Bermuda’s athletes will look to put their best foot forward at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Under-15 and Under-13 Championships in El Salvador.

The island is being represented by an eight-member team, comprising two boys and two girls in each age group, at the two-day event being held on Friday and Saturday.

L’aura Golding, Katherine Bean Rosario, Chance Eve and Malachi Henry will carry Bermuda’s medal hopes in the boys and girls’ under-15 division.

Remaining team members Ellise Dickinson, Kemauri Darrell, Daylen Scott and Nayan Grant are all competing among the boys and girls under-13 age bracket. The championship is similar to a pentathlon and decathlon with the athletes earning points for each event. The winners will be determined by the athletes having accumulated the most points.

Athletes in the under-13 age group girls will compete in the 60 metres, high jump, ball throw, long jump and 800 metres, while the under-13 boys are competing in the 60 metres, high jump, ball throw, long jump and 1,000.

The under-15 age group girls will compete in the 80 metres, long jump, shot put, 60 metres hurdles, ball throw and 1,000m and the under-15 boys in the 80 metres, long jump, shot put, 80 metres hurdles, ball throw and 1,200 metres.

“We have been having competition for several athletes in this age group for the past several months accumulating points and the athletes that completed the series with the most points were selected for the team,” Donna Raynor, the Bermuda National Athletics Association president, explained.

“For all of these athletes they have been training very hard in all events but specifically with the hurdles as this will be their first international competition in the hurdles.

“We are confident that these athletes will be competitive in this event. Bermuda has placed well over the past several years and have had persons like Jordan Bascome, Zekiah Lewis, Anaya West, Za’Kayza Parsons who placed in the top three in their age group.”

Raynor said the regional championships is used to “identify athletes” who could potentially end up competing in the multi-events or determine an athlete’s best event for the Carifta Games and Olympic Games.

Bermuda’s team will be accompanied by Allison Outerbridge, Jerome Richards and Elroy Egard and will leave for El Salvador on Thursday.