The Bermuda Pacers Track Club take a 31-member squad to compete in the International Age-Class Track and Field Championships this weekend at the York University Track and Field Centre in Toronto, Canada.

A total of 20 girls and 11 boys between the ages of 8 and 15 will compete for the Pacers, with 19 of the athletes representing the club overseas for the first time. The team will compete in 94 individual events and two 4x100 metres relay races during the two-day meet on Saturday and Sunday.

John Dickinson, the oldest member of the team, will compete in the 15-16 boys 200 and 400. He has already represented the club this year, at the Armory Track Meet in New York.

“It’s a young team going up to Canada,” head coach Cal Simons said. “The 9-10 girls have never been to an overseas meet before.”

Simons will be joined in Toronto by coach Monique Lugo, executive members of the club and several parents, who will be travelling to offer support.

“My expectation of them is to get a very good experience from competing at an international meet,” Simons added. “I’m looking for some of them to do extremely well, as they have trained hard, but this is more a developmental track meet for the club.

“This is for athletes who would normally not qualify for the East Coast Track Meet Invitational to get an opportunity to compete overseas. It’s all about giving them the exposure and hopefully they’ll come back and be so excited that they want to go to the East Coast next year.”

It will be a busy couple of weeks for the Pacers, who leave on July 17 to take 25 athletes to the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational Meet, the club’s 39th appearance. Last year a 26-member team brought back 35 medals from the meet in North Carolina, winning 11 gold, 15 silver and nine bronze medals.

In the Canada meet, Maya Bean, I’Aura Golding, Jahzara Griffith, Jaelyn Grant, Denver Tucker and J’auza James will compete in the 13-14 age group in events ranging from the 100 metres to the 1,500 metres. Golding, James, Grant and Tucker will also compete in the long jump and high jump.

In the 11-12 girls division, the club will have Amari Graham, Century Robinson, Jeada Grant, Elise Dickinson, Nevaeh Barclay, Arima Turner, Karis Brooks and Ayah Best. They will compete in 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 metres races, while Barclay Turner and Brooks will also compete in long jump, and Robinson and Graham in high jump.

The Pacers have also entered a 4x100 metres replay team in the 11-12 girls while in the 11-12 boys division, Aaron Lugo and Daylen Scott will compete in the 100 and 200 metres and long jump. Jace Donawa is set to compete in the 800 and 1,500 metres, and long jump.

In the 9-10 girls age group, there will be seven athletes competing in the 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,200 metres, as well as high jump, long jump and the 4x100 metres relay. The athletes in that age group are Miyare Trott, Azair Jones, Ramayah Simons-Duque, Shaniyah Smith Daniels, Na’liah Barclay, Day’asha Dill and Amaris Munga.

Kaden Kelly, David Morris, Tobiah Goodchild and Kruz Iris will compete in the 9-10 boys 100, 200 and 400 metres, as well as the long jump.

In the eight-and-under age group, the club will have Raina Robinson and Legend Robinson competing in the 400 and 800 metres.

The squad leaves today and returns on Tuesday.