2016 NJCAA Track and Field Outdoor Nationals day 2 recap

LEVELLAND—After day two of the 2016 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the South Plains College Texans and Lady Texans have put themselves in contention to compete for a national crown come Thursday at the Texan Track and Field Stadium in Levelland.

The Texans currently sit in first place with 74 points, with Iowa Central in second with 51 points, followed by Mesa Community College with 32 points. The Lady Texans currently sit in third with 33 points, while Iowa Central leads the women's division with 63 points, with New Mexico Junior College in second with 40 points.

Sophomore Gabe Moore was the first South Plains athlete to be crowned national champion on Wednesday after racking up 7097 points in the men's decathlon, with Iowa Western's Issac Riesselman placing second with 6333 points. Freshman Fabian Edoki was crowned national champion after the Nigerian native soared 25' 11 ½" in the men's long jump competition.

The Texans' Adrian Williams earned national champion honors after his final throw of 216' 6" was good enough for first in the men's javelin, while Kelvin Keter was crowned national champion in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase after posting a final time of 9:13.15 for South Plains.

Lubbock native Morgan Hartsell led the way for the Lady Texans after the former Frenship Lady Tiger was crowned national champion in the women's pole vault, positing a final height of 11' 11.75". Ciearah Hairston impressed in the women's heptathlon after placing third overall with a final point total of 4610, earning six team points for South Plains. Melody Korie went on to earn second team All-American honors after placing second overall for the Lady Texans in the women's long jump with a final distance of 20' 3.75".

The Texans are looking to capture an unprecedented 10th consecutive national title on Thursday, as the Lady Texans are shooting for their third straight Outdoor title. Live coverage of the meet is being broadcast by FloTrack, which can be accessed on the South Plains College athletic website, www.spctexans.com, using the 'Watch NJCAA Championships' tab at the top of the page. Action will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning.