Thirteen young athletes have been chosen to represent Bermuda at the Carifta Games in Grenada early next month.

Bermuda’s squad for the annual track and field competition, scheduled for April 4 to 6 at Kirani James Athletics Stadium, was announced after the qualifying window closed on Saturday. The team is scheduled to depart Bermuda on April 1.

With Cameron Adkins, who won silver in the under-17 boys 1,500 metres last year missing out on selection, seasoned athlete Miles Outerbridge leads Bermuda’s hopes for a medal in the 100 and 200 metres. The Montverde Academy student has been in blistering form in the 200, where he came agonisingly close to a medal in Trinidad & Tobago last year.

Outerbridge was the first Bermudian to secure Carifta qualification when he clocked a then indoor personal best of 21.34sec to win the Adidas Track Nationals 200-metre qualifier on the opening day of the Virginia Showcase on January 16.

The 17-year-old further cut his time in the 200 to 21.14 to finish third overall at the New Balance Nationals Indoor, in Boston, Massachusetts, this past weekend.

In the girls under-20, javelin thrower Tatiana Sousa will be hoping to repeat her exploits from the under-17 last year when she won a silver medal.

Kelise Wade’s determination in the final qualifier at Flora Duffy Stadium on Saturday earned her a spot in the team. Hours after contributing to The Berkeley Institute’s success at the Senior School Track and Field Championships at the same venue, Wade stopped the clock at a personal best of 58.48, barely short of the qualifying mark of 58.14.

Wade is one of the newcomers in the squad, together with Brooklyn Myers, Ajana Patton, Elena Bortoli and Nazir Johnson. Myers stole the limelight last week when she broke Flora Duffy’s record in the 3,000 while representing Bermuda High School for Girls at the senior schools championships.

Zydon Furbert Lightbourne was one of the last to seal his qualification by winning the 400 in 48.86 at the Highlander Invitational, last Friday.

BNAA president Jarita Vickers highlighted Wade’s determination as the reason for her inclusion.

“Considering all the running Kelise Wade did on Wednesday and Friday, she came back and ran a superb PB,” Vickers told The Royal Gazette.

“While she was just off the qualifying mark of 58.14, I’ve been watching her all season and she has shown great determination. She should do well for us in Grenada.”

Vickers expressed enthusiasm and confidence in the team ahead of the regional championships.

“We are incredibly excited about this year’s Carifta team,” she said.

“This group represents a great blend of emerging talent and experienced athletes who have been working extremely hard throughout the season.

“Carifta is always a special opportunity for our young athletes to compete at a high regional level, gain valuable experience, and proudly represent Bermuda. We are confident they will perform with determination and sportsmanship.”

The Carifta Games remain one of the Caribbean’s premier junior athletics competitions and have historically served as a launching platform for many of the region’s top international athletes.

“We wish our athletes every success and look forward to seeing them in action in Grenada,” Vickers added.

“The Bermuda National Athletics Association thanks the coaches, clubs, parents and supporters who continue to contribute to the development of athletics in Bermuda.”

Meanwhile, Bermudian sprinter Pria Wilson, who trains with IMG Elite at IMG Academy in Florida, competed this weekend at the New Balance Nationals Indoor Championships at The Track at New Balance in Boston.

Wilson ran a personal best of 7.86 in the championship girls 60-metre dash, finishing third in her heat and placing 127th overall of more than 200 athletes in the national championship event.

She also ran the anchor leg for IMG Elite’s girls 4x200m relay team, helping the team advance to the championship finals, where they finished seventh overall with a time of 1min 39.35sec, currently ranking thirteenth among high school teams in the United State this season.

“I’m really grateful and incredibly proud of myself for even making it to Nationals, not only as part of the relay team, but also in an individual event,” Wilson said.

“I feel really good about how I finished the relay and being able to come through for my team.

“Even though I didn’t advance to the 60m finals, I’m proud that I made it here and was able to compete at this level and set a personal record.”