Bermuda’s Carifta Games team swelled during the Bermuda National Athletics Association’s fourth track meet of the season at the National Stadium at the weekend.

Lynsey Palmer, Sakari Famous, Elisha Darrell and Tyler Smith all achieved the qualifying standard for next month’s Carifta Games in Grenada to bring the overall number of local athletes to qualify to six.

Palmer reached the standard in the open 3000 metres in a time of 11:13.64 with the standard being 11:15, while Famous qualified in the under-18 girls’ high jump with leap of 1.65 metres with the standard being 1.55.

Darrell qualified for the under-18 boys’ high jump with a leap of 1.95 with the standard being 1.90, while Smith hit the mark in the under-20 boys’ 5000 metres in a time of 16:33.03 with the standard being 17.00.

Prior to last weekend’s track meet Tiara Derosa and Jah-Nhai Perinchief had already qualified for the under-20 girls’ discus and under-20 boys’ high jump.

“All in, all we had a very good competition and I’m very encouraged that we will be taking a quality team with us to Grenada,” Donna Raynor, the BNAA president, said.

Knocking on the door of Carifta Games qualification are Aaron Jacobs and Ethan Phillip who both had near misses at the weekend.

Jacobs ran a personal best time of 2:03.31 in the under-18 boys’ 800 metres which was just 31 tenths of a second shy of the qualifying mark, while Phillip went even closer with leap of 6.71 metres in the open boys’ long jump, which was just nine centimetres shy of the standard.

“Aaron ran a 2:03.31 personal best with the standard at 2.03 so we have no doubt that he will reach the standard,” Raynor said.

“Ethan only had one jump and the remainder fouls, so I have no doubt he will reach the standard.”

Suresh Black was among the sprinters who also came close to hitting the qualifying marks in the under-18 boys’ 100 and 200.

“We had two great under-18 boys’ 100 and 200 races with several athletes knocking on the door, especially Suresh Black, identifying for us a great 4x100 boys’ under-18 relay team,” Raynor said.

“Troy Douglas [the BNAA head coach] will begin working with the athletes and for the first time in a long time we should be taking a relay team with us.”

The Carifta Games will be held at the new Chinese-built National Athletics Stadium in Grenada from March 26 to 28.