Jah-Nhai Perinchief became the fourth local athlete to meet the qualifying standard for this year’s Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

The 21-year-old jumper reached the qualifying standards in both the triple jump and high jump competing for Texas Tech University at last weekend’s Big 12 Championships, where he earned a pair of silver medals, achieved two personal bests and set a new national record.

In the triple jump, Perinchief leapt a personal best of 16.75 metres and then claimed second in the high jump with a personal best leap of 2.28, which eclipsed the previous indoor Bermuda record (2.22m) he already held.

“I didn’t even know honestly, a great reward,” Perinchief said, after it was confirmed he had met the Pan Am qualifying standard. “Another heavy competition that can hopefully get me into worlds and Olympics, which is my main goal.”

Perinchief’s superb exploits helped Texas Tech University men’s athletics team defend their Big 12 Championship title.

He now joins fellow jumper Tyrone Smith and runners Dage Minors and Shaquille Dill who are the other local athletes having already met the qualifying standards 2019 Pan Am Games, to be held in Peru from July 26 to August 11.

“We are so proud of Jah-Nhai, especially since he had such an injury ridden season last year,” said Donna Raynor, the Bermuda National Athletics Association president.

Perinchief was among a trio of local athletes achieving podium displays at the weekend.

Lamont Marshall won the New York Road Runners Al Gordon Brooklyn four-mile race in Brooklyn, New York while Grant Rivers claimed the title in the heptathlon at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Marshall romped to victory in 19 min 45 sec. while competing for North Carolina State, Rivers won the shot put, high jump and pole vault en route to claiming the overall title. The 5,177 points he accumulated set a new Bermuda record in the indoor heptathlon.

Last weekend also saw runners Za’Kayza Parsons and Sanaa Rea Morris meet the Carifta Games qualifying standards in the under-17 girls 200 metres competing during the Skyport Magic Mile at the National Stadium.

Parsons qualified in a time of 25.58 and Morris in 25.93 to bring the number of local Carifta qualifiers to thirteen.

“We now have four young ladies who have reached the standard in the 200m,” Raynor added. “Every weekend we are getting more athletes qualified and we hope to have more after this coming weekend. Our goal is to send a team of 20 athletes.”

The 2019 Carifta Games will be held in the Cayman Islands April 20 to 22.