From left to right, Rachel Conhoff, Malique Smith, and Michelle Smith. Photo Credit: VIRGIN ISLANDS TRACK & FIELD FEDERATION
It was another fantastic weekend for young Virgin Islands athletes in their collegiate careers with first place finishes at track meets for Michelle Smith, Malique Smith, and Rachel Conhoff.
Michelle competed in the 2-day Florida-Georgia High School Challenge where she ran 600m in 1:30.85, placing first. Her time established a new Youth Facility record, a new record for her school, Montverde Academy, and a new Virgin Islands National Indoor record.
Statistics from the Virgin Islands Track & Field Federation indicate that Michelle's mother, Mireille Sankatsing-Smith, ran the exact same time in a 600m race in 1992, which at the time set a record for her school - Eastern Michigan University - that still stands today.
Apart from her record-setting 600m race, Michelle was also part of a winning 4 × 400 relay which took first place in 3:48.89, a time which set another school record and propelled Montverde to #1 across the US.
She will next compete in New York City at the Millrose Games on Feb 11.
Meanwhile, fellow Virgin Islands Track and Field Team member Malique Smith placed first in the 400m at the 2023 Celebration Pointe Indoor Classic on February 3. His time of 48.22 represented a new personal indoor record.
Rachel Conhoff, who like Michelle and Malique is a member of the Virgin Islands Track and Field Team, competed in the Frank Colden Invite on February 4. The Ursinus College senior winning time of 2:19.50 in the 800m secured her the #2 ranking in the Centennial Conference.
Rachel’s next track meet will be February 10th where she will compete in a two-day competition at Boston University's David Hemery Valentine Invitational.
