Kineke’s Searchlight 2006 Sports Personality of the year

Middle distance athlete Kineke Alexander is SEARCHLIGHT’S 2006 Sports Personality.

The 20-year-old athlete, a student at Iowa University in the United States of America earns this accolade following a relatively good outing in 2006; a year characterised by mediocre performances among Vincentian sportsmen and women.{{more}}

Among Alexander’s list of achievements was a bronze medal in the women’s 400-meter at the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Cartagena, Colombia in July, when she clocked 54.02 seconds.

Hers was the first for this country at the senior games but her fastest time in her pet event was her 51.35 seconds clocking at the US NCAA outdoor championships in Sacramento.

In the process she set a new St Vincent and the Grenadines’ record in the event, shaving 0.36 seconds off the old mark of 51.71 which she set in June 2005.

In addition, Alexander propelled to the All American honours list and the NCCAA’s mid-west 400-metre regional champion.

“I want to do in 2007 what I did in 2006, but much better,” she told SEARCHLIGHT SPORTS from Florida where she is on a winter break. “I want to repeat my indoor performance and improve on my times and gain more outdoor titles,” she said.

Alexander said she was using her stay in Florida to train as she prepares for another hectic year on the track.

Had the facilities been available here, St Vincent and the Grenadines would have been her preferred choice for the Christmas vacation.

Alexander from Glenside in the Marriaqua Valley and former St Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua student is the reigning US College Indoor champion in the 400-metre. Her 52.16 seconds at the US Indoors at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, recorded her name in the university’s history as the first sprinter to take a national title.

Alexander is fast consolidating herself as one of the most decorated athlete in Iowa’s setup, notching up several records and titles.

Into her third year at the institution, Alexander set new school marks at the University of Wisconsin track records in the 200-metre and 400-metre events.

Ahead of her in the New Year are the Pan American Games in July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the World Championships set for Osaka, Japan, a month later.

Before these though, the soft spoken, but affable athlete is working towards lowering her time in the 400-metre to 50.02 seconds by June.

Alexander said she was thankful for the support given to her by Vincentians.

“I am really happy for the support I get from the people of SVG, that makes me go out and do my best”, Alexander said in a voice of gratitude.

Not one to be chasing after titles, Alexander though is anxiously looking forward to next month’s 2006 National Sports Awards, as she hopes to cop one of the major honours.

On a short visit home last August; Alexander extended her benevolence by donating gear, namely footwear to the coaches’ organisation of Team Athletics SVG.

Whilst she has excelled on the track, Alexander has paralleled this, with equal achievements in her academics, as she pursues studies in History and International Studies, eyeing graduation in 2008.