Bermuda squad at next week's event in Nassau, Bahamas, where competition will take place from April 18-20.

But there will be a huge challenge ahead for top performer Devon Bean who returned from Trinidad and Tobago last year with two gold medals. This time he moves up into the more competitive under-20 age group and will be hard pressed to win in the long jump and triple jump events for the second straight year.

The other three who returned home with medals from last year's Games and who will be involved again next week are Patrice Scotland (bronze in the under-20 javelin); Laurita Burrows (silver in the under-20 shot) and Stephen Woodley (gold in under-17 high jump).

Last year national coach Gerry Swan was trilled to have his relatively smaller squad of seven athletes return home with six medals, but he is uncertain what this year's squad will accomplish.

"Of the 15 we have this time, eight will be going to CARIFTA for the first time, so it will be a new experience at this level for them,'' said Swan.

Among those he reckoned should have a good shot at winning medals are Woodley, Scotland, Burrows and Bean. Swan expects Woodley to excel in all three of his events -- high jump, long jump and triple jump.

"Devon will be going up to the under-20 for the first time but I still think he will have a good chance at a medal in one of his jumping events while all of the others should at least reach the finals of their respective events,'' he said.

Swan added that it was encouraging to see so many meet the qualifying standards this year, saying that it was "good for the further development of the sport here in the Island.'' CARIFTA SQUAD Under-17 Monique Hunt (100m, 200m); Jarita Dill (200m, 400m); Nakia Pearson (100m, 200m); Atiba Tucker (200m); Donte Hunt (100m); Stephen Woodley (triple jump, long jump, high jump); Sharif Taylor (400m, 800m); Rohaan Simons (high jump, 1,500m).

Under-20 Susan Richards (200m, 400m); Patrice Scotland (shot, javelin); Laurita Burrows (shot); Devon Bean (100m, triple jump, long jump); Marco Perinchief (800m); Anthony Wedderburn (1,500m); Tony Bean (400m, 800m).

THUMBS UP -- National coach Gerry Swan poses with three of Bermuda's CARIFTA Games medal hopefuls, from left, Stephen Woodley, Devon Bean and Patrice Scotland.