By KELSIE JOHNSON, NG Sports Reporter, kelsie@nasguard.com

While Bahamian national record holder in the men's 100 meters, Derrick Atkins, will take to the track in California this weekend, members of the country's 4x100 meters (m) team will be busy trying to secure a fast enough time which will seed them among the top 16 country's in the world.

The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) will field three teams to compete at the annual Penn Relays, which are set to take place today in Pennsylvania. Along with the men's 4x100m team, the women's 4x100m and the men's 4x400m will also take part, hoping to post one of the top times.

The men's 4x100m team will comprise Jamaal Forbes, Jamial Rolle, Rayvanno Ferguson and Adrian Griffith. This will serve as the second time the team competed, using the Miami Elite Invitational as their introduction.

The Bahamas, which is more famous for the women's 4x100m team, will be missing the likes of Savetheda Fynes and Phillipa Arnett-Willie, this weekend. The team will be made up of Chandra Sturrup, Tamicka Clarke, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Jackie Edwards. The men's 4x400m team will have Michael Mathieu, Aaron Cleare, Andre Williams and Chris Brown.

"We are taking those persons who are available," said BAAA president Mike Sands. "What's important is not the personnel, but being able to run one of the top times out of 16 countries. At anytime you can have the top time in the world, but when the deadline entry closes you can be one of the countries that was knocked out, nothing is guaranteed.

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"We are trying to use different personnel that are available, so when we do have to make a final selections the guys and girls would have a combination and, hopefully, it will make that process of setting the team up a little easier."

Sands, who remains optimistic about the weekend's outcome, drew illustration to the time recorded by our junior female's 4x100m team, which consisted of Nivea Smith, Sheniqua Ferguson, Cache Armbrister and Krystal Bodie. The team clocked 44.36 seconds for the gold at the recently held Carifta track and field championships. The time has seeded The Bahamas ninth in the world.

Sands said: "It is early in the season, to say the least. The girls under-20 4x100m is ranked number nine, and that is just the under-20 girls. From a country's standpoint it is very impressive, but you have to appreciate that it is very early in the season and so we are taking on this project with the hope of developing it. If we didn't think we stand a chance we would not have gone after it.

"It is not going to be an easy challenge, especially as it relates to the sprint relays. We are going after and we are satisfied that we are going to have to make a good showing."

Neither of the junior girls will be competing at the Penn Relays due to collegiate comments, however, Sands believes it would have been interesting to see the cohesiveness and time the team would have ran when three or two of the senior and seasoned athletes head the team.

Sands revealed that the executive board regrets the fact they aren't able to utilize the junior athletes, but reassured everyone that the future of the athletes is the BAAA's biggest concern at the time.

"We would have loved to include Nivea Smith, Cache, Sheniqua and Krystal, but there are certain meets college or high school athletes cannot compete, because there are prize money being offered," Sands stressed. "We don't want to jeopardize their NCAA eligibility, so there are always opportunities, we are anxious to utilize them."

Even though Sands and other track and field enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the day when several of the junior athletes can fill in the holes on the senior level, that day may not come until after the Scotiabank Olympic Trials.

The Scotiabank Olympic Trials are set for June 27-28 at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.