Lincoln’s Kemoi Charles Selected to Represent Virgin Islands at World University Games in South Korea

LINCOLN UNIVERITY, Pennsylvania -- Rising senior on the men's cross country/track and field team at Lincoln University, Kemoi Charles (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands/Charlotte Amalie HS) has been selected to represent The Virgin Islands in the prestigious World University Games to be held on July 3^rd through 15^th in Gwangju City, South Korea.

The team is organized by The Virgin Islands University Sports Federation, an organization that is responsible for assembling college teams together for international competition. Charles is one of four student-athletes from two sports (golf and track and field) that will represent the Virgin Islands. He will participate in the 400 meter hurdles at the 16^th World University Games.

Though this is Charles' first time representing his country in track and field, he has prior international experience as a volleyball player (while attending Charlotte Amalie High School in the Virgin Islands) representing the Virgin Islands in tournaments held in Jamaica and Puerto Rico, respectively. His family is also no stranger to international competition as Kemoi's older brother Keithroy Charles III also represented the Virgin Islands as a youngster playing in the Junior League World Series held in Michigan.

Charles is a three sport student-athlete for the Lions participating in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track and field. During the indoor season he focuses his attention on the multi-events for the CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and concentrates more on the 400 meter hurdle event heading into the CIAA Outdoor Championships. This past year Charles finished fifth in the heptathlon event, sixth in the pole vault and played a key role in the men's program achieving a program best fourth place finish. During the outdoor season he  won the 400 meter hurdles at the Coppin State Twilight Meet the first time he competed in the event for the season. His success continued as a runner up at the annual "Battle of the First" home meet and finished in the top-10 at the CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

"Kemoi is a trust worthy competitor that I've grown to have confidence in as a first year head coach of the program. I believe the opportunity is great for him and hopefully he will return with an even more mature mind to lead his teammates in the quest for becoming a top conference contender," said Damion Drummond, the Head Men's and Women's XC/Track & Field coach at Lincoln University.

Charles will suit up for the preliminary rounds of competition at the games on July 8^th. A general schedule of the games can be found at the following link  http://www.gwangju2015.com/info/

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVESITY SPORTS INFORMATION