Despite a smaller turnout due to the seasonal “bug” making its rounds, the Island Life Aquathlon at Rainbow Beach was still full of energy and excitement. The Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation extends a big thank you to the Dolphin Team Swimmers for showing up and adding their competitive spirit to the event.
The race kicked off just after 7 a.m. with Individual Sprint and Relay participants diving into the sea. The swim course ended up slightly longer than planned—clocking in at just over 900 meters instead of the intended 800—but the real challenge came from the strong current on the two-lap course. Relay swimmer Daryan Maynard was the first to emerge from the water, followed closely by individual competitor Kaeden Gleason, then Cole Cullinan and Teague Gleason—all standout Dolphins Team swimmers.
The out-and-back 5K run was relatively flat, playing to the strengths of relay runner Ayden Cintron, who posted the fastest time of the day at 18:04. His performance helped Team Teague/Ayden secure first place overall with a time of 30:20. In the Sprint division, GHCDS senior Kaeden Gleason used his overall strenght to claim the individual gold, finishing in 32:44. Fourteen-year-old Cole Cullinan took second place (37:02), while VITF President Stephen Swanton rounded out the podium in third. In the women’s division, Robin Seila claimed first place, followed by Sarah Vaughan in second.
In the relay category, Daryan Maynard and Vedant Mittal took second place (and second overall), while Cameron Cullinan and Dolphins Swim Coach Adriel Sanes finished third (also third overall).
The Super Sprint participants hit the water six minutes after the Sprint race began, tackling a one-lap (450-meter) swim. Randy Nielsen led the way with a time of 12:48, followed closely by first-time participant Jeff Donnelly and Monica Halloran. In the relay division, swimmer David Vaughan handed off to speed-runner Zavier Saleem, who powered their team to first place overall in the Super Sprint.
In the individual Super Sprint category, Randy Nielsen held his lead to take gold, while Jeff Donnelly put some distance between himself and Monica Halloran on the run to finish second overall. Monica was the first-place female finisher, with Ginger Vandeveer securing second place.
The next VITF event is scheduled for Sunday, February 9 at 8am at the Altona Lagoon Park in Gallows Bay. The Silly Sockathlon is a run/bike/run event for kids of all abilities, ages 5 to 15. Please call 340-513-2707 for more information or to reserve a bike for the event.
