Thunderbirds claim National Runner-up at Championships

Winston-Salem, NORTH CAROLINA

The New Mexico Junior College Indoor Track & Field team had a great weekend at the NJCAA Indoor National Championships. Despite earning victories in four events, New Mexico's 107 points for the meet fell just short of the 115 compiled by Iowa Central.

The National Championship was snatched from the Thunderbirds late in the day on Saturday when, during the 400m, Freshman Christine Moss had established herself as the runner to beat. With 60m left in the race, and Moss in the lead, she was tripped and went crashing to the track and with her, the National Title. The runner from Barton County was disqualified for interference but the damage was done.

The runner-up Thunderbirds posted two victories in the relay events, winning the 4x400 in 3:44.48. The team included Jahneya Mitchell, Quadaisha Newkirk, Kamira Franklin and Moss. The National Champion 4x800 relay team, made up of Ja'Ianna Williams, Abbigale Butler, DeHavalan Watts, and Silvia Sosa turned in a school record time of 9:36.90.

Individual winning performances for New Mexico included sophomore Mitchell's 1:32.57 performance in the 600-meter run and freshman Tamara Moncrieffe's 12.86-meter effort in the triple jump.  Both individual performances were new school records.

The Thunderbirds also brought home four national runner-up performances as the DMR team of Sosa, Ni'Jia Mcname, Williams and Rose Jebet ran 12:03.29. Jebet also claimed all-american honors in the 3000m, running a school record time of 10:06.39. Triple Jumper Latavia Coombs turned in a leap of 41'4 1/4 in the Triple Jump and Newkirk ran 56:02 in the 400M.

Overall, the Thunderbirds captured 26 all-americans from the championships. They will return home and take some time to recooperate for the outdoor season which begins on March 24th at Texas Tech.

NOTE:

Prior to the start of the meet, Coach Keith Blackwill was named the USTFCCCA West Region Coach of the Year.

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD RESULTS

*All-American Places 1-3 NJCAA, 4-8 Coaches Association

60M

9^th           Kamira Franklin 7.64

30^th         Alexis Brooks 7.86

34^th         Marcya Spivey 7.93                                       

200M    

4^th           Kamira Franklin 24.74                    All-American

12^th         Kayelle Clarke 25.22

400M

2^nd          Quadaisha Newkirk 56.02            All-American

600M

NATIONAL CHAMPION        Jahneya Mitchell 1:32.57              All-American/School Record

800M

6^th           Ja'Ianna Williams 2:20.24             All-American

1000M

5^th           Silvia Sosa 3:03.50                        All-American

Mile

3^rd           Rose Jebet 5:09.66                        All-American

3000M

2^nd          Rose Jebet 10:06.39                      All-American/School Record

5000M

22^nd        Cassidy Reddell 20:29.31

60M H

8^th           Latavia Coombs 8.90                       All-American

4 x 400

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS   3:44.48              All-Americans/School Record

                                Mitchell- 55.9, Newkirk- 55.5, Franklin- 57.2, Moss- 55.5              

4 x 800

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS   9:36.90              All-Americans

                                Williams- 2:23.3, Butler- 2:26.4, Watts- 2:25.8, Sosa- 2:21.1

DMR

NATIONAL RUNNER-UP    12:03.29          All-American/School Record

                                Sosa- 3:44.1, McNamee- 58.2, Williams- 2:19.1, Jebet- 5:01.1

High Jump

5^th           Kelsey Shannon 5'5 ¼"

12^th         Hanifah Abdulqadir 5'3 ¼"

Long Jump

14^th         Latavia Coombs 17'5 ½"

                16^th         Tamara Moncrieffe 17'4 ¾"

Triple Jump

NATIONAL CHAMPION     Tamara Moncrieffe 42'2 ¼"  All-American/School Record

NATIONAL RUNNER-UP   Latavia Coombs 41'4 ¼"                All-American

4^th                Hanifah Abdul-qadir 39'4 ½"

Shot Put

8^th           Rochelle Frazer 44'6 ¼"                All-American

Pentathlon

3^rd           Latavia Coombs 3302 pts.             All-American

11^th         Abbigale Butler  2785 pts.