There was disappointment for young athletes chasing the Carifta Games qualifying standard at the latest Bermuda National Athletics Association track meet over the weekend.

Despite improved weather conditions and some encouraging performances at the Flora Duffy Stadium, a number of athletes fell short of securing a spot at the Games in Grenada, which takes place from March 30 to April 1, with the cut-off point for achieving the qualification time coming on March 17.

At the meet last weekend, Jake Smith clocked a time of 4mins 18.67sec, more than eight seconds adrift of the required standard of 4:10In the under-20 men’s 1,500 metres.

Lashee Jones, who was part of the Carifta team last year, continues to get closer to the times needed in both the women’s under-17 100 and 200 metres, clocking 13.19 in the shorter distance, while her time of 27.12 in the longer event was just under two seconds off the required time.

In the same age category, Saniya Place, who missed the 2023 Carifta Games becasuse of injury, finished runner-up to Jones in the 200m in a time of 27.19, while also clocking 1:03.10 in the 400m, slightly less than five seconds adrift of the 58.14 mark.

Sprinters Jayson Simons, Saj Carey and Aaron Lugo continue to push for their inclusion in the squad.

In the under-20 age category, Simons (24.13) and Carey (24.70) finished first and second respectively in 200 metres, some way short of the required 21.80, while in the under-17 100 metres Lugo claimed victory in 12.57, more than a second shy of the Carifta mark of 11.20.

As things stand, nine athletes – Jaeda Grant, Elise Dickinson, Arima Turner, Jake Brislane, Kyah Richardson, Denver Tucker, Cameron Adkins, Miles Outerbridge and Noree Robinson – have already booked their place for the Games.

While the current squad remains some way short of the 31-strong contingent who represented the island in Nassau last year, Freddie Evans, the Bermuda National Athletics Association president, remains hopeful that the team will grow further.

“BNAA intends on ensuring that athletes meet the standard that were set for these Carifta Games and being able to compete in a competitive manner,” he said.

“However, we have to take into consideration the weather effect on performances.

“Although Carifta is a developmental meet, it severs as a gateway to major international meets and potential college scholarships and athletes have to be physically able to perform in that arena.”

Meanwhile, one of the members of last year’s bronze medal winning women’s Under-17 4x100m team, J’Naz Richards, has been ruled out of contention for the Games after sustaining a hamstring injury while competing at the recent Speed Capital meet in Florida.

“It is devastating for athletes to put in the effort to improve and qualify for Carita only to pick up an injury before the meet and miss the event entirely,” Evans said.