Athletes Recognition Ceremony concludes BVIOC's 20th anniversary

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

BVI athletes who have won medal as all levels of competitions were present 
when the BVI Olympic Committee hosted an Athletes Recognition Ceremony on December 21 at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Anniversary Tent, as the final activity of its 20th anniversary celebrations.

The BVIOC which became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1982, ended 2002 with five national records falling and sprinter Dion Crabbe winning the Central American and Caribbean Games 100 meter gold medal in early December. Discus Thrower Eric Mathias brought home the CAC Jr. Championships Discus Throw gold in July.

Besides addresses by Chief Minster Ralph T. O'Neal; Bernadine Louis on 
behalf of the Minister of Sports; Leader of the Opposition Dr. Orlando 
Smith, and BVIOC president Rey O'Neal-who received a plaque for his 32 
years of involvement in track and field-the program featured the 17th 
Commonwealth Games and 19th Central American and Caribbean Games 
delegations, past athletes along with a power point presentation on 
Crabbe's 'Gold Medal Run.'

Current and former BVI athletes were on hand signing autographs for 
spectators and taking pictures. Spectators were presented with photos from 
the Commonwealth Games and CAC Games and one with the territory's leading athletes-Tahesia Harrigan, Keita Cline, Crabbe and Mathias. The prized photo was of CAC Games 100 meter champ Crabbe, who signed them for the public.

Track and Field, the most successful of the sports comprising the BVIOC, 
had five national records broken in 2002. Crabbe lowered both the 100 and 
200 meter marks to 10.25 and 20.30 seconds respectively-the latter ranking 
him as the 18th best performer in the world in 2002 and only 160 athletes 
in the history of the sport have ran faster. Crabbe won double All America 
honors at the 2002 NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Sprinter Tahesia Harrigan who won NCAA All America honors over 60 meters during the Indoor season, lowered the sprint records to 11.37 and 23.46 seconds respectively. Eric Mathias added 12 feet to his National Discus record with his throw of 172 ft 1 inch in early December. Mathias 
qualified for the World Jr. Championships which were held in Jamaica in 
July, while Crabbe and Harrigan have qualified for the 2003 World Indoor 
and Outdoor Championships in Birmingham and Paris respectively.

Aliston 'Al' Potter and DeAnna Wattley have qualified for the World Youth 
Championships in Canada next summer. Potter qualified in the 100 and 200 
meters while Wattley has met the 100 meter standard.

Medals won by B.V.I. athletes in international competition

Yachting

Robbie Hirst Silver- World Junior Laser Championships, 1987

Track & Field

C.A.C. Games
Dion Crabbe Gold 100 meters- San Salvador, 2002

C.A.C. Senior Championships
Dean Greenaway Bronze 400 meters Guadalajara, 1979
Karl Scatliffe Bronze High Jump Medellin, 1993
Dion Crabbe Bronze 200 meters Bridgetown, 1999
Keita Cline Bronze 200 meters Guatemala, 2001

C.A.C. Junior Championships
Tracy Bradshaw Silver 400 meters Tegucigalpa, 1992
Keita Cline Silver Long Jump Tegucigalpa, 1992
Keita Cline Bronze Triple Jump Tegucigalpa, 1992
Eric Matthias Gold Discus Throw U-17 San Juan, 2000
Eric Matthias Gold Discus Throw U-20, Bridgetown, 2002

Carifta Junior Games
Dean Greenaway Silver 400 meters Nassau, 1978
Andre Pickering Silver Long Jump U-17 Kingston, 1982
Keita Cline Bronze 200 meters U-17 Kingston, 1989
Raymond Solomon Bronze High Jump Bridgetown, 1990
Keita Cline Gold Long Jump Port-of-Spain, 1991
Keita Cline Gold Long Jump Nassau, 1992
Keita Cline Gold Triple Jump Nassau, 1992
Keita Cline Gold Long Jump Fort-de-France, 1993
Keita Cline Bronze Triple Jump Fort-de-France, 1993
Eric Matthias Bronze Discus Throw U-17 Bridgetown, 2000

C.A.C. Youth Championships
Dion Crabbe Gold High Jump (12-13) Curacao, 1987
Dion Crabbe/ Leighton Smith Team Bronze Curacao, 1987
Aliston Potter Gold High Jump (10-11)- Kingston, 1997
Aliston Potter Gold Long Jump (10-11)- Kingston, 1997
Aliston Potter Bronze 60 meters (10-11)- Kingston, 1997
Aliston Potter Silver Individual aggregate- Kingston, 1997

N.A.C.A.C. Championships
Dion Crabbe Bronze 100 meters Monterrey, 2002
Dion Crabbe Bronze 200 meters Monterrey, 2002

O.E.C.S. Gold Medallists
Dean Greenaway 400 meters 1988
Lindel Hodge 100 meters 1987
Karl Scatliffe High Jump 1988/1990
Raymond Solomon High Jump 1991