Tragedy marred Bermuda’s impressive showing at the 2014 North American, Central American and Caribbean Cross Country Championships in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday.

A member of the Jamaica team collapsed and died during the event at the Mount Irvine Golf Course in Tobago. The athlete, a student of St Jago High, was competing in the junior boys event.

Warren Blake, president of the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association, said yesterday that his association was awaiting a medical report from the meet.

Bermuda finished just outside of the podium after placing fourth in the senior men’s team standings behind winners United States, Canada and Jamaica. Trinidad and Tobago, the host nation, rounded off the top five countries.

Lamont Marshall was the top local runner and eleventh overall after covering the undulating eight-kilometre course in sweltering heat in 25min 54sec.

Marshall was followed across the line by Tre Simons who placed fourteen in 26:33. Jay Donawa, the team manager and most senior member of the squad, was the third local runner to finish and eighteenth overall in 27:03, with Juma Mouchette finishing 23rd in 29:22.

This year marked the first time that Simons and Mouchette have competed as seniors at the regional event.

“I thought the boys did very well considering the heat and undulating course, which was very challenging.” Donawa said. “This year’s team marks the first time Bermuda has had a full men’s senior team in the ten editions of the Nacac Cross Country Championships.”

Bermuda’s runners were due to return home via Miami last night.