Scores of runners took to the field Saturday, with 22 running away with medals in the 2012 Virgin Islands Cross-Country Championships/Veterans Day 5K, held at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus.
Cross-country runners, both male and female, of all ages were invited to attend the event. Results by age category were:
Girls Under 14
Mikaela Smith of Good Shepard School, a longtime member of the St. Croix Track Club, continued her winning ways in the girls under 14 race. The 10-year-old St. Croix phenom won going away with a time of 6:40 for the mile race. Avia Joseph of Claude O. Markoe school was second in 7:11 and Nabria Ritter of Claude O. Markoe School was third in 7:14.
Boy Under 14
In the day’s most competitive race, the mile race for boys younger than 14, the top V.I. runners went head-to-head. Ja-Coy Blaise of the Cheetahs Track Club, a student at Gladys Abraham School in St. Thomas, took the lead in the race around the half-mile mark and was pursued by a group of St. Croix runners who shared top honors in the 4H-V.I. Pace Runners Cross-Country Series – Phar-I-Merchant and Valence Modeste of Ricardo Richards School and Shaimark Spencer of Alfredo Andrew School. For the remaining half of the race these runners were in a close contest for the championship title. In the end Modeste edged to the lead and held it with lest than 75 meters to go in the race to take first place with a time of 6:06. Blaise was second in 6:11 and Spencer was third in 6:15.
Girls Under 10
Tyannah Lake of Alexander Henderson School took first in 7:09; it was a close race for second with Michelle Smith of Good Shepard School and the St. Croix Track Club was second in 7:54 and Aria Moses of Good Shepard School was third in 7:56
Boys Under 10
Masse Hatcher of Good Hope School took the top spot in 7:18; James Beck of Freewill Baptist School was second in 7:27 and Stephen Nelson of Freewill was third in 7:32
Boys Under 16
The top runners in the V.I. in this age group and members of one of the youngest V.I. CARIFTA Junior teams were at the start line, including Malique Smith of St. Croix Educational Complex High School and the St. Croix Track Club. Smith led from the start and set a two-mile course record in 10:50; Ateniah Roacher of Ivana Edurora Kean High School and the Cheetahs Track Club finished second in 11:10; St. Croix Track Clubs Rodney Griffin of Educational Complex High School was third in 11:47. Evan Jones, of St. John was fourth in 12:01.
Girls Under 16
Rachel Conhoff of Country Day School took top honors in the two mile, with a time of 15:17; Nia Jack of St. Croix Educational Complex High School, who runs for the Hounds and Foxes Track Club was second in 16:21 and Krystal Gordon of John H. Woodson School and the St. Croix Track Club was third in 16:26.
Boys Under 20
Freddie Gomez of Freewill Baptist School took first place in the 3.1 mile race with a time of 21:38; Akelem Romain of Freewill Baptist was second in 22:23; John Macaluso Country Day School was third in 24:10
Girls Under 20
Keshema Fleming of Ivanna Eudora High School took first place in the 3.1 mile race with a time of 21:38; Jazmine Willock of St. Croix Country Day School was second in 21:50 and Karen Dascent of St. Croix Educational Complex High School and St. Croix Track Club was third in 27:24.
Open Male 5K (3.1 miles)
Shane Deganes of the St. Thomas Association of Road Runners was the top finisher in the race with a time of 17:46, the fastest time run on the course this year. Bobby Mohammad finished second on 22:14.
Open Female 5K (3.1 miles)
Mireille Smith of the St. Croix Track Club won the open division with a time of 23:02.
Complete results for all races will be posted on: www.eteamz.com/stxtc and http://virginislandspace.org (The Virgin Islands Pace Runners.
Further information can be obtained by calling Keith Smith of the St. Croix Track Club Keith Smith at 1-340-778-3026 or 1-340-277-1123, or sending him email at [email protected]. The Virgin Islands Pace Runners can be reached by phone at 1-340-643-2557 or email at [email protected].