Nov. 28, 2005 — V.I. cross-country runners gained valuable experience last weekend in major cross-country championship races in North Carolina.
Juan Robles, the top V.I. high school cross-country runner finished 31st in the annual Footlocker Cross-Country South Regional Championships in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday. He ran a personal best time of 16 minutes and 41 seconds over the 3.1 mile course, there were 264 runners in the race. Robles is a senior at the St. Croix Central High School.
Anecia Williams, a senior at the Eudora Kean High School finished 91st in her race with a time of 20 minutes and 41 seconds. There were 217 runners in that race.
Robles won each of the V.I.Pace Runner- 4-H Club Cross-Country Series (V.I. cross-country championships) in St. Croix over the past
three years. Robles, coached by Chris Encarnacion, is deemed the top male high school runner in the territory.
Williams is undefeated in the high school ranks and was the first place finisher in the V.I. cross-country championships. She is coached by Mario Toussaint, who accompanied the runners to North Carolina.
The V.I. Olympic Committee made the trip possible with a transportation grant. The Footlocker meet was a qualifying meet for the national championship meet to be held in California in December.
For information contact the V.I. Track and Field Federation at 643-2557 or logon to: virginislandspace.org