Meet Recap: 2023 NJCAA Indoor T&F Championships

Champions were crowned at the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Topeka, Kansas!

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An exciting two days of activity had just about everything a fan could ask for – a national record and lots of high-ranking all-time marks sprinkled among intense competition as the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility proved to be an excellent site for high-caliber competition.

A tie on the men’s side is the first-ever in this meet, matched only by a women’s tie in 2010 between Iowa Central CC and New Mexico JC. It was a third-straight title for South Plains (Texas), a streak not seen since 2006 in men’s competition, while NMJC earned its first since way back in 1980.

New Mexico JC won its first women’s team crown since 2020. It was the T-Birds’ fifth title in meet history.

Men’s Recap

South Plains produced the meet’s only national record as the Texans’ vaunted 4×800 team of Kimar Farquharson, Aaron Tanui, Chevonne Hall and Mehmet Celik ran 7:28.38 in taking down the previous best of 7:30.15 set by Blinn (Texas) in 1986.

Behind them, the all-time list took even more of a beating – Monroe-New Rochelle (N.Y.) moved to No. 4 all-time at 7:39.13 and Indian Hills (Iowa) CC No. 5 at 7:39.74.

The 4×800 was one of three relay victories for South Plains – all with splendid times. On Friday the Texans clocked 9:47.28 to win the distance medley relay in becoming the No. 2 program in NJCAA history.

Then there was the meet’s climactic 4×400 on Saturday with the team title in the balance. The Texans ran 3:06.93 – it’s third sub-3:07 time of the year and faster than any other program has ever run even once. Behind them were two program records – New Mexico JC in 3:07.26 and Indian Hills (Iowa) CC in 3:07.64 in becoming the No. 2 and No. 3 programs all-time, respectively – as the final team standings were settled.

Friday saw the first of three men’s double winners – Sanele Masondo of Colby (Kan.) CC, who claimed the 5000 meters (14:14.91) and 3000 (8:11.14) in seasonal bests.

The other two double winners were a pair from co-champ New Mexico JC. Kelsey Daniel won Friday’s long jump at 7.81m (25-7½) and Saturday’s triple jump at 16.09m (52-9½), a PR in the latter. Tapiwanashe Makarawu did all of his damage on Saturday, winning the 60 by a scant 0.004 seconds and the 200 in 20.51, the latter with the No. 3 performance in NJCAA annals.

Another highlight of the meet came from Donald Chiyangwa of NMJC, who won the 400 in 46.12 – just 0.10 seconds off the NJCAA record in becoming No. 4 all-time.

In all, South Plains won seven events and New Mexico took six.

One that neither program won was another highlight – the 800, where Rivaldo Marshall of Indian Hills ran 1:50.56 to turn back NJCAA record holder Farquharson (1:50.98) and his own teammate, Tyrice Taylor (1:51.27).

Women’s Recap

New Mexico JC had four wins, but Barton (Kan.) CC had five, including one of the meet’s three female double-winners – Kelsie Murrell-Ross in the shot put on Friday at 16.12m (52-10¾) and Saturday’s weight throw with a PR 18.30m (60-0½).

Another double winner included Miracle Ailes of Iowa Western CC. On Friday, she popped a huge 6.42m (21-0¾) long jump in moving to No. 2 all-time NJCAA and on Saturday she won the high jump at 1.74m (5-8½). After winning the high jump, she passed all the way to 1.90m (6-2¾), a potential NJCAA record where she was unsuccessful three times to improve on her own best of 1.87m (6-1½) from earlier this year.

Prviliege Chikara of Meridian (Miss.) CC was another two-time champ, taking the mile (5:00.11) and 800 (2:12.73), both with PRs.

Another of Barton’s wins came in a fantastic 60-meter hurdles, where Danae Nembhard edged Miracle Thompson of Cloud County (Kan.) CC, 8.24 to 8.25. Those times made them Nos. 3 and =4 all-time on the NJCAA list.

Cloud County got an impressive win from Vimbayi Maisvorewa in the 400. Her time of 53.50 made her No. 3 all-time in NJCAA history.

In the pentathlon, Ana Couto gave Barton another victory. Her total of 3945 points also made her No. 2 all-time NJCAA.

New Mexico JC went into a strong victory formation in the concluding 4×400. Even with the team title clinched, the T-Birds clocked 3:40.56 in becoming the No. 4 program in NJCAA history.