Bermuda are on course to send its largest contingent to the Carifta Games in several years after two more athletes achieved the qualifying standard, while another qualified for a second event during a Bermuda National Athletics Association meet at the National Stadium on Saturday.

Nirobi Smith-Mills and Sancho Smith both met the standard in the under-17 boys’ 800 metres to bring the overall number of Carifta qualifiers to 15.

Smith-Mills covered the distance in 1min 57.93sec and Smith in 1.59.63 with the qualifying mark set at 2:03.

Izzy Dutranoit qualified in the under-17 girls’ 1,500 in 4:55, well inside of the standard of five minutes. She went into the track meet having already met the qualifying standard in the 3,000.

Dutranoit, who attends a school in Connecticut, won the Senior School Girls’ Front Street Mile race in a record time of 5:14.30 in January.

“Watching these athletes compete this weekend was very encouraging,” Donna Raynor, the BNAA president, said. “Not only did they compete hard, but they were also assisting the other athletes in reaching their specific standard.

“This is very good for track and field for Bermuda and our overseas athletes are competing very strongly as well. It’s a boost for this sport.

“Track and field is an individual sport, but it’s also good to work as a team assisting each other and supporting your team-mates. That’s what I saw this weekend.”

The number of athletes having met the Carifta qualifying has already surpassed Bermuda’s 14-strong team that competed in Bahamas last year, where Sakari Famous captured the island’s only medal after winning the bronze in the high jump.

“Our hope is to have a team of 20 athletes, which will be the largest in several years,” Raynor added. “From my standpoint, not only is this one of the largest teams, but this team consists of some quality performances and I think these athletes will perform well at Carifta.

“With the meets they have competed in overseas, with some of them travelling to one more indoor meet this month, I feel our athletes will be much better prepared for the competition.”

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