T-Birds 4x400 relay wins

The New Mexico Junior College track and field teams had another strong weekend, racking up seven national qualifying marks and improving 14 others.

The Thunderbirds had three new qualifiers and seven improved times/marks. The T-Birds also won one event.

Victor Akhalu, Dre'Shaun Sanders, Javed Jones, and Ramone Lindo, who make up the T-Birds' 4x400 relay team, took first place, finishing in 3:11.25. The foursome also improved their national qualifying time in the event.

Akhalu, Jones, and Lindo all improved their times in the 400 meters. Akhalu finished in 47.78 seconds while Jones turned in a time of 48.16 seconds and Lindo ran a 48.40. Tyrell Edwards improved his time in the 200 meters and the 60 meters. Edwards finished the 200 in 21.44 seconds and ran the 60 in 6.79 seconds.

In the field events, Thomas Nieto improved his height in the pole vault, clearing 15-feet, 9.25-inches.

The T-Birds new qualifiers were Lloyd Frilot and Baptiste Depril-Dupre in the 600 meters. Frilot ran a 1:20.59 while Depril-Dupre had a time of 1:20.95. Frilot also qualified in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.25.

As for the Lady T-Birds, they had four new qualifiers and seven improved marks. The Lady T-Birds also had one athlete set a school record.

Mathilda Bjorklund set a school record, while improving her national qualifying mark, in the weight throw when her throw traveled 55 feet and 7.75 inches.

The 4x400 relay team, consisting of Nadine Rose, Moisha Barnes, Yanique Dayle, and Maria Simanca, improved its time, finishing in 3:47.13. Simanca also improved her time in the 600 meters, finishing in 1:36.41. Ayla Stanisclaus and Dayle both improved their times in the 200 meters. Stanisclaus finished in 24.06 seconds while Dayle turned in a time of 24.69 seconds.

The Lady T-Birds had three athletes improve their times in the 60 meters. Dayle finished in 7.48 seconds while Kelliesha King ran it in 7.67 seconds and Angel Johnson turned in a time of 7,73 seconds.

New Mexico Junior College will be back at it this Friday and Saturday when they take part in the Texas Tech Shoot Out.