Bermuda Pacers Track Club achieved their best performances in 33 years of competing at the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational track meet.

The 32-member group returned home this week with 35 medals from the weekend meet in North Carolina after placing third overall. The haul included 17 gold, 12 bronze and six bronze medals, Pacers athletes winning four age-group titles — Kahzi Sealy (9-10 boys), Selah Tuzo (11-12 girls), Sakari Famous (13-14 girls) and Aaron Jacobs (13-14 boys). In addition, the Pacers girls won the 9-10 and 11-12 team divisions, which led to a runner-up finish in the overall girls division. Pacers’ boys finished third.

The most impressive performance was that of high jumper Famous, who set a meet record in the 13-14 age group with a clearance of 1.75 metres (5ft 8¾in), which also improved the USA Track and Field National Age group record.

In addition, the Pacers had six athletes reach 100 metres finals, eight qualify for 400 finals and ten for 200 finals.

The 32 members of the Pacers won three gold medals on the first day, two in the 3,000 metres by Ryan Outerbridge and Jayden Ming and another gold by Samuel Darrell in the 11-12 boys high jump. In addition, Pacers had ten athletes qualify for the 200 metres finals.

On the second day of the meet, all 32 Bermuda athletes competed, with five more gold medals in the 1,500 metres bagged. Jade Johnston won the 9-10 girls race, Kahzi Sealy the 9-10 boys, Selah Tuzo the 11-12 girls, Aaron Jacobs the 13-14 boys and David Darrell the 15-16 boys. There was also one silver medal won by Ryan Outerbridge in the 11-12 1,500 metres, a silver for Zekiah Lewis in the 13-14 girls and a bronze medal for Elisha Darrell in the 15-16 boys long jump.

The final day of the meet resulted in more medals won, as Johnston and Tes’yah Mahle Astwood won gold and silver respectively in the 9-10 girls, while Sealy took gold in the 9-10 boys and Tuzo gold in the 11-12 girls division, where Kayla Raymond placed third in the same race. Aaron Jacobs captured the 13-14 boys division title.

In the 100 metres finals, Sanaa Rae Morris place sixth in the 9-10 girls, while Danni Watson finished sixth in the 11-12 girls event and Zye Simmons the silver in the 13-14 girls event. In the 200 metres finals, Jahstice Grant placed second and Sanaa Rae Morris sixth in the 9-10 girls. Taylor Hines earned second place in the 11-12 girls, while Watson and Corriah Simmons place seventh and eighth respectively.

During the jumping events, Niyan Outerbridge placed second in the 9-10 boys long jump, while Sanaa Rae Morris and Asia-leigh Hollis placed fifth and sixth respectively in the 9-10 girls event. Elisha Darrell had a personal best of 1.90 metres in the 15-16 boys high jump to capture another gold medal for Pacers.

In the 400 metres final, Astwood placed second in the 9-10 girls division, while Taylor Hines placed third in the 11-12 girls final with Raymond and Makayla Tucker fifth and sixth respectively. The club collected another gold medal when Jacobs won his third gold of the meet, in the 13-14 400 metres.

During the 4 x 400 metres finals, the 9-10 and the 11-12 girls teams won gold medals and the 13-14 girls team placed second.

Three Bermuda clubs competed in the meet, including Dash Track Club and Flyers, with Michaiah Robinson of Flyers winning the 400 metres and 800 metres in the 15-16 age group.