BVI finishes 3rd at CARIFTA; Hodge wins Austin Sealy Award

The British Virgin Islands capped off a historic CARIFTA Games by finishing with seven medals and seeing local athletic sensation, Adaejah Hodge leave with the Austin Sealy Award for a most outstanding athlete at the 49th staging of the meet. 

Although it was not the most medals the territory has received at a CARIFTA Game, it is the highest position they have ever finished on the medal table — third. The BVI finished with four gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal.

Hodge was the toast of the meet for securing three gold medals in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the long jump. 

She then returned on the second day to post a wind-aided 6.20 metres to take the U-17 Girls long jump before turning up on the final night to post a personal best time of 23.43 seconds in the Under-17 Girls 200-metre final to cap off a fantastic meet. 

Hodge’s development in track and field began with local youth coach Ericca Frederick before she moved to Atlanta to continue training. Speaking on Hodge’s exploits at the Games with YouTuber, Coach’s Desk, Frederick said: “She has done extremely well; I am so proud of her. I have worked with her from a little child until she moved to Atlanta, so I am extremely proud because grass root is very important”. 

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Recreation Trust, Eustace ‘Boss’ Freeman said he was extremely proud of Hodge and the other athletes who went out and made the Virgin Islands and themselves proud. 

“It is a testament to the programme the BVIAA is running. All the persons, all our officials, all our supporters. We must appreciate and continue to put our support behind the BVI Athletic Association,” Freeman said. 

Hodge is the first Austin Sealy Award winner from the Virgin Islands since the CARIFTA Games’ inception in 1977. 

Other medallists

The BVI’s Under-20 Girls 4×400 metres relay team captured a silver medal with a time of 3.45.67 seconds. Savianna Joseph captured gold in the Girls’ U-17 Shot Put with a throw of 13.54 metres. 

Jah’Kyla Morton, one of the territory’s emerging, talented young athletes also copped a bronze medal in the girl’s U-17 High Jump competition. She cleared a height of 1.60 metres to clip Trinidad & Tobago’s Gianna Paul for the bronze.  

Meanwhile, A’Keela McMaster got in on the act with a silver medal in the girl’s Under-20 Heptathlon competition. She finished with a total 4,246 points. 

Other notable performers 

A’Sia McMaster competed in the U-17 Girls High Jump and 100-metre Hurdles. She finished sixth in the High Jump clearing 1.50 metres and ran a time of 15.38 seconds for fourth in the hurdles. 

Orlando Douglas finished fifth in the U-20 Boys Discus and seventh in the Shot Put. He registered 46.55 metres and 14.43 metres, respectively. His teammate Andre Smikle competed in the same events and finished twelfth in the Discus with a mark of 28.64 metres and eighth in the Shot Put with 12.94 metres. 

Gabriel Cline and Dimitri Varlac competed in the U-17 Boys Long Jump; placing sixth and ninth with jumps of 6.37 metres and 5.98 metres, respectively.  

Palesa Caesar, a competitor in the U-20 Girls Shot Put and Discus, finished fifth and sixth, respectively. She managed a mark of 42.32 metres in the Discus and 11.73 metres in the Shot Put. 

The Girls’ U-20 400 metres saw two finalists from the BVI, with both finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Kaelyah Liburd finished fourth with a time of 53.84 seconds while Akrissa Eristee finished with 54.41 seconds. 

The U-17 Boys 800 metres finals saw Johnathon Lynch finishing fourth with a time of 2.01.09, while the U-20 Boys equivalent had Jahshani Farrington who finished fifth in 1.55.01. Kenyatta Grate made the U-20 Girls 200 metres final, finishing sixth with a time of 25.21 seconds. 

Jelani Croal finished the Boys Octathlon in fourth with a total score of 4845 points. Meanwhile, Wanyae Belle attempted the Boys U-20 sprint double, making the finals for both the 100 metres and the 200 metres. He finished fifth and seventh with a time of 10.61 and 22.12, respectively. 

The U-20 Girls 4×100 metres relay, despite falling on the first leg, picked up the baton and completed the race placing eight in a time of 1:08.66. 

Following her gold medal in the U-17 Girls Shot Put, Savianna Joseph managed fourth in the Discus with a throw of 34.31, while Jah’Kyla Morton followed her bronze medal in the Girls U-17 High Jump with a sixth-place finish in the Long Jump with a mark of 5.41 metres.