The United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands sent athletes to the 52nd Caribbean Free Trade Association Games and the 40th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, both held from Saturday through this Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago.
Track and field events are being contested at Hasely Crawford Stadium, while the swimming competitions are taking place at the National Aquatics Center.
First held in 1972 in Bridgetown, Barbados, the CARIFTA Games were created to strengthen ties among the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean through sport. The organization has since welcomed participation from non-English-speaking territories, such as the French and Dutch Antilles. Track and field events, governed by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), feature boys and girls competing in under-17 and under-20 divisions.
Aquatics joined the CARIFTA movement in 1985, when the first meet was held in a 20-yard pool at the Ursuline Convent in Barbados, after regional limitations with pool size. Swimming competitions are governed by the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, with age groups for boys and girls in the 11-12, 13-14, and 15-17 divisions.
The 2025 CARIFTA Games are also scheduled to be held in Trinidad and Tobago.
ISV Swimmers Earn Medals
Reagan Uszenski delivered a standout performance for the U.S. Virgin Islands, winning gold in the Girls 13-14 800-meter freestyle with a time of 9:22.27. Her victory made the ISV national anthem the first to be played at the National Aquatics Center during the event. Teammate Lisa Melwani placed seventh in the same race with a time of 10:26.31.
In the Boys 13-14 1,500-meter freestyle, Cole Cullinan and Teague Gleason finished ninth and 11th, respectively, with times of 18:12.58 and 18:57.66. Kaeden Gleason just missed the podium in the Boys 15-17 1,500-meter freestyle, placing fourth in 16:52.70.
Zion John Baptiste also narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in the Boys 13-14 50-meter backstroke with a time of 29.12, just 0.05 seconds behind third place.
Riley Miller captured a bronze medal in the Girls 15-17 50-meter backstroke, touching in 30.03. Kaeden Gleason placed seventh in the Boys 15-17 edition of the same event, clocking in at 28.24. Uszenski came close to earning a second medal, finishing fourth in the Girls 13-14 100-meter butterfly.
BVI Finds Success on the Track
The British Virgin Islands got off to a strong start on the track. Tiondre Free earned silver in the under-17 boys 100-meter dash with a time of 10.58. Mkenzil Crabbe finished sixth in the under-17 girls 100-meter dash in 12.66, and J’Den Jackson also placed sixth in the under-20 boys division with a time of 10.2.
In the field, Paul Hewlett secured a sixth-place finish in the shot put and seventh in the high jump.
The CARIFTA Games and Aquatics Championships continue Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago and will conclude Wednesday.
