships at the Flamboyant Race Track in St.Croix in 1990. 

For more information call 777-0258 or logon to: http://www.virginislandspace.org

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