The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) men’s and women’s track and field teams
opened up their 2024 season this past weekend at the University of Central Florida’s
“Knight Invite”. They competed in the two-day event among NCAA Division I and II institutions
including nationally recognized powerhouse universities such as Clemson, Rutgers,
Yale, and Penn State.
Women’s Team
With distance runner Ariana Renault scratched due to injury, sophomore Aisha Sabur
was the only member of the women's track team to compete. On Friday evening, Sabur
ran in the 14th heat of the 200m races finishing 8th with a time of 32.97.
The sprinter from Flint, Michigan returned to the track on Saturday to compete in heat 11 of the women’s 100-meter dash. She finished with a time of 14.93, placing 5th in her heat.
Men’s Team
Sophomore V’Andre Rochester and freshmen Rayhan Sabur and Cecil Hector, III all competed in the final heat of the men’s 200m dash on Friday evening. Rochester finished third in the heat with a time of 24.34. Sabur and Hector, III followed closely behind finishing in 4th and 5th place, respectively, with times of 24.94 and 24.95 as the former slightly edged ahead of his teammate at the finish line.
Senior Nijai Nisbett closed out Friday evening for the Buccaneers, running in the
final heat of the men’s 1500-meter distance race. Nisbett finished with a time of
6:26.72
Sabur and Hector, III were back in the blocks on Saturday afternoon as they both
competed in the men’s 100m dash. Sabur finished 5th in his heat with a time of 12.36, while Hector, III finished right behind in 6th place at 12.46 seconds.
The Buccaneers will have just under two weeks off before returning to Florida as they enter the University of South Florida’s “South Florida Invitational Meet” on the University’s campus in Tampa, Florida on April 5-6.
About UVI Athletics
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and, as of July 1, 2023, competes in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC). Entering the 2023-24 season, the Buccaneers will begin their 17th season of athletic competition. As the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Caribbean, UVI currently sponsors six sports, including men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. For more information on UVI Athletics, visit UVIAthletics.com.