Brathwaite, a junior at Indiana University, had won the 60m at the 2021 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Ohio on Saturday, February 27, 2021, clocking a Personal Best 6.55 to seconds to break the Big Ten record of 6.58 set last year by Purdue’s Waseem Williams, a Jamaican.

He briefly held the #1 spot in the NCAA for the indoor 60m following his record-breaking run.

The Virgin Islander is the second Indiana student to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honours since the award was divided into separate track and field categories in 2007, following Andrew Bayer’s selection in 2011.

Brathwaite went on to capture the Bronze medal in the 60m Final of the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville Arkansas on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

Rikkoi A. R. Brathwaite, right, is the second Indiana student to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honors since the award was divided into separate track and field categories in 2007, following Andrew Bayer’s selection in 2011.

Newly emerged Virgin Islands top-class sprinter Rikkoi A. R. Brathwaite gave the Virgin Islands much to cheer about when he captured the Bronze medal in the 60m Final of the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships at Fayetteville Arkansas on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

VI ‘incredibly proud’- Sports Minister

Meanwhile, Deputy Premier and Minister with the portfolio for Sport, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) was among the first to congratulate Brathwaite.

“This is amazing! We are incredibly proud,” Dr Wheatley made known on his Facebook page.