T-Bird (M-T&F) Adds Nine Improved Qualifiers in Lubbock, McPherson Shatters 400m Record

The T-Bird men's track & field team competed at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout May 1-2 in Lubbock, Texas.

The Thunderbirds finished the meet with nine improved qualifiers and three new national qualifiers.

Bovel McPherson had a career day on Thursday, May 1. The sophomore sprinter from Chudleigh Machester, Jamaica ran a blazing 44.78 at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout. The time shattered the NMJC school record by .28 seconds (set by Donald Chiyangwa in 2024), is No. 1 in the NJCAA this season, and is No. 5 all-time for JUCO. 

McPherson's time qualifies him for the World Athletics Championships held Sept. 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan. The indoor 400m national champion currently sits No. 3 on the All-College (University) list this season. He only trails runners from Texas A&M and Baylor.

McPherson was named the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for his performance at the Corky/Crofoot Shootout. He is the 10th Thunderbird male athlete to receive the honor. 

David Nyamufarira broke his 10.02 shared school record with Carlie Makarawu by running a 10.01 in the 100m dash on Thursday. The time is NJCAA No. 1 for this season and NJCAA No. 3 all-time for JUCO.

Sophomore Joao Dalandrea smashed his own school record in the discus with a throw of 55.57m. The improved toss is 2.07m further than his previous school record set earlier this season. Dalandrea now sits at No. 6 in the NJCAA for the event. 

Timothey Tuna broke his own Papua New Guinea 200m record by .11 seconds with a 20.64 in the race. The improved qualifying time is No. 9 in the NJCAA. Tuna improved on his previous national standard in the 100m by .07 seconds to run a 10.24. The time is ranked No. 10 in the NJCAA.

Sprinter Ezekiel Newton improved on his national standard in the 100m and 200m this week. Newton bettered his time by .01 in the 100m with a 10.33 and by .47 seconds in the 200m with a 20.69. The sophomore is No. 17 in the 100m and No. 12 in JUCO for the 200m. 

TK Pahuwa nationally qualified in the 200m for outdoor with a 20.79 (NJCAA No. 18). Pahuwa was an improved qualifier in the 400m with a 46.81. The time is No. 19 in the NJCAA for the event.   

Chevoney Reid ran an improved national standard in the 200m by .07 seconds with a time of 20.93. The finish is No. 30 in the NJCAA. 

Freshman Erwan Darrieulat met the national standard in the 800m with a finish of 1:51.93. The time is No. 22 in the NJCAA. Adolf Kauba was the second national qualifier in the 800m with a time of 1:52.39 (NJCAA No. 26).

The T-Birds are No. 2 in the NJCAA for the outdoor season according to the Checkpoint 6 rankings released by the USTFCCCA.

The Thunderbirds final meet of the season is the 2025 NJCAA Men's Outdoor T&F Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas May 15-17.