UPDATE: VI’s medal hopes dented with 100m disappointment
Despite reaching the U18 final of the 100m in flying style an inconsolable L’Tsha Fahie, had to settle for a 6th place finish, although her time of 11.85 was a Personal Best and nothing to be ashamed of, as she lowered her previous best of 12.01 to reach number 8 on the territory’s All Time list.
Aided by a +2.7 meters per second wind, Fahie advanced to her first Carifta Games U18 Girls final when she ran 11.85 seconds to grab one of the two automatic spots on offer in the second of three heats in the semifinal competition.
Hill on the rise!
In the U20’s Division, three athletes from the US and British Virgin Islands had advanced to the final. Taylor Hill ran a personal best of 11.83 into a -0.1 wind to finish fourth in the second of two semifinal heats. US Virgin Islands’ Quashira McIntosh automatically advanced to the final when she finished third in 11.88 seconds while the BVI’s Nelda Huggins was fourth in 11.98 and like Hill, advanced as being the two fastest losers.
Hill, who drew Lane 2 and had Huggins on her inside in Lane 1 with McIntosh on the outside corridor in Lane 8, ran the fastest of the three to place fifth in 11.86. Huggins, stepping up into the U20 bracket for the first time and who has seven Carifta Games medals to her credit, finished back in sixth place in 12.13.
Such is the level of expectation for the VI’s sprint princess that the race marked the first time since 2011 that she has failed to climb the podium. She also lost to Hill for the first time since 2010, with Hill’s 11.83 moving her to No. 7 on the All Time Listing. McIntosh was 0.01 back of Huggins in seventh, stopping the clock at 12.14.
The afternoon began with Arianna Hayde and Kala Penn competing in the U18 Girls Long Jump, where Hayde finished seventh with a leap of 5.17m while Penn was 10th after cutting the sand at 5.01m. As she wasn’t among the eight Long Jump finalists Hayde went straight to the Javelin Throw and settled for a best effort of 37.80m on her opening throw and fouled the others to finish ninth.
Sunday morning’s competition will find twin sisters Trevia and Tynelle Gumbs in the U20 Girls Shot Put and the U18 Girls quartet of Beyonce DeFreitas, Zacharia Frett, Penn and Fahie contesting the 4x100m prelims.
Akeem Bradshaw will see action in the Long Jump this afternoon.
Lakeisha “Mimi” Warner and Jonel Lacey will run the finals of the U18 Girls 400m Intermediate Hurdles followed by Kyron McMaster in the U20 Boys equivalent. McMaster ran 54.43 seconds to advance on Saturday morning, April 4, 2015.
See story published April 4, 2015
Fahie & McMaster reach sprints final @ Carifta Games
Virgin Islands’ L'Tisha Fahie clocked 11.85 to reach the finals of the Under 18 Girls 100 Meter Dash at the 44th Carifta Games at the Silver Jubilee Stadium in St Kitts and Nevis today, April 4, 2015.
Fahie placed second in her heat behind Shaeil English of Jamaica who ran 11.59.
The Virgin Islander’s time was the 6th fastest in the preliminary field of 23 athletes.
The final will be contested later this evening.
Earlier today, Kyron McMaster was third in his U20 Boys 400m Intermediate Hurdles heat in 54.43 seconds to claim one of the automatic spots to Sunday's final, April 5, 2015.
Debutants Lakeisha "Mimi" Warner and Jonel Lacey will run in the U20 Girls 400m Hurdles on Sunday afternoon before McMaster's race.
Meanwhile, on Friday April 3, 2015 Kala Penn was the first to see action following the opening night’s session that had limited events when she had a leap of 11.47m (+4.4 mps) on her second attempt to place sixth in the U18 Girls Triple Jump.
Nelda Huggins moments ago placed 4th in her heat in the U20 Girls Division and will have to wait to see if she qualifies on fast times.
According to the BVI Athletics Association, the BVI team got great news during Friday morning's Technical Meeting when the rule stopping 13 and 14 year olds was abandoned allowing Beyonce DeFreitas to compete. “Because the ruling came late, she did not run the 400m prelims last night, but will see 200m action tomorrow morning along with Fahie, Hill and Huggins,” it said on the BVI Milesplit website.
DeFreitas will team up with Fahie, Penn and Zacharia "Zakie" Frett to run the U18 Girls 4x100m Relay on Sunday, where the BVI won bronze last year with Huggins on the squad.
16 Responses to “UPDATE: VI’s medal hopes dented with 100m disappointment”
Why is this a concern or noted? Writer needs to stop minimizing the efforts of our athletes and causing division and divisiveness in BVI track and field.