First-year UBC standout Maria Bernard has been named team captain of the junior women’s team competing this weekend at the 2012 North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships.

The Championships are being held Saturday March 17 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Bernard is the sole returnee on the junior women’s team, having placed third as an individual at NACACs last year. The junior women also won the team title in 2011, and will be looking to repeat this weekend. They will race four-kilometres on the grass at Queen’s Park Savannah.

So far this season, Bernard ran 9:55.37 in the 3,000-metres at the UW Indoor Preview in January, and in February, clocked a 4:44.27 in the 1,500-metres at the Harry Jerome Indoor Classic. She also competed in the Chiba International Cross Country meet in Japan in February.

For this weekend’s competition, Canada has sent junior women and men’s teams, and a senior men’s team. The senior men’s team includes former UBC Thunderbird Jerry Ziak.

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