Athletes from the Bermuda Pacers Track Club will fly back into the Island today carrying their largest medal haul ever from the three-day Russell E.Blunt East Coast Invitational meet.

Competing in temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the team collected 11 individual and two relay medals.

Four young Bermudians struck gold, four collected bronze and there was one silver.

Leading the way were middle distance runners Richard Walcott and Henry Talbot with two golds apiece, as they finished first in both of their respective 1500 and 800 metre races.

Deanne Lightbourne was another winner as she recorded a personal best of 2:24.25 in the girls' 11-12 800 metres while the youngest member of the Pacers squad, Trey Simons, crossed the line first in the boys' eight and under 1500 metres, also in a personal best time of 5:10.87.

Trey also picked up the team's lone silver medal when he finished second in the 400 metres, running another impressive PB of 1:08.22 in the final.

The four bronze medals went to Venicia Raynor, Donate Leverock, Harold Tre Houston and Latroya Darrell.

Raynor placed third in the girls' 9-10 high jump, clearing three feet, eight inches; Leverock leapt 14 feet nine inches to finish third in the boys' 9-10 long jump (a personal best); Houston took third in the boys' 11-12 200 metres in 26.49 and Darrell grabbed her bronze in the girls' 13-14 high jump with an effort of five feet exactly.

During the last of the three days' competition at the Wallace Wade Stadium in Duke University, both the girls and boys' 9-10 4x400 relay teams had Bermuda supporters on their feet with thrilling third place finishes to complete an impressive weekend.

The girls' team of Ashley Harris, Venicia Raynor, Kiara Baxter and Charlene Grant clocked a superb 4:46.72, improving on their previous best time by five seconds.

The boys' quartet of Reggie Lambe Thompson, Roger Lee jr, Donate Leverock and Trey Simons clipped an incredible ten seconds off their previous best to finish in 4:39.38.

A number of Bermuda youngsters just missed out on medals, particularly Charlene Grant who had to settle for fourth in both the girls' 9-10 800 metres (2:35.64) and 400 metres (1:08.46). Reggie Lambe Thompson also placed fourth in the boys' 9-10 high jump (four feet) and Trey Simons finished fourth in the boys' eight and under long jump (11' 10").

A total of 2,500 athletes, representing 150 teams, took part in the meet.

Bermuda's team, which was led by coach Cal Simons, arrive home at 12.30 p.m. today.