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By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information Director
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
For the first
time since 1959, Hutchinson Community College is set to play host to
the 2009 NJCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Competition
begins Thursday morning at Gowans Stadium with opening of the
Decathlon and Heptathlon as well as the men’s and women’s discus and
the 10,000-meter runs.
On Friday, the
Decathlon and Heptathlon will be concluded in the morning, as well
as the beginning of field events at 10 a.m. Then beginning at noon,
running events begin with the 4x800 relay men’s and women’s relays.
Field events
begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the finals beginning at 1 p.m. on
Saturday afternoon. A special ceremony will take place at 12:45
p.m., featuring Chase Kear, HCC’s injured pole vaulter, as the
ceremonial starter.
South
Plains College (Texas) is the defending men’s team champion. South
Plains has as men’s-high six top-ranked participants in the 2009
championships. Barton, which finished third in 2008, has five
top-ranked athletes, including sprinter Alonso Edward, who leads the
nation in the 100 meters at 9.93 seconds. Edward is also No. 1 in
the 200 at 20.40 seconds.
There are six
defending individual event champions on the men’s side:
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Anton Taylor, Hinds CC (100).
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Fred Samoei, South Plains (1,500).
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Ryan Brathwaite, Barton CC (110 hurdles).
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Bryce Brown, South Plains (400 hurdles).
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Jeff Henderson, Hinds CC (Long jump).
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Jeremiah Korn, Pima CC (Shot put).
Central Arizona
is the defending women’s team champion. The Vaquaras have three
top-ranked athletes. South Plains leads the women’s side with six
No. 1 qualifiers. Southwest Mississippi has four No. 1 qualifiers.
There are
nine
defending individual champions in the 2009 women’s field, including
two two-time champions.
Sprint champion Sheniqua Ferguson of Southwest Mississippi will defend her 100 and
200 meter championships both as a top qualifier.
Barton’s Jasmine
Simmons will defend titles in the long jump and triple jump. She is
ranked No. 1in the triple jump and No. 2 in the long jump.
Other women’s
defending champions are:
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Karla Hope, Central Arizona (400).
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Patrober Murindat, Butler CC (1,500).
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Natasha Ruddock, Essex CC (100 Hurdles).
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Jessica Merriweather, Rend Lake CC (High jump).
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Marin Thorson, North Iowa CC (Discus). |
