By Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
Wanyaé Belle, left, Jaleel Croal and Khybah Dawson
Sprinters Jaleel Croal and Wanyaé Belle and Long Jumper Khybah Dawson, will represent the BVI at the 2nd Jr. Pan Am Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, Aug 9-23, BVI Olympic Committee officials announced on Monday.
The team will depart on Aug 14 ahead of competition on Aug 18. The competition targets athletes between 17 and 22 years. Event winners qualify for 2027 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
Croal, who will be a senior with the South Florida Bulls in the fall, will contest the 100m and 200m events and has run personal bests of 10.08 seconds and 19.95 respectively, which ranks him at No 4 in the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) region and No 10 on World Athletics global list. He’s No 93 in the world in the 100m. Belle, who competed this season at Barton County College in Kansas, is transferring to the Minnesota Gophers and has 100m and 200m best of 10.40 seconds and 20.69 respectively. He earned Jr. Championships All American in the 200m. Bell and Croal will see 100m at 5 p.m. BVI time on August 18.
Dawson, who will be a senior at Texas A&M, has an outdoor best Long Jump leap of 7.70m, (25’3¼”) No 20 in NACAC after cutting the sand indoors at 7.89m (25’1 ¾”). He swings into action at 5 p.m. on Aug 19. Croal and Belle will return to action in the 200m on Aug 20 at 5:29 p.m.
“Honestly, it feels strange just because I’ve never competed this late before. This time last season, I was checked out mentally because I know the season was long,” Croal, who won the American Athletics Conference Outdoor sprint double said. “But this season, I just have a drive in me that makes me want to compete even now. I’m mentally prepared for anything right now. The season has gone well and there’s nothing I can change right now. It’s just training to stay sharp.”
Belle said he’s had a long season and had to recommit to being disciplined. “I decided to go to Paraguay, so everything has been more focused discipline wise.”
Dawson, who was among the Top 20 Long Jumpers but did not do well in the SEC Championships or NCAA West Regionals, said he had to take a mental break when he came home.
“I came back with confidence to perform, the drive to perform and I’ve cut down on fouling,” he said of what plagued him during the season. “What I’m fine tuning right now is being consistent on the board and I know everything is going to be fine. I’m just excited for another opportunity to perform—although I was thinking how long and treacherous my season would be—but I was also just excited for the opportunity.”
After a collegiate season where he felt he wasn’t getting the required training to improve, Dawson came home and has been working with veteran Coach Winston Potter who has guided his early development. Potter said he thinks Dawson was going through some mental issues because of his coaching situation. “I think the quality that he was getting there, is not the same quality that he’s getting here and personally, I’m very excited from what I’ve seen,” Potter said. “What I’ve seen in practice and what he’s been able to do, it’s just a matter of keeping him calm and ready to carry it over when we get there. I’m hoping for the next couple of weeks we can keep sharp. To be honest, he’s jumped 8 meters (26’3”) in practice.”
Although she hasn’t competed this year, World U20 200m champion and 100m silver medalist Adaejah Hodge, is one of seven Brand Ambassadors for the Games.
Others in the delegation include: Chef de Mission, Gloria Fahie. Safeguarding Officer, Sofia Brewley. Coach Winston Potter. Physiotherapist, Courtney Bascombe.
