MIRAMAR, FLORIDA:

Twelve of the island's junior athletes will be in action today when the Junior Pan Am Championships gets under way at the Ansine Sports Complex in Miramar today.

The Jamaicans will be hoping to better their medal haul of two years ago, in Trinidad and Tobago, where they earned 14 medals, three gold, three silver and eight bronze. Natasha Morrison and Celia Walters will kick things off in the girls 100m, and will be hoping for a strong showing, which would see them book a place in the final set for later this evening.

In the morning session, apart from the girls' 100 metres semi-finals, there will also be semi-finals in the boys' 100 and 400 metres, which will also have finals later. World Youth 100 metres champion Odail Todd and Everton Clarke will be the starters for Jamaica.

In the semi-final of the 400 metres it will be Rusheen McDonald and Javere Bell. There will be no first-round action in the womens' 100 metres hurdles and 400 metres, along with the boys' 1500 metres. Both 100 metres hurdles and 400 metres finals will also run off in the evening as straight finals.

Last year's world junior representatives Tonique Sobah and Danielle Williams will be in the final of this event, while Nicolette Martin and Anastasia Scott will compete in the 400 metres final. Rojeek Rochester will contest the boys' 1500 metres final tomorrow.

The afternoon session will also see the final of the boys' discus where favourite Traves Smikle and teammate Fedrick Dacres are expected to be among the medals. Smikle, the bronze medallist two years ago in Trinidad and Tobago, is a big favourite to go two places higher and grab the gold. With a best of 66.88 metres he is the top seed.

Dacres, fresh from his success at World Youth Championships in the event, will be hoping to be among the medals, following his best of 67.05 metres with the lighter implement, but has also gone over 58 metres this season with the correct weight for this age group.

Desreen Montaque who was also expected to take the track in the girls' 800 metres semi-final will not do so as it will be a straight final tomorrow.

- R.G.