Home News Local sports V.I. National Track and Field Team Wins Four Medals at CAC Games in Mexico

V.I. National Track and Field Team Wins Four Medals at CAC Games in Mexico

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V.I. National Track and Field Team Wins Four Medals at CAC Games in Mexico

Leslie Murray competing in 400m hurdle race at CAC Games (photo by Dan Greenaway)Leslie Murray is a 400m hurdler, the V.I. National Record holder in the event and the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships bronze medal winner. With ever increasing confidence, he got the job done in the finals at the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) held this week in Vera Cruz, Mexico, as he earned his bronze medal with a time of 50.21. After just missing the London Olympics qualifier, it appears he is back on track for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Bejing. This is his first CAC Games medal. Omar Cisneros of Cuba took first place in 49.56; Eric Javier Alejandro of Puerto Rico edged out Murray in a photo finish and was second in 50.05. Murray advanced to the finals at the CAC Games by finishing second in his heat with a time of 51.76.
Allison Peter posted the fastest reaction time in the race and went on to take the bronze medal in the 200m with a time of 23.54 behind Nercely Soto of Venezuela in 23.14 and Alejandra Idrobo in 23.52, as a photo finish determined the silver medal. Not traditionally one of her stronger areas, Peter had an excellent start, which she will no doubt carry into the indoor season and the all-important outdoor season with regional championships and the IAAF World Championships coming up. This is her first CAC Games medal.
Eduardo Garcia wore the V.I. uniform for the first time and made V.I. history in the 10,000m as he became the first male to run the event in the CAC Games and in doing so, he finished fourth. Also, he broke the V.I. National Record set by Marlon Williams in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games with a time of 30:51. It was a close race over the 25-lap event, and Garcia handled the high altitude (which is a disadvantage for long distance runners) and was just out of the bronze medal by a few seconds behind Mexicans Juan Luis Barrios 29:13 first and Juan Carlos 29:28 second and Ivan Dario Gonzales 29:41 third.
Friday was the last day for V.I National Track and Field team members with Eddie Lovett taking fourth place in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.79, well off his V.I. national record (13.19). After posting the third fastest qualifying time in the heats, he was in contention for the bronze medal going to the ninth hurdle when he made contact and had to settle for the fourth place behind Luis Yordan Ofarrill of Cuba in 13.46, Carlos Jhoanis Portilla of Cuba in 13.53 and Greggmar Swift of Barbados in 13.59.
The Halim brothers closed out the competition for the V.I. National Track and Field team at the CAC Games on Friday. It was a rare occasion for the two triple jumpers to meet each other in competition and, as has been the case in the past, older brother Muhammad would come out with the longer jumps. That wasn’t the case on Friday as Hasheem finished seventh with a leap of 7.54 meters in the competition and a place ahead of his brother who jumped 7.35m to finished eighth. Both basically didn’t have a competition season that benefited them as they are recovering from injury brought on by the brutal demands of the sport in the past called “hop, step, jump.” Both are very happy with their performances, particularly Muhammad, who defended his title in the long jump with another silver medal.
Of the 27 Central America and Caribbean countries competing in the track and field competition, the Virgin Islands finished seventh in the scoring and won four medals, one silver and three bronze, two fourth places, one sixth, one seventh and three eighth places for a total of 49 points. Cuba was the top finisher. It is the best performance by a Virgin Islands National Track and Field team in the CAC Games history.
For information, including full CAC Track and Field results, logon to: http://virginislandstrackandfield.org e-mail: [email protected] or call: 643-2557.

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