Cal Simons, the Bermuda Pacers Track Club head coach, has hailed his athlete’s best showing on the international scene at the Flying Angels International Track and Field Championships in Toronto last weekend.

The 40-strong local contingent finished runners-up among the 123 international teams and more than doubled their medal haul from the previous year after securing 53 medals (21 gold, 23 silver and ten bronze) at York University’s Track and Field Centre. They also blazed to seven meet records, with 22 of their athletes producing personal-best performances.

Among the club’s standout performers were Skye Furbert and Elliott Davidge, who earned seven medals between them and also picked up the outstanding athlete awards in the under-9 age group.

The local contingent’s phenomenal success thrilled and exceeded the expectations of head coach Cal Simons.

“That’s the best we’ve done in any international competition we’ve ever been in, which totally exceeded the expectations,” Simons told The Royal Gazette.

“There were 1,200 athletes on teams from the Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica, United States and Canada and it was by far the best we’ve ever done in any international competition and we were really pleased with the youngsters.

“We had 22 personal-best performances where some athletes just ran or jumped. They just transformed and we were really pleased to see that hard work and dedication for this entire season culminate with that kind of performance.”

Leading the charge were Jadon Lightbourne (under-12 boys 100m), Kelise Wade (U16 girls 800m and 400m), Azari Jones (U18 girls 1500m), Theo Smith (U10 boys long jump), Surri Russell (U18 boys 800m and 400m), Raelyn Robinson (U8 girls 200m), Diamond Morris (U10 girls 800m), Amaya Davis (U14 girls triple jump), Riana Robinson (U15 girls 3000m), Skye Furbert (U9 girls 400m) and Elliot Davidge (U9 boys 400, 800m, 1200m), who all earned the gold medals.

Bermuda Pacers’ under-10 and under-12 girls relay teams both picked up two golds with their under-14 and under-16 girls relay teams earning one each.

Among those setting meet records were Jadon Lightbourne (U12 boys 100m), Elliott Davidge (U9 boys 1200m), Ronan Davidge (U14 boys 2000m), the under-10 girls 4x100 and sprint medley relay team (Diamond Morris, Bree Simmons, Brooke Simmons and Giselle Rubaine), under-14 girls 4x100 relay team (Leydi Raynor, Zahra Goodchild, Cataliah Pitcher-Place and Amaya Davis), under 12 girls sprint medley relay team (Mylah DeSilva, Ava St Luce, Aalirah Daniels and Zaya Cann-Berkley) and under-16 girls 4x400 relay team (Kelise Wade, Zyari Lawrence, Raina Robinson and Dhiannon Bailey).

Rubaine, Jones, Luce, Riana Robinson, Raynor, Davis and Ronan Davidge are among the surviving members from the Bermuda Pacers team that earned 25 medals, including ten gold, and set a meet record at last year’s championships at the same venue.

Bermuda Pacers will attempt to build on their most recent success when they compete in the Russell E Blunt East Coast Invitational to be held at Durham County Memorial Stadium in North Carolina from July 18 to 20.

They will be represented by a team of 18 athletes, many of whom recently competed in Toronto, with the multitalented Naomi MacGuinness among eight athletes making their debuts in the event this year.

“It’s a nice, quality team so I am just expecting the youngsters to go out there and do they best they can,” Simons said.

“Those athletes who went to Canada last weekend will have a nice base competition underneath their belt so it actually tunes them up for this event.”

Bermuda Pacers secured 16 medals (five golds, five silvers and six bronze) and set a meet record at the annual championships last year.