The Carl Plaskett Virgin Islands National Track and Field Championship will be held at 8 a.m., Saturday, June 8, at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Track and Field Facility on St. Thomas, according to a press release issued on Sunday by the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation (VITFF).
The competition will include standard running, throwing and jumping events for male and female athletes including youths, juniors, open/seniors and masters.
This year’s annual event, which alternates between St. Thomas and St. Croix, recognizes VITFF Hall of Famer Carl Plaskett, the first international track and field medal winner and Olympian in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, which was the first Olympics appearance for the Virgin Islands. Plaskett is also a former president of the VITFF.
VITFF member clubs are extended an invitation to compete, including:
St. Thomas: Cheetah’s Track Club; Jaws Track Club; Massive Track Club; STAR (St. Thomas Association of Road Runners); St. Thomas Track Club
St. Croix: St. Croix Track Club; V.I.Pace Runners (The Virgin Islands Pace Runners); Hounds and Foxes Track Club; Mary’s Fancy Track Club; Jolly Roger Track Club; Jets Track Club; Barracudas Track Club; V.I. Express Track Club
The competition will have V.I. Olympians, including: Laverne Jones-Ferrette; V.I. NCAA collegiate champion Yashira Rhymer-Stuart; SWAC Conference champions Nia Jack and Malique Smith; V.I. Youth Olympian Mikaela Smith; as well as top scholastic and local champions.
The VITFF is making available a limited number of travel grants for off-island competitors to eligible athletes and clubs.
The event will also serve as a qualifier for a number of major track and field championships coming up this season: The Pan American Games in Lima, Peru; The IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar; the NACAC under 18 and under 23 Championships in Queretaro, Mexico; The Pan American under 20 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica; the NACAC Age-Group Championships in San Salvador, El Salvador.
VITFF welcomes athletes, volunteers, sponsors for this annual event. For event information including registration, a technical manual, updates and more, logon to: http://virginislandspace.org/vitff.html or email: isv@mf.iaaf.org or call: Dale Joseph, meet director, 474-6077; Ileta Potter, technical director, 514-8509; Mireille Smith, registration, 422-1123; Keith Smith, youth/junior athlete coordinator; Laverne Jones-Ferrette, senior athlete coordinator; Shane Degannes, masters athlete coordinator; Wallace Williams, general secretary of VITFF; or Ronald Russell, president of VITFF.
