Pittsburg, KS – The Neosho County Community College Men’s and Women’s Track and Field team’s competed at their regional championships Saturday and Sunday February 21st and 22nd at Pittsburg State University. The team continues to impress on the season breaking 3 more school records and earning a number of National Qualifying marks.
The Men’s Distance Medley relay took down their own school record for the 3rd time this season lowering the mark to 10:30.94 some 15 seconds better than the prior record. The same group followed that performance up with an impressive 2nd place finish and new school record in the 4x800m relay running 7:50.53 falling just short of the Region title won by Barton County. The time is the second fastest 4x800m relay run in the NJCAA this year and gives the Panthers plenty of momentum headed into the National Championships. The final school record was set on the women’s side by Joy Tieba who took down the women’s 400m record that was set just last year. Her time 58.17 was just a bit shy of earning a trip to the National Championships.
The Panthers were not done yet as several athletes while not breaking school records earned their trip to the National Championships. Omotoyosi Osijonwo set the tone with an impressive personal best in the Triple Jump, going 14.48m and sneaking past the National qualifying mark and jumping into the top 20 Nationally. The final group to earn their trip to Nationals was the Women’s 4x800m relay, while not initially getting the qualifying time the quartet had to play the waiting game to see if their mark would stay in the top 16 and earn their trip to the big dance. In the end it was just enough as their time earned one of the final spots into the Championships.
The Indoor Track & Field National Championships are set for Friday and Saturday March 6th and 7th at Washburn University, in Topeka, Kansas.
