IN the final overseas track and field meet for the Bermuda Pacers Track Club, the island's youngsters came away with 22 medals at the Northeast Invitational at Brown University.

This comes on top of the Pacers' superb performance at the Russell E. Blunt meet in North Carolina last month where they picked up 23 medals and won two age groups and placed fifth overall out of the 130 teams composed of more than 3,000 athletes.

While the meet at Brown University was much smaller with over 400 athletes from 35 teams competing, coach Cal Simons said: "This has been a great summer for our young athletes. We have seen a lot of progress. A number of the 17 athletes we sent to the Northeast Invitational had never been to an overseas meet before. This meet at Brown, while not as tough as the Russell E. Blunt meet, showed we have some outstanding youngsters coming up in track and field. It was a good way for them to get a taste of athletics overseas."

Simons said that now the Pacers, who have 70 athletes in the club, will have a rest and then training will start up again when school begins in September. "We will be training twice a week at the National Sports Centre and then I am hoping to take a team away to a cross country event in the US in November and perhaps an indoor meet next February."

At the Brown University track in Rhode Island it came as no surprise that sprinters Blaine Simmons and Justin Donawa came up trumps. Donawa won gold in the 8 and under boys 100 metres in 14.17; the 200 metres in 33.94 and the long jump with a leap of 14 feet, one inch.

Simmons won the 9-10 boys 100 metres in 13.74; the 200 metres in 28.68 and the long jump (15 feet, two inches).

Other gold medal winners were Kerri Furbert in the 9-10 girls long jump (13 feet, six inches); Eulannae Douglas in the 13-14 long jump (15 feet, four inches); Trey Simons in the 11-12 boys 1500 metres and the 11-12 boys 4x400 metres relay. Ezekiel Shiell competed for the first time in the novice boys under 8 long jump which he won.

Winning silver medals were Trey Simons in the 13-14 boys 3000 metres in 10:37.85; Eulannae Douglas in the 13-14 girls 100 metres in 12.70; Brighton Swan in the 9-10 boys 1500 metres in 5:35.58; Matthew Spring in the 13-14 boys 1500 metres in 4:38.7; Aaron Evens in the 13-14 boys 400 metres in 57.20 as well as running in the 13-14 4x400 relay.

Bronze medal winners were Rachel Fox in the 9-10 girls long jump (12 feet, six inches); Trey Simons in the 11-12 boys long jump (14 feet, six inches); Matthew Spring in the 13-14 boys 400 metres in 58.59; and Aaron Evans in the 13-14 boys 1500 metres in 4:38.71 as well as the 800 metres in 2:15.63. Ezekiel Shiell also won bronze in the novice boys under 8 400 metres.

Simons said: "The team also had seven athletes place fourth, five place fifth and three place sixth. It was also nice that during the Opening Ceremony the Pacers Track Club was given an award by the events committee for its years of dedication to youth track and field."