MONTEGO BAY, St James — Eight western Jamaica based athletes and one former COCAA Western Champs winner were included in Jamaica’s 70-member squad that will defend the CARIFTA Games title at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall on the Easter weekend.

The squad was released by the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) on Monday following the CARIFTA Trials held in mid March at the Stadium East Complex.

Jamaica will be seeking a 27th consecutive hold on the title in the 40th renewal that will be held April 23rd-25th.

Of the nine, five are new comers to the team, the Munro College trio of Kaneil Harrison, Herbert Thomas and Rosean Maxwell, former Frome Technical runners Rushell Clayton who now attends Vere Technical and St Elizabeth Technical’s (STETHS) Kemarley Brown.

STETHS’ Kimone Green won a bronze medal in the Under 17 girls 300m hurdles last year while her team mate Alethia McLaughlin will seek to go at least one place better than her fourth place in the Girls under 17 1500m last year while Green Island’s Odail Todd who won two medals in the Boys Under 17 last year, will compete in the Under 20 section.

STETHS’ high jumper Peter-gay Reid who was second in the Under 20 section last year, will at least seek to retain that position next weekend.

There were a few notable omissions however, including St Elizabeth Technical’s Opal James and Petersfield High’s Glenford Watson both winners at Trials and Munro College’s Waynee Hyman.

James, the silver medalists in the Under 17 girls’ long jump at CARIFTA Games last year, won both the long and triple jumps at Trials but was left out of the team due to a slight thigh injury.

She returned to training on Monday Observer West heard.

Watson won the Under 17 discuss with a best throw of 45.10m at Trials while Hyman a former Petersfield High runner who is in Sixth Form at Munro was second in the Under 20 boys 400m.