USVI Track and Field Athletes Continuing Stellar Collegiate Season

  • Staff Consortium
  • May 15, 2023
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Young Virgin Islands athletes are setting territorial records and moving up the regional rankings as their 2023 collegiate season continues.

Members of the Virgin Islands Track and Field team had an excellent week, with winning performances from Sofia Swindell, Omari Bennett and Michelle Smith, as well as a new Virgin Islands National Record from Rachel Conoff, who ran 4:32.19 in the 1500m at the Centennial Conference Championships in Pennsylvania. Her record-setting time secured 2nd place in that event. Ms.Conoff also participated in the 4x800m relay, contributing to a 2nd place finish in that event and setting a new record for Ursinus College, where she is a senior, in the process.

Sofia Swindell competed in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Championships on Saturday, coming away with a clutch of three gold medals and one silver. Ms. Swindell led the pack in the 100m hurdles, recording a personal best time of 12.43 in that event. She dispensed with the 100m hurdles in a time of 14.84 and she won the triple jump with another personal best performance - 38 feet and 6.75 inches. Ms. Swindell’s silver medal came in the long jump, where she leapt 17 feet and 2 inches to secure second place.

Michelle Smith took first place in the 400m hurdles when she competed in the Puma East Coast International Showcase. Her gold medal was earned with a time of 58.34 in that event.

Omari Bennett, for his part, won gold at the SCISA Track and Field Division 1 Championships in South Carolina. He placed first in the 110m hurdles event with a time of 14.92, and picked up a bronze medal in the triple jump, clearing 41 feet and 5.5 inches in that event.

Meanwhile, Malique Smith has now moved up to 18th in the Central American and Caribbean rankings, following his 5th place finish in the NACAC New Life Invitational 400m hurdles over the weekend. His 51.31 time was a new personal record for Mr. Smith.

The season continues with meets and qualifiers in the days and weeks to come.

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