South Plains Track and Field Places Second, Fifth at Indoor Nationals

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA— The South Plains College Texans and Lady Texans track and field teams traveled nearly 1200 miles across the country to compete in the 2016 NJCAA Indoor National Championships on March 4-5 in Winston-Salem North Carolina.

The Texans captured three individual national titles and broke two school records, while the Lady Texans brought home one individual national title and also have two new record holders. The Texans took second place overall with a point total of 105, finishing only behind Iowa Central Community College's 132 final tally. The Lady Texans placed fifth and finished with 60 total points, with Iowa Central, New Mexico Junior College, Monroe College and Central Arizona taking the top four spots.

Defending national title holder Morgan Hartsell out did herself on Friday in the pole vault competition, as the sophomore from Lubbock placed first overall, and set a new South Plains College school record with a final height of 12' 7.5". In the men's heptathlon competition, Gabe Moore would go on to set a new school record after finishing first overall with a final point total of 5116, earning the freshman national title honors.

Nigerian native Fabian Edoki continued to sail past the competition in the men's long jump, as the freshman earned national title honors with a final jump of 24 8.25." Robert Downs Jr. would then go to earn national title honors in the men's 800 meters, as the sophomore from Philadelphia noted a final time of 1:53.88. Also worthy of mention are Hassan Abdi and Medinah Spencer. Abdi set a new school record in the 5000 after posting a final time of 14:30.37, while Spencer's time of 8.77 in the women's 60 hurdles prelims sits as the fastest time in school history.

The first event on Saturday saw the Texans' Gabe Moore finish second overall in the men's 60 hurdles, with a final time of 8.65. Moore would then go on to place third overall in the pole vault competition, with a final height of 13' 11". In the women's triple jump, the Lady Texan's Felicia Frimpong took seventh overall, with a final distance of 38' 8.75", while Anyi Garcias-Solis went on to place ninth with a jump of 57' 9.50".

In the 4x800 event, the Texans team comprised of Atem Akok, Nicholas Rotich, Kelvin Keter and Daniel Chan took sixth overall with a final time of 7:54.95. In the women's 60 meter hurdles, Medinah Spencer went on to place sixth overall with a final time of 8.88. In the men's 60 meter hurdles, Robert Dunning went on to place second overall for the Texans with a final time of 7.95.

In the women's 60 meters, Aaliyah Telesford took sixth overall with a finishing time of 7.58, while Taylor Hill placed eighth with a time of 7.68. In the men's triple jump competition, Fabian Edoki went on to place second overall with a final distance of 51' 1.75", while Saahir Bethea took fifth with a final jump of 49' 3.50".

The Lady Texan's Deja Harrison's final time of 1:37.28 was good enough for fifth overall in the women's 600 meters, while Moor and McBride finished sixth and seventh overall for the Texans in the men's 1000 meters, with final times of 2:54.23 and 3:00.22, respectively. In the men's 1 mile run, Abdi placed sixth overall with a final time of 4:16.62. In the women's 400 meters, Spencer's final time of 56.24 was good enough for third, while Mauricia Prieto placed seventh overall for the Lady Texans with a final time of 57.80. Okeen Williams would then go on to place fifth overall in the men's 400 meters with a final time of 49.25.

In the women's 800 meters, Latriceia Smith placed third overall with a final time of 2:18.06 for the Lady Texans, while Robert Down Jr. would take first overall in the men's 800 meters with a finishing time of 1:53.88. Saqukine Cameron's final time of 24.83 in the women's 200 meters was good enough for fifth, while Keter's final time of 2:32.03 in the men's 1000 meters was good enough for third place.

The Lady Texans 4x400 meter relay team comprised of Prieto, Harrison, Telesford and Spencer went on to take second place overall with a finishing time of 3:49.17, while the Texans 4x400 meter relay team made up of DeVante Lacy, Dedrian Windham, Robert Downs Jr. and Williams went on to take second place with a final time of 3:15.87.

In the first event on Friday, the Lady Texans Melody Korie placed eighth overall with a final time of 9.27. In the men's 60 meters, Gabe Moore took third with a finishing time of 7.22, while Logan McBride placed 11th with a time of 7.47.

In the women's high jump competition, Ciearah Hairston took third overall with a jump of 5' 5.75", while Korie placed seventh overall with a final jump of 4' 11.75." In the men's long jump, Moore went on to place second overall with a final distance of 21' 3.50". Hairston took third for the Lady Texans in the women's shot put competition with a final throw of 37' 4.50", while Korie would place 10th overall with a throw of 28' 7.75".

In the men's shot put competition, Moore would take the top spot overall after a final throw of 41' 10", while McBride placed 10th overall with a throw of 33' 0.25". In the women's distance Medley Relay, Kassidi Jones, Latriceia Smith, Shirley Vunatup and Poro Gahekave placed seventh with a final time of 12:49.94.

In the men's high jump, Moore went on to place second overall with a height of 6' 3.50", while Korie would go on to take fourth overall for the Lady Texans in the women's long jump with a distance of 17' 2.75". The Texans distance medley relay team, comprised of Atem Akok, Daniel Chan, Fletcher Sherrard and Kelvin Keter would take sixth overall with a finishing time of 10:21.02.

Defending national title holder Morgan Hartsell was in championship form in the women's pole vault, as she went on to take the top spot with a final height of 12' 7.50". In the women's 800 meters, Hairston would take ninth overall with a final time of 2:46.99, while Korie took 13th with a time of 2:53.75.

Edoki continued his impressive run in the men's long jump competition, as the freshman from Nigeria took first overall with a jump of 24' 8.25", while Derrick Monroe took fifth for the Texans with a final jump of 23' 8.75". In the men's 5000 meters, Abdi would go on to take second overall with a finishing time f 14:30.37, while Nicholas Rotich placed eighth overall with a finishing time of 15:10.38. Abdi would then go on to take second overall in the men's 3000 meters with a finishing time of 8:23.96.

In the men's high jump competition, Kwaume McGee went on to take third overall with a final jump pfr 6' 8.75", while Robert Dunning's jump of 6' 6.75" was good enough for seventh overall.