Eight Athletes Bound For CAC Age Group Championships in Curacao

2013 CAC Age Group Championships delegation:Seated L-R: Kisheba Sprauve, Arianna Hayde, J'Nae Wong, Beyonce DeFreitas, Xiomara "Gia" Malone, Ashley "Feather" Warner. Standing: L-R: Stanley Goodridge, J'Quaan Smith, Chaz Fahie, Jelani Norman and Ericca Fredericks 

JUNE 25—Arianna Hayde and J’Nae Wong will lead eight British Virgin Islands athletes to the 15th CAC Age Group Championships in Willemstad Curacao, June 29 and 30. The championships were first held in Curacao in 1985.

The competition targets 11-12 and 13-14 boys and girls. The 11-12 athletes contest five disciplines—60m, Long Jump, High Jump Ball Throw and 800m for Girls and 1000m for Boys. Athletes in the 13-14 division tackle the 80m dash, 80m Hurdles, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, Ball Throw and 1000m for Girls and 1200m for Boys.

Athletes accumulate points based on their performance in each event with the athlete with the highest cumulative scores in each division winning the competition. There are also team awards doled out to the top teams. 

Hayde and Wong—now in the 13-14 Division—won the 11-12 Girls Division bronze in 2011, when the last championships were held in the British Virgin Islands for the first time.  Joining them will be Jelani Norman and Rakeel Jack, who will compete in the 13-14 Boys segment.

Xiomara “Gia” Malone and Beyonce DeFreitas are the 11-12 Girls and Chaz Fahie and J’Quaan Smith the 11-12 Boys.

The CAC Age Group Championships kicks off regional and international competition for BVI athletes. BVI athletes will compete in the CAC Sr. Championships in Mexico, July 5-7; the IAAF World Youth Championships in the Ukraine, July 10-14; IAAF World Championships in Russia, August 10-18 and the  August 23-25, Pan Am Jr. Championships in Colombia.