Sports
Beyonce Defreitas strikes gold at American indoor championships!
By MERRICK ANDREWS, Online News Editor
(JTV News) — The British Virgin Island’s Beyonce Defreitas, representing the University of Central Florida (UCF), won gold and bronze in the women’s 200 meters and 60 meters, respectively, at the Feb. 24-25 American Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States of America.
Defreitas, a senior at UCF, clocked 23.34 to win the 200m final after producing the second-fastest time, 23. 73, in the preliminaries.
Cecilia Tamayo-Garza of the University of Houston finished second with 23.56 after being the top qualifier from the preliminaries with 23.53.
Defreitas’s UCF teammates held on to third (Kiah Williams, 23.56), fourth (Daija Lampkin, 23.64), and fifth (Rayniah Jones, 23.83).
The former Elmore Stoutt High School student went on to take third place overall and the bronze in the women’s 60m final in 7.36 seconds. She entered the final with the fastest time of 7.34.
Her UCF teammate won the final in 7.29. Jones placed second in 7.35. Lampkin was fourth in 7.40.
However, Defreitas did not have much luck in the 4x400m relay. Defreitas along with Lampkin, Alicia Coleman, and Williams placed seventh in three minutes, 45. 91 seconds.
The Houston quartet of Iman Babineaux, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Linesha Thompson, and Sydni Townsend won with 3:37.90.
Defreitas, 21, is a 200m semi-finalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She also competed in the same event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she was eliminated in the heats.
Local News
BVI Barracudas Shine at 2024 VISF Short Course Championships with Record Medal Haul
The British Virgin Islands Barracudas Swim Team returned from the 2024 Virgin Islands Swimming Federation (VISF) Short Course Championships in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, with 47 individual medals along with three second-place relay finishes, a vast improvement from last year’s 20 medals.
“We’re incredibly proud of the Barracudas’ achievements this year,” said a team representative. “Our swimmers put in the hard work, achieving 55 personal best times, and showing immense growth with more than double last year’s medal count. Their dedication is paying off.”
The team’s success was especially evident among its youngest swimmers, with many trying new events and demonstrating advanced techniques for the first time. Swimmers as young as eight made a mark, excelling in events like breaststroke pullouts and flip turns—a challenging feat given the team’s limited access to training facilities with regulation flags and pools back home.
Leading the charge, eight-year-old Skylar Steer clinched first place in five events, including the 25m Freestyle (20.14) and 100m Freestyle (1:37.15). Teammate Naya Bissoondutt also delivered top results, securing two first-place finishes in the 8 & Under category, while fellow swimmer William Vergel placed on the podium in three events, underscoring the young team’s depth of skill and potential.
The Barracudas’ relay teams also performed admirably, with the Mixed 8 & Under Medley and Freestyle Relay teams both taking second-place finishes, adding to the team’s impressive medal count.
Older team members brought in strong results as well, with Kyrique Matthew in the Boys 11-12 category capturing first in four events, including the 100m Freestyle (1:25.26) and the 200m Breaststroke (4:06.46). Princess Samantha Vergel and Amaury Rosan-Jones also contributed significantly in their respective age categories.
“We are immensely grateful to everyone who helped make this meet possible,” noted the team, extending thanks to the VISF, event officials, supportive parents, and sponsors, including Aquatic Rentals VI, ATU, Island Shipping, John Duncan, and Nanny Cay, where the team was able to train in preparation for the championships.
Reflecting on the team’s progress, a Barracudas representative remarked, “The hard work and dedication of our swimmers has truly shone through. We are extremely proud of their achievements and look forward to more success in the future. This accomplishment is the result of a strong community effort.”
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Team BVI Falls to Rugby Puerto Rico in International Test Match, 51-27
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BVI Archery Team Returns with 9 Medals from Regional Championship in Jamaica
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) archery team has returned home with 2 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals from the 2024 WAAm Caribbean Development Championship, held in Kingston, Jamaica. The event, which took place from September 18 to 22, gathered top talent from across the Caribbean and beyond.
Kellyann Tillac and Naomi Onwufuju each secured a gold medal, while Keandre Matthew, Javelin Frett, and Kellyann Tillac (who won two silvers) brought home four silver medals. The BVI also claimed three bronze medals, with Keandre Matthew earning two and Keyara Smith securing one.
The BVI squad, consisting of both beginner and developmental archers, competed against athletes from several regional heavyweights, including Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.
The competition featured athletes across multiple categories. Representing the BVI in the Recurve Beginner Under 15 Men category was Matthew Keandré, while David Persaud competed in the Recurve Developmental Men category. In the Compound Beginner Under 15 Women category, Kasadiyah Baird competed alongside Naomi Onwufuju and Keyara Smith, who took part in the Compound Developmental Under 18 Women category. Javlyn Frett also competed in the Compound Developmental Women category, with Kellyann Tillack rounding out the squad in the Recurve Beginner Under 18 Women category.
Guided by coaches Ritseeniyah Georges and Patrick Smith, the BVI archers showed significant growth throughout the championship.
Jamaica, the host nation, fielded the largest team with 34 members, and the competition also saw strong participation from countries like the Bahamas, Guyana, the US Virgin Islands, and the United States. The high calibre of competition made the BVI’s medal haul even more remarkable, as the event brought together some of the region’s best archers.
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