Before leaving for Central Arizona College in 1999, Zepherinus had already established himself as the best distance runner St Lucia had ever produced. By the time he got to Arizona on a scholarship sourced by Saint Lucia Pole Vault record-holder Dominic Johnson, "Knockay" was St Lucia's national champion at 1500m and 5000m, and he held the national records at both distances. In 1998, he had completed the 1500m in 3:57.33 at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
