THE 14th staging of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Track and Field Invitational Meet will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at the UWI Usain Bolt Track.

The meet has been a staple of the Jamaican track and field calendar for over a decade now and has attracted top names such as Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce since its inception in 2001.

Staged by the UWI Sports Development Unit, the meet is primarily a means of facilitating Jamaican athletes’ participation and subsequent development beyond the high school level through organised, quality competition.

Also, the meet is part of the university’s alternative income-generating activities, whereas proceeds go directly into financing scholarships for student athletes and upgrading sporting facilities.

Grace Jackson, the 1988 Seoul Olympics 200 metre silver medallist and head of the UWI Sports Development Unit, is expecting yet another stellar meet in 2015 as athletes gear up for a big year in the sport of track and field.

“We are expecting a massive year. It’s a World Championships year and with the Olympics to follow in 2016, athletes are aware that they need to get in as much race time to prepare themselves for major championships.

“This is a mid-season meet and your form at that point is crucial to any success at major championships. The meet has always been well-supported by elite athletes and we are expecting an even greater turnout this year as everyone will be looking to improve their personal bests and season bests heading into the Championship months,” said Jackson.

In addition to the elite athletes who generally steal the limelight at the meet, there is also quality competition for a non-elite section.

Athletes can participate individually or as part of a club or team along with the University athletes who also partake in this class.

The 2015 staging of the UWI Track and Field Invitational Meet is expected to be a blockbuster event as athletes will be readying themselves for impressive performances ahead of the National Senior Trials and World Championships.

Patrons can therefore expect fireworks as top athletes are expected to clash in the 100m, 200m and 110m hurdles.