The Bermuda Pacers team brought home a total of 34 medals, including 21 on the final day on Sunday, from the Russell E Blunt East Coast Invitational Track Meet in Durham, North Carolina.

Among the medals were 12 gold, 12 silver and ten bronze.

During the final day of competition the team medalled in individual and relay competition, including winning six gold medals, to finish runners-up behind overall combined team winners Durham Striders Track Club who totalled 784 points.

Pacers, who had a team of 35 athletes compared to more than 200 by Durham Striders, finished on 380 points while Sancho Smith was selected as the outstanding athlete in the 11 to 12 boys division.

Smith brought home two gold and a silver medal, winning the 1500 metres in 5:03.05 and the high jump with a jump of 1.60 metres. He was second in the 800 metres, clocking 2:20.24.

Clevonte Lodge collected a gold in the 400 metres final with a time of 53.40sec, a gold in the 200 when he ran a 23.82, and he also finished second in the 100 in 11.71, to put himself in contention for the outstanding athlete in the 13 to 14 boys category.

He was beaten for the honour by a thrower who won the shot, discus and javelin events, though the Pacers 13 to 14 boys team did win their division.

Ryan Outerbridge won a gold, silver and bronze in the 13 to 14 1500, 3000 and 800 respectively. S’Nya Cumbermack also won three medals, claiming gold in the girls under-8 200 in 32.65, silver in the 400 in 1:15.07, and 800 after clocking 2:59.00.

Aaron Jacobs won a gold in the 15 to 16 800 in a time of 2:02.53.

Elisha Darrell won a gold in the 17 to 18 high jump with a leap of 2.05 metres, and also claimed the bronze in the long jump after leaping 6.37.

“We had a lot of surprise medal winners. On day two LeeKaysia Burch had a PB in the shot with a throw of 10.63 metres to come second after struggling to get to ten metres,” Cal Simons, the Pacers coach, said. “Makayla Tucker had a personal best in the long jump with a jump of 4.91 metres.”

The Pacers relay teams also had some outstanding performances with the 15 to 16 girls 4x100 team of Syriah Lottimore, Telilah Wears, Zekiah Lewis and Zye Simmons winning gold in 49.65, as did the boys 13-14 4x400 team of Lodge, Jayden Furbert-Jacobs, Outerbridge and Zion Thompson in 3:54.88.

Wears was also part of the girls 15 to 16 4x400 team of Ali Boylan, Messiah Greaves and Mikaela Outerbridge who won the gold in 4:09.63, while the boys 15 to 19 4x800 team of Jacobs, Jayden Ming, Malik Joell and Sajan Harvey also landed gold after clocking 8:35.73 in their race.

The 15 to 19 women’s team won bronze in the 4x100.

Some 82 teams competed in the three-day event, with Simons presented with a framed picture to recognise 35 years of travelling to the event with the Bermuda Pacers since 1981.