For Immediate Release July 9, 2003

Top V.I. Sprinters Jones, Durant, Bass Finish High…
Women have National Relay Record Performance in CAC Track and Field Central America and Caribbean Championships… 

The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation announced today that athletes on the V.I. National Track and Field Team competed in the XIX Central America and Caribbean Track and Field Championships in Grenada this past weekend. Three athletes advanced to the finals and finished in the top eight including: Adrian  Durant, Lavern Jones, Valma Bass and Billy Bohlke.  Junior athlete Durant a Freshman at the University of South Carolina and CARIFTA Bronze Medalist this year in the 200 meters, had his best performance of 10.42 in the semi finals in the 100 meters and finish of 8th overall in the finals against a field led by the number three ranked sprinter in the world, Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis. Durant has a personal best of 10.37 this year and is focusing on the Pan Am Juniors which take place next week in Barbados.   

Laverne Jones, All-America sprinter at the University of Oklahoma and graduate of St. Croix Central High School also finished 8th overall in the 100 meters with a time of 11.63, her best performance is 11.36 this year. Valma Bass had her best performance in the 200 meters where she finished 7th overall. Her best time was a 23.96 in the semi-finals which qualified her for the Pan Am Games, her best time in the 100 meters was 11.69, improving on her Pan Am qualifying time for that event. Ameerah Bello, making a come-back since her last major competition at the Sydney Olympics, posted a solid time of 24.05 in the 200 meters and slightly over the Pan Am qualifying time of 24.00.  Billy Bohlke finished six in the 1500 with a time of 4:04 but well off his Pan Am Qualifying time of 3:37. Kenneth Telemaque and Rodney Pitts have run qualifying times for the Pan Games this year, had sub-par times in Grenada.

 Former Olympians and Charlotte Amalie High school teammates Valma Bass and Ameerah Bello joined Kady Joseph and Jones to form the V.I. 4 X 100 meter relay team which finished 7th overall with a time of 45:85, which according to Federation officials, is a V.I. national  record (to be verified). This performance came after a shaky hand-off of Kady Joseph, also a Charlotte Amalie HS Grad now at Morgan State University and second place finisher in the MEAC Conference 400 meters, to Jones. The team finished sixth overall. It is the first time these runners have had the opportunity to run together as a relay team.  The men’s relay team of Pitts, Durant, Telemaque and Julio Felix also together for the first time, did not advance.   

The Federation’s plan to provide the top athletes in the territory the opportunity participate in a training camp and competitions leading up to the Pan Am Games, although approved in principle by the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, was drastically altered due to delays in the release of V.I. Government appropriated funds designated for the Pan Am Games and its preparation.  One option in the plan was to send athletes to the annual Memorial Frankie Colon Meet in Ponce, Puerto Rico and use that competition as a final qualifier.  As would be the case, the funding was not released and the Frankie Meet was postponed until July 28, making the CAC Champs serve as qualifier for a number of the athletes including: Bernell Smithen, Kady Joseph, Shana Williams and Sherma Aurelein who are potential relay team members.  Two other V.I. athletes, All-America Long Jumper, Vaughn Walwyn of Rice University is recovering from injury, has qualified for the Pan Am Games but is yet to be confirmed for the competition.  Lisah Hamilton, was scheduled to run the 5000 meters in Grenada, is also injured and could not compete.  

The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation informs eligible and qualified V.I. athletes  to logon to the federation web page.  The Federation registration form and the standards for the Pan American Games and the World Championships are available on the website at http://www.virginislandspace.com/vitffhome03.html those who meet those standards should contact the federation as soon as possible. 

For more information contact the Federation at 340-643-2557