AFTER a dominant performance at the World Youth Championships the island’s top junior athletes will be hoping to reap more success at another junior competition as they will battle athletes from the region at the Junior Pan Am Championships between Friday and Sunday this week.  The Jamaican Team of 35 athletes will be hoping to emulate the performance two years ago in Trinidad and Tobago which garnered 14 medals, three gold, three silver and eight bronze.  However, they will have a strong United States Team and improved Bahamian and Cuban Teams to contend with. The United States has the largest number of competitors at the Competition as they have 79 athletes entered.

Twelve Jamaicans will be in action on Friday's opening day where some 12 finals are down to be contested. One of these finals, the Boy's Discus, could be a history making one for the country as it is quite possible that Jamaica could reap two medals. After finishing third for the bronze two years ago, Traves Smikle is big favourite to take the gold.  His season and personal best of 66.88 metres has him as the top seed. His teammate, Fredrick Dacres, is fresh off his success at the World Youth Championships in the event and could be a real threat.

On the track there will be five finals, the Boy's and Girl's 100 metres, Girl’s 100 metres hurdles and Boy's and Girl's 400 metres. Both the Girl's 100 metres hurdles and 400 metres will run as straight finals. In the former the athletes will be Tonique Sobah and Danielle Williams while in the latter it will be Anastacia Scott and Nicolette Martin.

In the morning session there will be semi final action in the Boy's 100 metres and the 400 metres as the athletes will seek final berths later in the evening. World Youth Champions Odail Todd and Everton Clarke will run in the 100 metres while Rusheen McDonald and Javier Bell will run in the one lap event.

There will be no first round competition in the Girl’s 800 metres for Desreen Montague and Rogeek Rochester in the Boy's 1500 metres as they will run straight finals on Saturday's second day of competition.

The team departed Jamaica on Thursday, July 21 and will return on Monday July 25, 2011.  The complete contingent is as follows:

GIRLS
Cardine Copeland, Daniele Dowie, Rochelle Farquharson, ChrisAnn Gordon, Kellion Knibb, Daira Levy, Sasha Gay Marston, Nicolate Martin, Desreen Montague, Natasha Morrison, Petergay Reid, Jeneive Russell, Annastacia Scott, Tonique Sobah, Danielle Thomas, Celia Walters, Danielle Williams and Kimberly Williamson.

BOYS
Javere Bell, Xavier Boland, D’Omar Boyden, Tashane Bromfield, Everton Clarke, Fredrick Dacres, Javarn Gallimore, Keniel Grant, Yanick Hart, Chad Hinds, Rusheen McDonald, Ashinia Miller, Ashawni Mitchell, Jonathan Reid, Rogeek Rochester, Traves Smikle and Odail Todd.

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Orville Brown – Coach, Michael Carr - Head Coach, Dwight Cunningham – Manager, Carlene Edwards - Team Media, Lloyd Hylton - Assistant Manager, Godfrey Murray – Physiotherapist, Dr. Ivor Nugent - Team Doctor, Shanikie Osbourne – Coach, Hamlin Pagon – Coach, Wendi Peart – Physiotherapist, Kerrylee Ricketts – Coach and Verona Thompson - Assistant Manager.

Contributed by Raymond Graham