under-17 boys triple jump to lead Bermuda's charge in the CARIFTA Games in Martinique with two sessions left yesterday.

Simons' effort was good enough for a silver medal that took the 13-member team's tally to four with a number of near misses.

Donte Hunt won a bronze in the under-17 100 metres and other bronzes were gained by Stephen Woodley in the under-20 triple jump and Vernae Ingham in the under-17 girls 1,500 metres.

Hunt, who was favoured to add to his personal tally in last night's 200 metres final, ran a personal best 11.24 seconds in the 100m semifinals and slipped to 11.30 in a hotly-contested final, which brought a photo finish for second to fourth places. Hunt was also fifth in the triple jump with a jump of 45-61 .

Woodley, a double gold medallist last year in the under-17 age group, had his best jump of the season in the under-20 high jump (6-71 ) for his bronze while Simons outdid his previous best by two feet in the under-17 triple jump (47-41 ).

Ingham knocked a whopping 20 seconds off her previous best in the 1,500 metres to place third in 4:54.98.

Devon Bean, Michael Donawa and Jarita Dill all placed fourth in finals on Saturday.

Dill, who recorded personal bests in the semifinal (58.17) and then the final (57.68) of the under-14 400 metres, was just hundredths of a second outside of a medal.

Bean had a personal best of 48-83 in the triple jump and Donawa, in his first Games, ran into some rough treatment from two Jamaican runners, according to national coach Gerry Swan, and finished the 1,500m in 4:22.08.

Sprinters Atiba Tucker and Keivon Richardson both recorded personal bests in the under-20 100 metres but failed to qualify for the final. Richardson clocked 11.12 and Tucker 11.13. Both, however, went into last night harbouring hopes in the 200m after successfully advancing beyond the qualifying round.

Other unsuccessful performances on Friday and Saturday saw Sharif Taylor clock 2:04.72 in the under-20 800 metres, Aaron Bean finish ninth in the under-20 javelin (170-2) and Velvet Smith place 11th in the under-17 1,500m (5:32.28).

Simone Smith, in the under-17 division, threw the javelin, 22.12 metres yesterday morning.

Ingham joined Hunt as Bermuda's best hope of a medal last night after a personal best of 2:21.23 in the 800 metres. Velvet Smith clocked 2:41.43 in the same race and did not qualify for the final.

Hunt won his 200m heat in 22.56, the third fastest time of the semifinals.

Other track finalists were Dill in the 200m, Donawa in the 800m and Taylor in the 1,500m.

Aaron Bean and Devon Bean were involved in the under-20 long jump final.