CARTAGENA, Colombia—It was long after the deadline to register the delegation to participate in the 20^th Central American and Caribbean Games that wraps up in Cartagena, Colombia on Sunday, something in side told BVI Amateur Athletic Association president Ephraim Penn he should attend the games. He only became an accredited member of the delegation last Wednesday. A week later, he stood in the stands amazed by sprinter Tahesia Harrigan’s debut performance that brought the territory its second gold medal in its 24 year history of participation in the games. The BVI, the smallest country in the CAC Games region, joined Cuba as the only two countries that had the men’s 100 meter champion in the last games and their female sprinter won the event in the next games.

CARTAGENA, Colombia—The British Virgin Islands became just the second country behind powerhouse Cuba, to have a female sprinter follow up by winning the 100 meters in the Central American and Caribbean Games, after its male sprinter won the same event in the last games. Sprinter Tahesia Harrigan rocketed from the blocks and powered her way to the gold medal last night in the 20^th edition of the games in the sun drenched city of Cartagena, Colombia, by reaching the line ahead of seven pursuers from around the region in 11.15 seconds, 1/100 off the meet record. Harrigan led a sweep by Leeward Islands athletes, a feat accomplished for the very first time. She was followed by the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Lavern Jones in 11.50 and St. Kitts’ Virgin Hodge followed in 11.52.

CARTAGENA, Colombia—Defending champion Dion Crabbe joined debuting Taheisa Harrigan in tonight’s Central American and Caribbean Games 100 meter finals, marking the first time that two BVI athletes have been finalist in the regional quadrennial event. Harrigan, who joined Karene King as the first women to represent the territory in its 24 year history of participation, won her heat in the night’s fastest time of 11.19 seconds. King, running in heat three, turned in a personal best 12.32 effort in seventh. Crabbe who made his second successive 100 meter finals, had a season’s best time of 10.36 seconds in fifth in heat one, advancing as one of the two fastest losers. It was only Crabbe’s second 100 meters of the season, the first coming in his first round run. No results were available from that race.

CARTAGENA, Colombia—Bryshaun Scatliffe and Sean Anderson would like to forget their respective debuts in the 20^th Central American Games, but will likely remember their poor starts for different reasons.

For the BVI teenagers—carrying the territory’s banner in the games for the first time since 1993—one ended up in the hospital while the other threw up after dehydrating, but both are optimistic of better performances when racing continues at 10 a.m. today off the Cartagena coast.