Despite soaring temperatures which hovered between 90 and 95 degrees over three days, Bermuda Pacers track team made a huge impression at the 11th annual Russell E. Blunt Invitational Meet in Durham, North Carolina on the weekend.

The squad came away with 11 medals, led by teenage sprint star Raneika Bean who was voted the outstanding female athlete in the 15-16 age group.

Bean followed up her impressive performance at the recent Carifta Games in Trinidad with three of Bermuda's six gold medals -- in the 100 metres, high jump and triple jump.

Bean equalled the meet's high jump record with a leap of five-feet, five-inches and was just two tenths of a second off the 100 metres meet record with a time of 12.09 seconds. She was also just four inches short of the triple jump record with a winning jump of 38-feet, five-inches.

Other gold medals were won by Danielle Watson in the 11-12 girls long jump, LaTroya Darrell in the 9-10 girls high jump and Gabriel Wilkinson in the 15-16 boys javelin. Watson had a winning leap of 14-feet, 11-inches while Wilkinson threw the javelin 148-feet, seven-inches.

The 18-member Bermuda team also brought back three silver and two bronze medals.

Vernon Lambe placed second in the 11-12 boys shot putt with his throw of 30-feet, nine-inches, and Tonae Perinchief finished second in the 9-10 boys long jump with 12-feet, six-inches.

But Bermuda's highlight of the final day was the 9-10 girls 4x400 metres relay team of Sanche Simmons, Natasha Simmons, LaTroya Darrell and Shanae Fubler who clinched the the silver medal. That feat enabled the 9-10 team to place second overall. They and Bean received plaques during the awards presentation.

Wilkinson won two bronze medals in the discus (111-feet, seven inches) and shot putt (45-feet, six-inches).

During the first day of the meet on Friday, the Pacers sent out a warning when high jumper Darrell, making her first appearance at the event, set a new record with a leap of four-feet, four-inches, beating the old mark by two inches.

Wilkinson also struck gold on the opening day when he won the 17-18 javelin, his throw of 148-feet, seven-inches falling just three inches short of the record.

Gold-winning fever proved contagious as Watson was next to triumph when she won the long jump. The Bermuda team finished with a fourth medal on the opening day when Perinchief placed second in the 9-10 girls long jump.

In addition to the medals, Natasha Simmons, Sanche Simmons, Janine Scott, Akeem Trott and Vernell Lambe all qualified for the 200 metres semi-finals on Saturday. One of the most exciting events of the day saw the Island girls 9-10 4x400 metres relay team qualify for the final in 4:49.79.

Success continued for the Pacers on the second day when Vernon Lambe placed second in the shot putt with a personal best of 30-feet, nine-inches while Wilkinson picked up two bronze medals in the shot and discus.

In the running events, the relay team qualified for the 400 metres final, and later in the day, Raneika Bean, Sanche Simmons and Janine Scott qualified for the 100 metres final.

In the last group of running events, Watson, Sanche Simmons and Natasha Simmons all qualified for the 200 metres final.

Bean left her mark on the meet on the final day on Sunday when she won her three gold medals.

Kaijay Davis came in fifth in the 13-14 boys long jump with a leap of 16-feet, 11-inches which was a personal best. During the afternoon events, Sanche Simmons made three appearances in the 100, 200 and 400 metre finals while Natasha Simmons and Watson made two appearances in the 200 and 400 metre finals.

A total of 1500 athletes from the United States, Bermuda and Mexico (competing for the first time) took part in the meet.

RANEIKA BEAN -- three gold medals at Carolina meet.