Regional Awards Announced for NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field

NEW ORLEANS – Regional Athletes and Coaches of the Year for the 2016 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Monday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Each of the four regions – Atlantic, Central, Midwest and West – honored both genders’ top track athletes and field athletes, and the top men’s and women’s head coaches and assistant coaches.

Award winners were determined by a vote of USTFCCCA member coaches. Only those individuals from USTFCCCA member programs are eligible for awards.

Many of the honored athletes and coaches will be in competition at the NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships set for this week, May 17-19, in Levelland, Texas.

The championships will be streamed live on Flotrack PRO.

MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Mpho Makofane — Monroe
Makofane, a sophomore from Secunda, South Africa, set two school records and PRs in the 800m and 1500m. He finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation at 800 meters in 1:49.81, and is ranked second in the Atlantic Region at 1500 meters.

CENTRAL REGION – Corrieon Mosby — Hinds CC
Mosby, a freshman from Natchitoches, Louisiana, is the top NJCAA sprinter at 200 meters in 20.54. He’s also ranked No. 3 at 400 meters in 46.65, No. 12 at 100 meters in 10.43 and is a member of the No. 1 4×100 and No. 3 4×400 relay teams.

MIDWEST REGION – Sylvester Barus — Iowa Western CC
Barus, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, finished the regular season as NJCAA’s top-ranked athlete over 10,000 meters in 30:04.84 and was No. 2 nationally at 5000 meters in 14:24.36.

WEST REGION – Reubin Walters — Central Arizona
Walters, a sophomore, leads the nation in the 110-meter hurdles at 13.60 and ranks third nationally and second in the West region in the 400-meter hurdles at 51.77. He also ranks 32nd in the country and sixth in the region over 100 meters in 10.59.

WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Susan Ejore — Monroe
Ejore, a freshman from Nakuru, Kenya, is currently ranked No. 1 nationally at 1500 meters (4:25.11) and No. 2 at 800 meters (2:07.25). She set school records and personal bests in the 800, 1500 and 3000 this season.

CENTRAL REGION – Alexis Luckett — Hinds CC
Luckett, a sophomore, is ranked No. 1 in the region and No. 3 nationally at 400 meters (54.33).

MIDWEST REGION – Danielle Riggins — Iowa Central CC
Riggins, a sophomore from Racine, Wisconsin, is ranked first nationally in the 100 hurdles (13.43), second nationally in the 100 (11.56), fifth in the 200 (23.76) and 400 (54.42). At the region championship, Riggins won the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles.

WEST – Marleena Eubanks – Central Arizona
Eubanks, a sophomore, is ranked first nationally at 800 meters (2:06.73) and second at 1500 (4:34.59). She also runs the anchor leg of the Vaqueras’ sixth-ranked 4×800 relay.

MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Jared Kern — Lincoln College
Kern, a sophomore from Machesney Park, Illinois, is the top NJCAA shot putter by more than a foot and a half with a mark of 18.62m (61-1¼). He is also ranked third in the Atlantic region in the discus and fourth in the region in the hammer throw.

CENTRAL REGION – Mohammed Abubakar — Butler (Kan.) CC
Abubakar, a sophomore from Abosom, Ghana, is the nation’s No. 2 NJCAA long jumper at 7.70m (25-3¼). He also finished the regular season No. 5 in the triple jump.

MIDWEST REGION – Jah-Nhai Perinchief — Iowa Central CC
Perinchief, a freshman from Warwick, Bermuda, finished the regular season as NJCAA’s top high jumper at 2.26m (7-5) for the Bermuda national record and is tied for No. 2 on the all-collegiate list for 2016. In addition to winning the high jump at the Region XI Championships, he also won the triple jump and was runner-up in the long jump.

WEST REGION – Fabian Edoki — South Plains
Edoki, a freshman from Nigeria, finished the regular season ranked first in the long jump with a slightly windy jump of 8.02m (26-3¾, +2.3m/s) and has the No. 2 triple jump mark for the outdoor season at 15.73m (51-7¼).

WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Breaisha Morton — Monroe
Morton, a sophomore from New Jersey, is currently ranked in the top-5 of the NJCAA in the high jump (1.74m/5-8½)  and triple jump (12.30m/40-4¼) . She is the best in the region in the triple jump and second in the high jump.

CENTRAL REGION – Ayesha Champagnie — Barton County CC
Champagnie, a freshman from Kingston, Jamaica, scored 36 points and won two field events (javelin and shot put) at the NJCAA Region VI Outdoor Championships. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the heptathlon by more than 500 points and is also leading the nation in the javelin. Her mark of 14.08m (46-2½) in the shot put has her also ranked in the top-10 there.

MIDWEST REGION – Janeah Stewart — Iowa Central CC
Stewart, a sophomore from Chicago, Illinois, put together quite the outdoor season. Her shot put mark of 16.31m (53-6¼) is the best throw of the campaign, while her marks in the discus and hammer throw are second and third nationally, respectively.

WEST REGION – Latavia Coombs — New Mexico JC
Coombs, a freshman from St. Catherine, Jamaica, is currently ranked No. 1 nationally in the triple jump (13.05m/42-9 ¾), fourth in the heptathlon (4587) and seventh in the long jump (5.92m/19-5 ¼).

