THE Ambassadors Athletic Club is pleased to announce the hosting of the 7th Fritz Grant Track and Field Invitational on Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21, starting at 5:30pm and 3pm respectively.

“We are also pleased to accept the invitation from the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations to include into this competition the trials for the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championship (CAC) and the Caribbean Union of Teachers Championship (CUT). We have to date over 700 athletes registered to compete over the two days this coming weekend,” according to a press release.

“Athletes will compete in all age groups, from under-7 all the way to the open category. We are pleased to note that the 2011 IAAF World Youth 200 Metre Champion Stephen Newbold will be in action against 2008 Olympic Games 4x400m silver medallist Andretti Bain which promises to be a race. The meet record in this event stands at 20.38 seconds set by “Golden Knight” Michael Mathieu in 2011.

The men’s high jump is set to feature the co-meet record holder and 2013 IAAF World finalist Ryan Ingraham. Ingraham equalled the meet record of 2.25m (7’4 ?”) last year. The record was first set by Trevor Barry in 2011. Ingraham, representing Puma, will battle against RC Athletics Jamal Wilson.

In the under-20 boys’ division, we have registered to challenge the 100 metre dash with CARIFTA Games finalist Cliff Resias representing the Ambassadors Athletic Club. Resias will have a strong challenge from the Carifta Trials runner up Deedro Clarke and Club Monica’s Ian Kerr.

The men’s 800 metres is expected to be an exciting competition as NJCAA Indoor 600m Champion Ashley Riley, who holds the fastest time this year in the 800 metres for juniors (1:52.36), will have a strong challenge from CARIFTA Games 1,500 metre silver medallist Benjamin Najman and CARIFTA finalist Cladius Russell. Former 2006 CARIFTA Games finalist Trevino “Gizzy” Thompson is expected to return to competition.

On the women’s side, said the release, “we expect a strong show in the 400 metres as World Relay team members Shakeitha Henfield and Miriam Byfield will square off one week before the National Championships.

National junior record holder, and now a senior athlete, Katrina Seymour will head the young talent in the women’s 400 metre hurdles. She will be challenged by Talia Thompson, a CARIFTA Games finalist, and Dreshanae Rolle.

The women’s long jump will also be exciting as former CARIFTA team members Dannielle Gibson and Antonique Butler will jump off in what promises to be an exciting event. These two will also compete in the triple jump.

Sixteen females will battle off in the high jump over three age groups which is the most competitors in the seventh year history of this meet.

“The overall competition promises to very exciting especially in the under-13 girls’ division as we have 45 competitors in the long jump. In our 50th year as a club, we are pleased that we are still going strong and our founder Rev Enoch Backford, we owe a great degree of thanks and appreciation to him,” said the release.