The Bermuda Pacers Track Club’s eight-member team won 14 medals and a relay gold in their first appearance at the Central Florida Gliders Spring Track Classic at the Lake Brantley High School Campus Stadium.

The team’s performance last weekend far exceeded the expectations of coaches Cal Simons and Gina Evans.

Simons now wants Pacers to make more regular appearances at the event.

“Coming back, one of my recommendations is that we [put it on our schedule], however we would need to look at the age groups 11-12, 13-14 and 15-16,” Simons said.

“The coaches and executives will need to look at the results, like interschool sports, and decide if this event will be a good event to push [our athletes] even further.

“I was really pleased with the team’s performance, the environment and competition was very intense.

“In Florida the conditions were anywhere from 89 to 91 degrees so it was hot, but I thought the kids handled themselves well.

“We had a number of the athletes produce personal-best performances, including Jayden Ming, Selah Tuzo and Sajan Harvey.”

The Pacers already compete annually in the Russell E Blunt East Coast Invitational every July.

Next month they send a team to a development meet in Canada, followed by a trip to Philadelphia for the United Track Coaches Association Championships in mid-July and then the East Coast Invitational from July 22 to 28.

All eight athletes in Florida had creditable performances, with 11-12 girls pair Za’Kayza Parson and Selah Tuzo winning five medals between them. Parson won gold in the 100 and 200 metres and silver in the long jump, while Tuzo won her mile and 800 races.

Taylor Hines placed third in the 13-14 girls 400 and fourth in the 100, 200 and long jump, while LeeKaysia Burch picked up bronze medals in the 13-14 girls shot and discus.

In the boys 13-14, Clevonte Lodge won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200. Sajan Harvey won the silver in the 800 and placed seventh in the 400 where Lodge finished fifth.

Jayden Ming was first in the 3,000 with a personal best of 9:51.29, with Ryan Outerbridge third in that same race in 10:15.19.

Lodge, Harvey, Outerbridge and Ming also won the 4x400 relay.

Shaquille Dill, who represented Bermuda at last summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, won his 400m at the meet in 47.97.

“I thought we would get maybe ten or twelve medals, but the way they performed was a little above what I thought they would have done,” Simons said “It’s a great tune-up for them with the National Championships coming up.”