A historic week for Saint Lucian track and field unfolded across multiple United States collegiate competitions, with two new national records set and a series of standout podium performances cementing the Caribbean nation’s rising presence in NCAA circuit competition.
Leading the wave of record-breaking results was hurdler Khailan Vitalis, a junior transfer athlete at Clemson University, competing at the 98th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays hosted in Austin. In the preliminary rounds of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Vitalis clocked a ninth-place qualifying time of 13.82 seconds, shaving one hundredth of a second off his own previous personal best, which he set at the 2024 Jo Meaker Classic and Multi. This new mark not only earned him a spot in the event final but also established a new Saint Lucian national record. Though the promising athlete clipped a hurdle during the final round and was unable to finish the race, his preliminary performance still ranks as the 13th fastest time recorded by any Commonwealth Games athlete so far this year.
The second national record of the week came from hammer thrower Lauralyn Clifford, a senior transfer at the University of Texas San Antonio. Competing on the same Austin track at Mike A. Myers Stadium, Clifford extended her own national record with a throw of 58.57 meters (192 feet 2 inches), enough to secure a fifth-place finish in the event. Clifford currently holds the top position in the women’s hammer throw rankings across the American Conference, and her latest throw puts her within just one meter of breaking the UTSA program record. She also ranks among the top 25 hammer throwers from all Commonwealth Games nations this season.
Beyond the two record-breaking performances, several other Saint Lucian athletes claimed top finishes at meets across the country. Sprinter Miguel Charlery picked up a pair of first-place titles at the All-American Meet hosted by East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, taking gold in both the men’s 100-meter sprint with a time of 10.81 seconds and the 200-meter sprint with a 21.74 second finish. Mid-distance runner Kereser Augustin also claimed a top spot competing for Washburn University at the 18th Annual David Suenram Gorilla Classic, winning the women’s 400-meter race in 56.44 seconds while also placing 13th in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 12.61 seconds.
NCAA Division I All-American high jumper Jenneil Jacobie delivered an inspiring performance, overcoming a recent ankle injury to clear 1.76 meters (5 feet 9.25 inches) and take second place for East Texas A&M University at the Bobcat Invitational. At the Joey Hanes Invite, thrower Natalie Albert secured third place competing for the University of Memphis with a 56.57-meter hammer throw.
A host of other Saint Lucian athletes also recorded solid results across the week of competition: Michael Joseph placed fifth in the men’s 400-meter at the LSU Battle on the Bayou with a 45.53 second time; Asa clocked a 3:59.56 to take 24th in the men’s 1500-meter at the George Mason Dalton Ebanks Invite, where Rayshawn Harris placed 61st in the men’s 800-meter with a 2:02.18; Shamael Durand notched a 23rd-place finish in the men’s discus throw (41.40 meters) and ninth in the men’s shot put (12.68 meters) at the Bobcat Invitational; Cagini Pilgrim took fourth in the men’s 100-meter (10.87) and sixth in the men’s 200-meter (22.01) at the Joey Haines Invite, while Ishmael Durand placed 39th in the 200-meter at the same invitational with a 22.57; Narlia Albert claimed 23rd in the women’s 200-meter (28.07) at the Ursinus Springfest; Jola Felix placed 15th in the women’s 200-meter (25.92) and 12th in the women’s 100-meter (12.62) at the Central Methodist Invite; Naomi London placed 11th in the women’s 100-meter at the Texas Relays with an 11.32; Mya Hippolyte took fourth in the women’s 100-meter (12.09) at the ISU Pacesetter Invite; Carleen Lionel placed 22nd in the women’s 100-meter (12.47) at the Sam Howell Invitational; Jasmine Stiede took fifth in the women’s 1500-meter (4:47.7) at the Friends Invitational; multi-event thrower Joy Edward recorded marks of 13.74 meters in the women’s shot put, 52.58 meters in the women’s hammer throw, and 34.68 meters in the women’s discus at the Golden Eagle Invite; and Nebia Montrope placed 15th in the women’s 800-meter (2:34.25) at the Cougar Distance Carnival.