Virgin Islands cross-country runners are competing and representing the USVI both on the U.S. mainland and on St. Croix, according to the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
Florida
Virgin Islands team members Michelle Smith, a senior at Montverde Academy, and Kruz Schembri, a junior at Ridge Community High School in Davenport, Florida, competed in the FSU Pre-State Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida, on Sept. 30, according to the press release.
The competition site is the same course that will be used for the 2026 Cross Country World Championships. Michelle Smith finished the 3.1-mile course in 7th place in a field of 292 runners with a time of 20:42.60. Kruz finished the 5000-meter race in a time of 16:53.35 in 35th place with 349 runners, the press release stated.
Michelle Smith is the Virgin Islands National Record Holder in the 400m Hurdles and 800m, and Kruz Schembri is the Virgin Islands’ National Fencer. Both Smith and Schembri will be representing the Virgin Islands in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile Oct. 20 – Nov. Smith will be competing on the track in the 400m Hurdles and Schembri will represent the Virgin Islands in Men’s Foil in Fencing, the release stated.
VITFF National team member Rachel Conhoff, a graduate student at Indiana State University, competed at the Louisville Classic Cross Country race on Sept. 30 in Louisville, Kentucky. Rachel finished the 5000-meter race in a personal best of 18:17.7, it said.
VITFF National team member Eduardo Garcia competed in the USATF 10K Road Championships, held in Northport, New York, on Sept. 23. Garcia finished 15th in a time of 29:57 on the hilly challenging course, according to the release.
Garcia’s next race will be the McKirdy Micro Marathon in Rockland Lake State Park, New York, on Oct. 14, it said.
St. Croix
On Sept. 30 on St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation hosted the Cross Country 2 by Metric Mile Relay. Two athletes form a team and each run a Metric Mile (1500 meters), which is just short of a mile, on the smaller loop of the course. The first runner completes the loop and tags the second runner, who will then complete the same loop. The team with the fastest total time in their category wins, according to the press release.
The overall winners were Wilfredo Concepcion and Brandon Springer from the St. Croix Track Club, who ran a total time of 12:40.49. The top female team consisted of Aminah Prasad and Safiya Prasad from St. Croix Track Club, with a time of 13:29.44, and the top mixed team consisted of Jeniqua Weekes and Winston Hurst from the St. Croix Track Club, with a time of 13:57.41, the press release stated.
The full results are also available at Competitions / Results – Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
On Sept. 27, the VITFF hosted the second cross-country race for the St. Croix Interscholastic Athletic Association. There were 157 athletes that competed in the Elementary Mile Race, the Middle School and Junior Varsity 2 Mile Race and the 3.1 Mile Varsity Race in Estate Negro Bay, the release stated.
Female and Male 1 Mile Elementary school winners were Juvantia Hurst, Eulalie Rivera and Parker Morrissey, Free Will Baptist School.
The winners in the 2 Mile race for Middle School: Faith Eatmon, Eulalie Rivera and Kolebert Daisley, Good Hope Country Day.
2 Mile Junior Varsity: Aminah Prasad, St. Croix Educational Complex and David Morton, St. Croix Central High School.
In the 3.1 Mile for the Varsity division: Kirra Lambert, Good Hope Country Day and Nathan Langley, Good Hope Country Day.
The full results can be found at Competitions / Results – Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
Next race dates for St. Croix are Oct. 11 and 18, and the Cross Country Team Championship on Oct. 21, it said.
