April 1, 2010

IUP freshman Kenneth Wallace-Whitfield will be competing in the 39th Carifta Games from Saturday through Monday at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in the Cayman Islands.

Wallace-Whitfield, who came to IUP from Nassau, Bahamas, will compete in the middle distance running events. In his first season with the Crimson Hawks, Wallace-Whitfield finished fifth in the 800 at the PSAC indoor meet and was on the 4 x 800 relay team that placed sixth.

The Carifta Games annually feature most of the top junior Caribbean track and field athletes in the world and have produced many record holders and champions, most notably Usain Bolt of Jamaica, the reigning Olympic 100 and 200 meter gold medalist.

The Games are arguably the most important junior athletic meet outside of the World Youth or World Junior championships and have become an important venue for college coaches to identify potential athletes to join track and field programs in the United States.