A national youth record in the under-17 girls 4 x 400-metre relay gave the Virgin Islands its record eighth medal to close out the 42nd Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas on Monday night.
Judine Lacey passed the Bahamas’ under-17 girls 4 x 400-metre relay anchor leg in the last 50 metres to give the VI its fourth silver medal, marking the first time a VI team had won four medals in the opening and closing days of the three-day competition.
The VI has won 33 medals in the championships since its first in Nassau in 1978, where 11 of the medals have now been won.
Ms. Lacey anchored the quartet of Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner, Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses and Nelda Huggins to a time of 3 minutes amd 48.76 seconds — a new national youth record —eclipsing the 3:19.19 minutes run during last year’s Leeward Islands junior championships on Tortola.
The final day of the medals haul began with Ms. Warner earning bronze in the under-17 girls 800 metres, with a time of 2 minutes and 12.71 seconds, matching the one she earned last year in Bermuda.
Then, after fouling her second attempt, Tynelle Gumbs threw 35.74 metres to claim the under-20 girls javelin throw silver medal.
Eldred Henry a an impressive shot put throw of 18.01 metres, a national junior record, which earned him the bronze eclipsing the 16.99 metres he used to open the 2013 season.
Mr. Henry started the medal count on Saturday morning with an under-20 boys discus throw bronze with a best throw of 52.06 metres to finish behind two Jamaicans in his Carifta Games debut.
Ms. Huggins, who ran a 100-metres personal best of 11.81 seconds to advance to the 100 metres final where she ran 11.94” for silver, narrowly missed an under-17 girls 200-metre medal on Monday by .03 seconds when she ran 24.08,” with a +2.1 miles per second tail wind. She ran 24.77 seconds to win her semifinal heat.
In the boys event, Kyron McMaster ran 22.36 seconds aided by a +2.2 mps breeze to finish seventh overall, after running 22.70 seconds for second in the semifinals. He became the territory’s first athlete to become a 200/400 metres finalist. He broke the 37-year-old 400 metre national scholastic record held by BVI Athletics Association President Dean Greenaway, when he ran a personal best of 48.76 seconds to grab one of the two automatic spots to final. Mr. McMaster was fifth in the final in 49.29 seconds.
In the Under-20 Boys Division, Khari Herbert placed sixth in 48.17 seconds, after advancing with a personal best time of 47.80 seconds.
Tarika “Tinker Bell” Moses earned the territory’s second silver medal when she ran 55.83 seconds in the under-17 girls 400 metre final. She won her semifinal in 55.63 seconds — .01 seconds off last year’s best when she made the final, but was unable to run because of an injury. It marked the first time that the territory had three 400 metre finalists.
Trevia Gumbs narrowly missed Tahira Lewis’ shot put national record, but settled for a junior national record when she heaved the 4k ball, 12.59 metres for her bronze medal. Ms. Lewis’ mark is 12.60 metres.
L’Tisha Fahie had a non-advancing personal best time of 12.30 seconds in her under-17 girls 100 metre heat, while neither Shaian Vandenburg or Taylor Hill advanced to the under-20 girls 100 metre final, after running 12.26 and 12.36 seconds in their respective heats.
The under-17 girls 4 x 100-metre relay team of Mses. Moses, Warner, Fahie and Huggins, placed fourth overall with the sixth best time ever run by an under-17 VI team of 47.14 seconds.
Kadeon Potter was fifth in the under-17 boys shot put with a heave of 13.18 metres.
In the middle of her pentathlon, Ashley Penn who finished seventh overall with 2,361 points, was eighth in the open long jump with a personal best of 5.40 metres, an improvement on her personal best. Kala Penn had a jump of 5.18 metres to place 13th. Ms. Penn was seventh in the triple jump after leaping 11.36 metres.
Tynelle Gumbs did not get a legal throw off in the under-20 girls discus throw, while Kiwanna Emmanuel was 10th in the under-17 girls equivalent with a toss of 22.18 metres.
Shaquoy Stephens and Mr. Herbert were fifth and sixth, respestively, in the under-20 boys 200 metre heats with both running non advancing times of 22.87 seconds.
Tarique “Tweety” Moses ran an 800 metre personal best of one minute and 58.05 seconds in his heat, but he did not advance to the final.
Deya Erickson was sixth in the under-17 girls 100-metre hurdles final, running into a -3.3 headwind to record a time of 15.80 seconds.
The under-20 Boys 4 x 400-metre relay was disqualified for a lane violation.
All told, the VI athletes competed in 17 finals, recorded 10 personal bests and established two national junior records and one national youth record, for its best Carifta Games performance in its history, which began in Nassau in 1976, when the territory sent four athletes.
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