Eight young athletes from Bermuda collected ten medals, and set an equal number of personal bests during their first indoor track and field experience.

The members of Mid Atlantic Athletic Club competed in the Armory Youth Championships, in New York.

On a day of outstanding performances, Adriana Argent and Daria Desmond dipped under Carifta Games qualifying times in the 3,000 metres. However, as they are both 12, they are too young to compete in the Games, which take place in April.

Desmond ran 11min 02.6sec to finish second in the 11-12 age group race, with Argent taking bronze in 11:11.7.

That achievement was all the more remarkable as they had both competed in the mile race earlier in the day, with Argent winning in 5:32, and Desmond second in 5:37.

Elsewhere, Shayla Cann took silver in 800 race for the 13-14 age group girls, with a time of 2:28.3, and also collected silver in the 400 in 1:01.6.

Jessie Marshall, in the girls 17-18 age group, took silver in the mile in 5:33.3, while in the same age group for boys, Bermuda Pacers Track Club athlete Johndell Cumberbatch took silver in 4:44.4, with MAAC’s Quincy Kuzyk seventh in 4:57.5.

In addition, as reported earlier this week, Kazhi Sealy, of Pacers, and Tommy Marshall, of MAAC, achieved qualifying times in the under-17 boys’ 3,000, with Sealy winning in 9:33.4, and Marshall second in 9:34.4. Nick Pilgrim was third in 9:46.3. Kayla Raymond, who won gold in the 800 for 17-18 age group girls, clocking 2:23.8, was also sixth in the 400 in 1:00.3.

The MAAC Juniors team was led by coaches Victoria Fiddick and Claire De Ste Croix.

Fiddick said the junior athletes from the club tended to focus on longer distance and cross-country running, so it was a new experience for them to be compete at an indoor track event.

“For them to come and do what they did was amazing,” she said. “We want them to be well-rounded athletes and gain overseas experience, and develop a love for the sport, so that when they go away to college they have a hunger to be part of something like this.”