SEVERAL young, local middle-distance runners could benefit from scholarships with Saint Augustine's College of Raleigh, North Carolina, if they continue to make progress like Larry Marshall Jr. and Mark Morrison.

Marshall has just accepted a four-year term at the school while Morrison, who was the first athlete to be offered a similar scholarship, reportedly did not accept in favour of going elsewhere.

But the fact remains that Bermuda could be a good hunting ground for this college - offering local athletes the opportunity to join the ranks of famed American coach George Williams who, incidentally, is also coach of the United States track team fo the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece.

Long graced with one of the strongest track teams in the US, Saint Augustine's assistant coach Damon Sterling made it clear that their intention was to work towards building a strong middle-distance team.

Marshall was expected to become play a leading role in that ambition and to specialise in the 1500 metres and 5000 metres.

"We certainly would be interested in any youngsters making strides in middle distance running. Larry Marshall's progress has been great and we expect big things of him," said Sterling of the youngster who registered with the school this week.

Sterling has strong ties with the island having lived here for a few years. It was well-known former local runner Steve Burgess who told him about Marshall and now he hopes that others will follow in his footsteps.

"I ran into Steve Burgess while attending the Penn Relays in Philadelphia this spring, we knew each other from my time in Bermuda," said Sterling. "While living there for a few years I was also keen to look for possible college recruits. I tried to recruit Mark Morrison but without success. I told Steve that if he saw someone with talent, desire and focus to give me a call and he told me about Larry.

"I immediately researched his race results and was impressed. Based on Larry's efforts and Steve's remarks I asked our head coach George Williams to give him a scholarship and here we are with him set to join our ranks.

"We are really excited and I trust that the athlete himself and any others who we may attract will find it just as thrilling to come here with us."

Bermuda students will get the chance to team up with an Olympic coach in Williams.

Following is some additional information on the famous coach:

George (Pup) Williams: He is a native of Tallahassee, Florida and graduated from Saint Augustine's College in 1965. Although basketball is his first love, Williams stepped up to the plate when Saint Augustine's College needed a track and field coach.

He has worn the hat of Athletic Director and has been the men's and women's track and field coach since 1996.

Part of his Olympic coaching duties include keeping track of the workout programmes of the top athletes in the country and working with the coaches and agents of each. He is predicting that the US will collect the most track and field medals in Athens if the top athletes of today are healthy and still competing at that time.

Williams brought Saint Augustine College 24 national championships and coaches of other college programmes have praised him for his outstanding ability to motivate young people with a mix of discipline and affection.

He is the recipient of more than 90 national Coach of the Year honours and was head coach for the US men's track and field team at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain.

Williams can boast of the success of his athletes off the track as well. Not only has Saint Augustine's College produced numerous world class athletes, it has a 95 percent graduation rate among scholarship athletes under Williams' helm.