MEN’S HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Chris Gafner — Vincennes
Gafner, in his 10th season at the helm of the Vincennes program, has his men’s team ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Region. He has 19 male athletes who have qualified for NJCAA Nationals. His men’s team won the Region 12 Outdoor Championships.

CENTRAL REGION – Ryan Turner — Butler (Kan.) CC
Turner, in his second season in charge of the Butler CC program, led his squad to the Region VI Championship with 181 points. His team is ranked No. 5 nationally in the most recent USTFCCCA National Team Rankings.and is atop the USTFCCCA Regional Index for the Central Region.

MIDWEST REGION – Denny Myers — Iowa Central CC
Myers, in his sixth year guiding the Iowa Central CC program, has assembled some of the nation’s best athletes to hold down a number one ranking nearly all year throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons. His team won the Region XI Outdoor Championships.

WEST REGION – Chris Beene — South Plains
Beene, in his 12th year as head coach at South Plains, has 11 athletes ranked top-10 among NJCAA athletes in ten different events. His squad is ranked No. 2 in the most recent USTFCCCA National Team Rankings and first in the USTFCCCA Regional Index for the West Region.

WOMEN’S HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Lesleigh Hogg — Monroe
Hogg, in his second year with the program, has his team ranked No. 1 in the region and fifth in the most recent USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings. He guided five qualifiers to the NJCAA Championships including Breaisha Morton (high jump) and Ksenia Safonova (hammer throw), who are both ranked in the top-5 nationally.

CENTRAL REGION – David Schenek — Barton County CC
Schenek, in his eighth year guiding the Cougars, led them to the Region VI Championship. It was at the region championship where his field athletes accounted for 70 of the team’s 189 points. His team is currently ranked sixth in the nation and qualified 12 performances for nationals.

MIDWEST REGION – Denny Myers — Iowa Central CC
Myers, in his sixth year leading the Tritons has them ranked No. 1 in the latest USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings and qualified six performances for nationals.

WEST REGION – Keith Blackwill — New Mexico JC
Blackwill, in his 11th year as head coach of the Thunderbirds, has his women currently ranked No. 2 in the latest USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings. He will send 28 qualifiers, many of whom are ranked in the top-5 nationally, to the NJCAA Championships, where they’ll hope to earn a team title.

MEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Tim Marsee — Vincennes
Marsee, in his eighth season guiding Vincennes’ pole vaulters, throwers and combined-event athletes, has three pole vaulters qualified for NJCAA Nationals who are all ranked in the top ten including the defending outdoor national champion. He also has a men’s thrower qualified in both the hammer throw and shot put.

CENTRAL REGION – Willie Calvin — Hinds CC
Calvin, in his second season as an assistant at his alma mater, has provided guidance for a team that is ranked seventh in latest USTFCCCA National Team Computer Rankings.

MIDWEST REGION – Brad Foote — Iowa Central CC
Foote, in his second year mentoring the Iowa Central CC throwers, has three men among the top five in the shot put (2-3-4), two of the top five discus throwers and another man ranked top-five in the hammer. His discus thrower, Brian Williams, is the American Junior College record holder at 63.23m (207-5).

WEST REGION – Erik Vance – South Plains
Vance, in his first year coaching the jumps and combined events at South Plains, has already made an impact on the program. Including national leader Fabian Edoki, he has three of the top four NJCAA long jumpers, a pair of top-four high jumpers. He has two more top-15 high jumpers and an additional top-15 pole vaulter.

WOMEN’S ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR

ATLANTIC REGION – Shirvon Greene — Monroe
Greene, in his eighth year watching over the mid-distance and distance runners, saw several big contributions this season. Among those athletes he mentored, Susan Ejore and Nokuthula Dlamini have enjoyed the most success, with the former being ranked No. 1 in the region and nation at 1500 meters and the latter being No. 1 in the region and No. 2 nationally in the 5000 (17:24.45) and 10000 (37:13.86). The program’s 4×800 team is ranked first in the region and second in the nation, as well.

CENTRAL REGION – Tony Davis — Barton County CC
Davis, in his second year guiding the Cougars’ sprinters, hurdlers and relay teams, saw his athletes contribute 93 points to a region championship. He’ll send 16 qualifiers to the NJCAA Championships in Levelland, Texas this weekend.

MIDWEST REGION – Nigel Bigbee — Iowa Central CC
Bigbee, in his second year leading the Tritons’ sprinters, hurdlers and horizontal jumps, has seen his women get 1-2-3 in the nation at 100 meters, 5-8 at 200 meters, fifth at 400 meters and first in the 100 hurdles, not to mention several other great marks. He saw 14 qualifiers for the NJCAA Championships this upcoming weekend.

WEST REGION – Trinity Williams — Western Texas
Williams, in her fourth year coaching sprints, hurdles, jumps, mid-distance and relays at Western Texas, has 12 qualifiers for the upcoming NJCAA Championships. Eleven of her team’s efforts from this year are ranked in the top-20 nationally including Cameka Witter, the top-ranked female at 400 meters (53.90).