Bermuda Track and Field Association (BTFA) president Donna Watson has praised the Island’s cross-country team for their performance at the NACAC Cross-Country Championships in Trinidad over the weekend.The Island finished fifth and sixth in the junior and senior men’s competition respectively.Veteran runner Jay Donawa, Chayce Smith, Darico Clarke and youngster Sean Trott made up the senior team. Trey Simons, Juma Mouchette, Dage Minors and Shawn Herman were the runners in the junior side. In hot and humid conditions in Trinidad, Donawa led home the seniors in the eight kilometre race, finishing in a time of 26 minutes 16.2 seconds to claim 19th.Trott (26.42.1) was 26th, Smith (27.23.5) placed 32nd and Clarke finished 40th with a time of 28.36.5 to earn the side a sixth place finish.In the junior men’s division Mouchette led the local charge on the 6km course finishing in 29th place in a time of 21 minutes 30.01 seconds, while Herman was close behind in 31st place, clocking in at 21.56.58. Minors (22.00.0) finished 32nd, while Simons (22.13.34) finished in 33rd.Watson was particularly encouraged by the junior team’s performance whose preparations had been geared towards April’s Carifta Games and not the Championships.“I’m very pleased with the results,” said Watson. “The teams exceeded my expectations.“As this is the first year in a long time we have sent a full junior and senior team they placed very well.“We are building on these teams as we’re up against the powerhouses of USA, Canada and Jamaica and I think Bermuda represented themselves well up against those nations.“Our junior team is still young compared to the other countries’ junior teams with most of their athletes being part of college teams.“It’s also difficult for our junior team as their preparation currently is towards track and Carifta so they have performed well.”The focus for Bermuda’s young runners will now be the Track and Field Gibson Relays in Jamaica next month.The likes of Mouchette, Simons, Smith, and Dill, along with Shaquille Dill wil represent the Island in the Caribbean, with Watson optimistic about their chances.“The next event for some of these athletes is the Track and Field Gibson Relays which is being held in Jamaica and Bermuda has received sponsorship funds and invited to send a team to run in the Open Invitational Mile being held March 12th.“We will also enter a 4X800m relay team which will consist of Shaquille Dill, Chayce Smith, Darico Clarke, Juma Mouchette and Trey Simons.”