BY DEAN GREENAWAY

Dione Blyden won the Central American and Caribbean Age Group Championships 10-11 division gold medal in Caguas, Puerto Rico over the weekend. Blyden’s feat completed a remarkable year for the BVI in the regional championships cycle.

With the exception of last month’s CAC Track and Field Championships, BVI athletes have won CAC gold medals in three of the last four CAC Championships events at all levels. Eric Mathias won the CAC Jr. Championships Discus gold last July. Dion Crabbe won the CAC Games 100 meters in December, before Blyden’s golden moment last week.
 “It was a very pleasing result for us. For the first time, our girls came back with medals,” BVI Amateur Athletic Association president Rey O’Neal said. “The most exciting result was Dione Blyden who was first overall in the 10-11 Pentathlon. He won the High Jump, was second in the 1000 meters and third in the Long Jump. His teammate Jevonte Croal was second in the Long Jump. It was really a good performance by the 10-11 athletes.”
Blyden’s victory and teammate Jovante Croal’s 12th place finish gave them second overall. That coupled with Kanishque Todman’s 4th and Brittney Wattley’s 8th gave the BVI the team bronze in the 10-11 division. Blyden amassed 2550 points and Croal 2211. Todman finished with 2218 points and Wattley 2072.

In the 12-13 division, Bianca Dougan placed 11th recording 2784. Chantal Malone had 2547 in 15th. Mikial Howe was 12th after scoring 3124 points and Tarik Wilson 20th with 2203. The 12-13 team placed seventh overall.
O’Neal said while Dougan was second in the 12-13 division 1000, both she and Malone were below what was expected in the High and Long Jumps. He added that the team of Howe and Wilson had their moments but Wilson drew fouls in the Long Jump, which hurt their chances.

“The age group Championships has served us well over the years,” O’Neal said. “It has produced a number of athletes for the junior and senior teams, among them Dion Crabbe and Aliston Potter.” The BVIAAA head suggested that the Sports Division and the schools could think of putting on a similar multi event competition for both the Inter Primary and BVI High School Championships.

O’Neal says he’d like those in a position to make decisions to encourage these youngsters to stay in the sport. He said the attrition rate between the youths and junior ranks is considerable, even more so from the junior to senior. “There really has to be something done to motivate them to continue. I think there should be some measure of recognition at the highest level, for someone like Dion Blyden,” he suggested. “It was good to see that Dion Crabbe was duly recognized he won the CAC Games 100 meters. We have been there or thereabouts for quite a while. It’s something that seems to often escape the attention of those that can bring it to the public’s eye.”