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
9th Kamira Franklin 7.64
30th Alexis Brooks 7.86
34th Marcya Spivey 7.93
200M
4th Kamira Franklin 24.74 All-American
12th Kayelle Clarke 25.22
400M
2nd Quadaisha Newkirk 56.02 All-American
600M
NATIONAL CHAMPION Jahneya Mitchell 1:32.57 All-American/School Record
800M
6th Ja'Ianna Williams 2:20.24 All-American
1000M
5th Silvia Sosa 3:03.50 All-American
Mile
3rd Rose Jebet 5:09.66 All-American
3000M
2nd Rose Jebet 10:06.39 All-American/School Record
5000M
22nd Cassidy Reddell 20:29.31
60M H
8th 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
5th Kelsey Shannon 5'5 ¼"
12th Hanifah Abdulqadir 5'3 ¼"
Long Jump
14th Latavia Coombs 17'5 ½"
16th 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
4th Hanifah Abdul-qadir 39'4 ½"
Shot Put
8th Rochelle Frazer 44'6 ¼" All-American
Pentathlon
3rd Latavia Coombs 3302 pts. All-American
11th Abbigale Butler 2785 pts.
