Bermuda Pacers will be among the teams competing for honours at the Russell E Blunt East Coast Invitational in North Carolina over the weekend.

The local track club, who are making their 45th appearance at the prestigious event, are being represented this year by a team of 17 athletes aged 8 to 18 who are competing in 40 individual events as well as the 4x100 metre relay in the 9-10 girls division.

Bermuda Pacers coach Cal Simons has high expectations for his athletes.

“I feel this year’s team, despite its size, will perform well,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“Most of them have had some experience at an international track meet and will use this experience to assist them during the meet.”

The club is heading into the championships on a high having secured ten medals, including three gold, and set multiple personal bests on their debut at last weekend’s International Youth Championships in Maryland.

Some of the athletes who recently represented the club in Maryland are also competing at the Durham County Memorial Stadium on the weekend.

Surii Russell and Tobiah Goodchild are competing in the 17-18 boys division; Russell in the 400 and 800 metres and Goodchild in the 800 and 1,500 metres.

Brianna Lightbourne and Amara Samuels are competing in the 15-16 girls division in the 100 and 200 metres.

Flying the club’s banner in the 13-14 girls division are sprinter Jasmine Reid Rubaine in the 100 and 200 metres and Amaya Davis in the long and triple jump.

Jadon Lightbourne, Orion Medeiros and Xander Romeo are competing in the 13-14 boys division. Sprinter Lightbourne is competing in the 100 and 200 metres, Medeiros in the 100 metres, long and high jump and Romeo in the discus and shot putt.

Theo Smith and Nico Simmons will test their skills in the 9-10 boys division. Smith is competing in the 100, 200 metres and long jump and Simmons in the 100, 200 and 400 metres.

Skye Furbert, Diamond Morris, Giselle Reid Rubaine and twins Bree and Brooke Simmons are competing in the 9-10 girls division. Furbert is competing in 100 and 200 metres, Morris in the under 10 girls division in the 800 and long jump, Reid Rubaine in the 100 metres and long jump, and the Simmons twins in the 9-10 girls 100 and 200 metres and long jump.

Raelyn Robinson, the youngest member of the team, is competing in the 8 and under girls’ division in the 100, 200 metres and long jump.

The three-day event is being hosted by Striders Track Club and will take from Friday through Sunday.