{"id":37953,"date":"2016-04-16T14:23:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-16T14:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=37953"},"modified":"2016-10-15T10:22:37","modified_gmt":"2016-10-15T10:22:37","slug":"keep-your-eyes-on-nia-jack-a-young-virgin-islander-already-winning-gold-in-track-and-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=37953","title":{"rendered":"Keep Your Eyes On Nia Jack, A Young Virgin Islander Already Winning Gold In Track And Field"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. CROIX — In a room inside the St. Croix Educational Complex library, a small crowd of family, friends and well-wishers gathered to witness Nia Jack and Rodney Griffin sign what is called a “National Letter of Intent”, to receive scholarships totaling over $180,000 over four years, in exchange for participation in their respective universities’ track and field program.<\/p>\n

Ms. Jack will receive a full scholarship of $25,000 yearly, while Mr. Griffin will receive $16,000 annually, which climbs to $21,000 when financial aid is factored in. However, while both athletes’ future shows promise, Ms. Jack’s passion for the sport and her mother’s determination to see her daughter excel is the focus of this story.<\/p>\n

By the looks of it, Ms. Jack is reserved and soft-spoken. When handed the mic to give remarks on Thursday, she thanked God and her teammate, Mr. Rodney, allowed that she was “overwhelmed with joy,” and proceeded to give the mic away.<\/p>\n

But don’t let her quiet nature and seemingly timid demeanor fool you: Ms. Jack is a dedicated athlete who sees the track as her domain and all opponents her prey.<\/p>\n

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The 17-year-old St. Croix Educational Complex senior, with urging from\u00a0Wendell McIntosh and “Saba” Felix,\u00a0joined the Hounds and Foxes Track Team in the 6th grade and quickly became recognized by many.\u00a0One year later, she represented the territory’s national track and field team at the 2011 CAC Championships in Tortola. Since then, Ms. Jack has participated in the Poly Relays in Puerto Rico and many other local and national track meets — capturing many titles in the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash. She has also attended the CARIFTA Games for four consecutive years, where she made a name for herself with superb record times.<\/p>\n