The Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) has seen three more of its young prospects secure their places for the upcoming regional showpiece following a clinical second track meet of the season. Competing at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium, athletes navigated perfect conditions to lay down early markers for the 2026 Carifta Games in Grenada.
BNAA President Jarita Vickers—recently elected to lead the association—hailed the “amazing day” for the island’s athletes, noting that the morning was particularly fruitful for those in the older age brackets. In the Under-17 Girls 100m, 15-year-old Amara Samuels produced a dominant performance to comfortably surpass the qualifying standard of 12.35 seconds, crossing the line in 12.14.
The field events provided further cause for celebration as Tatiana Sousa secured her spot in the Under-20 Girls Javelin. In her very first appearance of the season, Sousa launched a throw of 38.86m, moving well beyond the required benchmark of 37.00m. Vickers described the feat as “amazing” given that Sousa is a newcomer to the Under-20 category and has faced recent training disruptions.
Bermuda’s overseas contingent also made their presence felt at The Legends of Alachua County Invitational in Gainesville, Florida. Miles Outerbridge delivered a statement performance in the Men’s 200m, “smashing” the qualifying standard of 21.80 seconds by clocking a sizzling 21.36 to finish second overall.
Further success in Florida saw Amaris Munya secure a third-place finish in the Girls 600m High School run with a time of 1:38.94, while also placing 12th in the 400m at 59.23. Teammate Arima Turner added to the tally with a fifth-place finish in the Girls 200m Dash High School, stopping the clock at 24.83.
Looking ahead, the BNAA remains optimistic that more athletes will soon join the qualifying list. Vickers indicated that several competitors are “knocking on the door” of their respective standards, with specific attention being paid to the upcoming performances of Gianluca Bortoli, Riana Robinson, Brooklyn Meyers, and Sanchez Smith.
