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Get to know your Jamaican U18 Invitational team

Athletics Canada has announced their team selection for the 2018 U18 Jamaican Invitational

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Athletics Canada has announced their team selection for the 2018 U18 Jamaican Invitational. Canada’s top track and field athletes will compete in 20 different events over the two-day meet. 

The meet was erected as a replacement for the U18 NACAC Championships that were cancelled last month. The championship was set to take place in Nicaragua, but was cancelled due to political unrest. 

The team will fly to Kingston, Jamaica on June 28th. 

Samantha Ford is a first-time team Canada member from Toronto, Ont. She will compete at the 1,500m. Ford says she’s “excited and a little nervous. I’m a little worried about the heat in Kingston, so I’ve set up a treadmill in my basement and turned up the heat. I’ll also start over-dressing for runs to heat-acclimate that way.” Ford is a grade eleven student at the University of Toronto Schools, and a member of the University of Toronto Track Club. 

“I don’t know many people on the team, but I’m really excited to meet new friends from across the country,” Ford says. She expressed gratitude to her coach, Ethan Davenport, as well as her teammates and friends who have helped her to make her first national team. 

RELATED: Myles Misner-Daley sets new national record at OFSAA

Myles Misner-Daley, Canadian U18 record holder and OFSAA champion, has also been named to the team. Misner-Daley has had a breakthrough season, setting both the OFSAA and Canadian record over 400m. He will compete at the 200m in Jamaica. 

Cameron Ormond, of Aurora, Ont. will run the 3,000m in Jamaica. The grade eleven standout has run a shockingly fast time of 9:25.86, ranking her first in Canada for her age group.

RELATED: Get to know 2017 OFSAA 3,000m champion Cameron Ormond

Justin Rose of Edmonton, Alberta will represent Canada over 400m. Rose has run a season’s best of 48.67 this spring. 

The Jamaican Athletic Association (JAA) has invited all countries from the NACAC region to compete in the event. 

See here for a complete list of athletes and staff who will make the trip to Jamaica. The event runs Saturday June 30th and Sunday June 1st. 

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