MONTEGO BAY, St James — A strong 46-member team was Monday night released by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) to represent Jamaica at the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Athletics Championships (CAC) to be held in Morelia, Mexico, this weekend, July 5-7.

Eight athletes, who won events at the recent JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships, have been named in the team that will see Orville Byfield as the head coach and George Forbes of ISSA the team manger.

Of the eight national champions, only 800m runner Natoya Goule has achieved the A qualifying standard for next month’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, and the make-up of the team indicates the JAAA might be using this championship to help select the final team for the Moscow games.

Meanwhile, the composition of the team is not going so well with some, especially those involved in the throwing events. Daina Levy, who set a new National Record 64.30m in the women’s hammer throw and women’s javelin throw champion Kateema Riettie — both of whom are ranked highly in CAC — have been left out.

Riettie threw 54.31m good for a top-six ranking but told the Jamaica Observer she was told she was cut from the squad but was not told why.

Riettie, who is based in the US, said: “I guess the field events always get cut, what is the reason to come to trial, win, spend money to come there and make the standard and also rank in the top-six in the CAC, and get cut?” she quizzed.

Jamaica topped the most recent CAC Seniors that was held in Puerto Rico two years ago with 26 medals of 10 gold, six silver and 10 bronze.

Along with Goule, who won a bronze medal in Puerto Rico on the female side, there are discus throw champion Allison Randall who also won a bronze and high jumper Saniel Atkinson-Grier.

Triple jump national champion Wilbert Walker, who also won a bronze two years ago, has been named on the men’s team; 800m champion Jowayne Hibbert, javelin National Record holder Orin Powell, shot put champion O’Dayne Richards and discus throw champion Chad Wright.

Eight hundred-metre runner Bobby-Gaye Wilkins-Gooden, who competed this year for the first time since serving a two-year drug ban, has also been named in the team along with former Commonwealth Games champion Sheri-Ann Brooks, veteran sprinter Aleen Bailey and 400m hurdler Danielle Dowie who was second at the Senior Championships.

Former national 400m champion Dane Hyatt, who failed to make the finals this year, is included on the men’s team, along with former two-time World Junior Championships 100m champion Dexter Lee and 400m hurdlers Isa Phillips and Roxroy Cato.

Team: Women — Francine Simpson, Todea-Kay Willis, Allison Randall, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Aleen Bailey, Nadine Palmer, Lesline Gilzene, Audra Segree, Elaine Thompson, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins-Gooden, Kayon Robinson, Shereefa Lloyd, Chris-Ann Gordon, Simoya Campbell, Monique Morgan, Indira Spence, Nickiesha Wilson, Danielle Dowie, Saniel Atkinson-Grier, Natoya Goule and Kimberly Williamson.

Men — Nicholas Gordon, Jermaine Jackson, Wilbert Walker, O’Dayne Richards, Chad Wright, Orin Powell, Andrew Fisher, Oshane Bailey, Dexter Lee, Jason Livermore, Taffawee Johnson, Jermaine Brown, Omar Robinson, Dewayne Barrett, Dane Hyatt, Allodin Fothergill, Ricardo Chambers, Jowayne Hibbert, Ricardo Cunningham, Eric Keddo, Ackeem Smith, Isa Phillips, Roxroy Cato, Darrell Garwood, Akheem Gauntlet.

Officials — Team manager, George Forbes; assistant manager, Merlene Hamilton; Doctor, Richard Watson; physiotherapist, Robert McDonald; head coach Orville Byfield; assistant coaches Dave Anderson, Christopher Harley, Julian Robinson and Danny Hawthorne.