Akrisa Eristee and Palesa Caesar created history for the BVI when they became the first athletes to secure medals in their respective age disciplines, in the just concluded 2021 NACAC U18 to U23 Championships in Costa Rica over the weekend.
Competing in the Under 20, 400-meter event on Saturday July 10, Eristee running out of lane number five, managed to secure a silver medal under rainy running conditions, with a finishing time of 55.66 seconds. She became the first athlete from the BVI to win a medal in the Under 20, 400-meter event.
That race was won by Trinidad and Tobago’s Rae-Anne Serville, with a time of 54.85 seconds.
Eristee also competed in the Under 20, 200-meter event on Sunday July 11, but she just missed out on a podium finish placing fourth, with a personal best time of 24.36 seconds. That race was won by Camille Rutherford of Bahamas in a time of 23.42 seconds.
Speaking on her performance, Eristee said it was a great experience and that it positively impacted her significantly.
Meanwhile, Caesar secured a third-place finish in the Under 18 Shot Put event, tossing the put a distance of 12.89 meters. Caesar’s bronze medal made her the first athlete from the BVI to medal in the Under 18 category of the shot-put event.
The event was won by Jamaica’s Britannia Johnson with a throw of 14.33 meters. She defeated her twin sister Britannie Johnson, who placed second with a throw of 13.94 meters.
Caesar also competed in the Under 18 Discuss Throw event where she placed fifth.
Caesar described the championship as a good experience overall.
President of the BVI Athletics Association Steve Augustine said he was proud of the performances displayed by the female athletes over the weekend.
The two athletes are scheduled to return to the territory around 5:45pm today.