T-Bird Women’s Track and Field Begins Outdoor Season
The New Mexico Junior College women's track and field team completed their first meet since winning the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Championship. The T-Birds began the outdoor season at the Masked Rider Open on March 25 in Lubbock, Texas.
Anisha Gibbons shattered three records in her first javelin throw of the outdoor season with her record mark of 51.27m. The Guyana native set the NJCAA national record, bested her own country's national record of 45.37m by 5.9m, and obliterated a 17-year-old NMJC record by 7.30m. The previous record was held by former T-Bird Melesia Mafile'o (43.97m).
Gibbons finished the meet ranked No. 13 overall collegiately for all levels in the javelin with her national qualifying throw of 51.27. The performance earned the freshman the NJCAA women's division USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in her career.
Sophomore Deshana Skeete smashed former T-Bird Quadaisha Newkirk's 400m school record with a blazing time of 52.76. Skeete eclipsed the seven-year-old time of 53.53 by .77 seconds. The Kansas signee improved on her 400m qualifying time and is now ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA 400m.
Sophomore Calisha Taylor was an improved qualifier in the 400m with a time of 54.63 (NJCAA No. 5). Aaliyah Lindsay leads the NJCAA in the long jump following her national qualifying leap of 5.86m.
Tijuanique Morton nationally qualified in the 200m with a time of 24.06. The sophomore is No. 3 in the NJCAA in the 200m. Sophomore Ashantai Bollers was the second Thunderbird to nationally qualify in the 200m with her time of 24.24. Bollers is ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA in the 200m.
Rounding out the trio of 200m runners who qualified nationally is Ese Awusa. The sophomore finished the race in 24.45. Awusa also met the national standard in the 100m with a time of 11.84 (NJCAA No. 5).
Mickaliliah Vassell was the lone hurdler to nationally qualify for the women. Vassell finished the 400mH in 1:01.31. The sophomore is currently the NJCAA leader in the 400mH.
Letlhogonolo Magoro improved on her national qualifying time in the 800m by finishing in 2:11.07 (NJCAA No. 2). The sophomore was also an improved qualifier in the 1500m as she finished the race in 4:35.81. Magoro is ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA in the 1500m.
Sophomore Damaris Chewon improved on her national standard in the 1500m, running in 4:52.45 (NJCAA No. 6). Freshman Vanessa Gallegos was the third and final T-Bird to hit the national standard in the 1500m with her time of 4:57.69 (NJCAA No. 13).
Freshman Carolyne Kimaiyo took on the challenging 5000m race and improved on her national mark with a time of 18:19.15 (NJCAA No. 4).
Kishana Wallace, Tijuanique Morton, Dejona Simpson, and Ashantai Bollers were on the 4x100 relay team for the Thunderbirds in Lubbock. The quartet finished the race with a national standard time of 45.11 (NJCAA No. 2).
"Everyone looked good (at the Masked Rider Open), we have a few small injuries we have to work through," head coach Keith Blackwill said.
The Thunderbird women slide in at No. 1 in Week 1's USTFCCCA NJCAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Rating Index.
NMJC track and field travels to Austin, Texas to compete in the Texas Relays March 30-April 1.
"Texas relays is difficult to get anything done, everyone has to compete early in the morning, the meet is so large that all the athletes are rushed through," Blackwill said. "But if kids improve on the times from last week, it's a good meet."