Three archers from the Virgin Islands racked up five bronze and two silver medals at the Caribbean Development Championship in St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, on Oct. 23-26.
Max Dale of St. Croix, Goddess George of St. Thomas, and Dejw Wrensford of St. Thomas competed among 232 athletes from 11 countries in the tournament, which included beginner, developmental, and amateur categories.
The team was led by Head Coach Eloi George, president of the Virgin Islands Archery Federation, along with coaches Ford George and Megan Littlefield, with special thanks to Dr. William Coles of St. Croix Archery.
“This took lots of preparation: several days per week practicing, constant learning. They had to learn to focus, learn the proper form, learn the techniques,” George recounted.
The team’s hard work was not in vain. Dale ranked third overall in the Compound Beginner U18/U21 men. He won bronze in elimination rounds, silver in men’s doubles and silver in mixed doubles.
Goddess George ranked third overall in Recurve Amateur U18 women, winning bronze in elimination rounds and bronze in team rounds.
Wrensford ranked ninth overall in Recurve Beginner U15 Women and won bronze in elimination rounds and bronze in team rounds.
The tournament marked Wrensford’s one-year anniversary in archery.
“The very first time [Dejw] picked up a bow was exactly one year ago. One year later, she’s standing here with a medal,” Dr. Glenda Wrensford, Dejw’s mother, said proudly.
The USVI sent the smallest squad to the championship, which included teams from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Colombia, Curacao, Guyana, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“The USVI had the smallest contingent there, and their performance was really impressive. All three of our archers medaled in their events, and they competed against archers who have more experience, practice more extensively, and receive more governmental support. I’m very proud of them,” Wrensford said.
The archers said the sport has helped them beyond the range.
“I really enjoy archery. I think it helps me in school, too, just building that discipline. Also, we have amazing coaches like Coach George and my coach, Dr. William Coles,” Dale said.
His mother, Megan Littlefield, agreed. “It gets him outside, builds muscle, gets him to focus – all the things parents want, right?” she joked.
“I love how archery uses brawn and brains. It’s really helped me focus more. I also loved the fact that there were athletes from different countries, and we all became friends even though we were competing,” Dejw Wrensford added.
Goddess George, whose father is Eloi George, credited the coaching for the team’s growth.
“My father really loves coaching. And it’s good because now our archery team has grown a lot more because of it,” she smiled.
Ford George, Eloi George’s daughter and a physics student at the University of the Virgin Islands, transitioned from competing to coaching at this year’s competition.
“This year I coached the girls on our team, and it went really well! Obviously medals are awesome,” she laughed, “but it was fun going to this competition.”
Rosetta George, wife of Eloi George and mother of Goddess and Ford, said the team takes pride in representing the territory.
“Every time we go to one of these tournaments, the pride of representing the U.S. Virgin Islands is exciting. While we’re not a country – we’re just a little 13-mile-long island territory – we’re still VI massive, and you know it whenever you see anyone from the Virgin Islands competing,” she said. “The goal is to get in schools and get more students out on the range. If we could get more Virgin Islanders to compete, I think it would be so brilliant.”
The team will compete in the 8th Caribbean Development Championships in Guyana in October 2026.
Archery ranges on St. Thomas and St. Croix are open to the public and welcome archers of all abilities. Information on hours and events is available on Facebook at Virgin Islands Archery Federation, St. Thomas Archery Club, Homeschool Archery and St. Croix Archery.
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