qualifying standards for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, when he won the high jump at the recent Carifta Games in Barbados.

Woodley, winner of two of Bermuda's five medals after also getting a bronze in the triple jump, had a jump of 2.13 metres which converts to seven-feet.

The achievement, which coach Gerry Swan described as Bermuda's "most significant achievement'' at Carifta, was good enough to get him inside the Commonwealth Games qualifying mark of 2.12 metres, as well as qualifying him for the Junior CAC Games in Trinidad in July.

Woodley was also achingly close to qualifying for the World Junior Championships in Portugal, which follows the Junior CAC in July. That qualifying mark is 2.14 metres.

Still, it was an outstanding Carifta Games for Woodley, 17, who had personal bests in both the high and long jump for the first time since 1992. In fact the same came be said for the team as a whole as 10 of the 13 competitors either won a medal or set or equalled PBs.

There were 12 new personal best marks set in the 24 events involving Bermuda athletes with one other equalled. Five of the eight males had new personal bests while four of the five females also accomplished the feat.

Woodley led the way with his two medals which takes his total to seven in four Carifta Games and makes him the most successful Bermuda athlete in Carifta in recent years.

Three of the 12 PBs resulted in medals last week, and while the team fell one short of the six medals the 1993 team won in Martinique, there were some notable achievements with eight of the athletes also reaching qualifying marks for the Junior CAC Games.

"Before the Games I was projecting about seven medals and we should have had six,'' said coach Gerry Swan who mentioned a "terrible error'' by Vernae Ingham in the 1,500 metres which caused her to lose out on a bronze by 200ths of a second. Ingham was pipped at the finish by the runner from Trinidad.

"She just wasn't astute to what was happening,'' said Swan in referring to Ingham's lapse of concentration in the last 70 metres of the race.

Still, her performance was good enough to qualify her for the 1,200 metres at the Junior CAC as both her and Michael Donawa's time in the 1,500 metres were comparable to the 1,200 metres which was not run at Carifta but will be held at CAC.

Ingham had a creditable time of 2:16.2 in the 800 metres which earned her a bronze medal and high praise from her coach. "The time run by Vernae was quite significant. It's been a long time since we've had a female run a time as good as that.'' Also qualifying in the under 17 division are Jarita Dill in the 800 metres and Gina Cann in the 100 and 200 metres.

In the under 20, Woodley will compete in both high and triple jump, Taylor in the 800 metres, Aaron Bean in the long jump and Donte Hunt in the triple.

Woodley's leap of 14.97 in the triple jump (49-feet, 11 inches) was also a best for him, beating the previous mark of 14.41 (47'31 '') by almost two feet.

Taylor had a PB in the heats in the 800 metres with a run of 1:56.15, which would have taken him close to a medal as the fourth placed runner in the final also had a time of 1:56.15 to narrowly miss the bronze.

Other PBs included Tammy Ray's in the under 20 shot put where she was seventh amongst 14 in the final with a throw of 10.91, Damien Simmons with two PBs in the under 17 200 metres (23.59 seconds) and 400 metres (52.64) and Donte Hunt in the under 20 triple jump in 14.82 metres (48' 71 '') for a fifth place.

Three Bermuda officials, time keepers Clifford Roberts and Bob Oliver and high jump official Paula Philpott officiated during the Carifta Games, the first time in a number of years that a host country has had officials from other countries helping out.

The Bermuda athletes will have only a short break before resuming training on Thursday evening as the Inter-school sports draws near.

Most, with the exception of the injured Aaron Bean and Ray, Keivon Richardson and Atiba Tucker who are out of high school, will be competing next week.

Hunt, Taylor, Donawa and Cann are Berkeley students while Woodley attends Warwick Secondary, Ingham Whitney Institute and Dill a student at Bermuda High.

STEPHEN WOODLEY -- Personal bests in high and long jumps.