Meet Recap: 2024 NJCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships

Champions were crowned on Saturday at the 2024 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Monroe, Louisiana!

From The USTFCCCA InfoZone: National Championships Central

New Mexico JC won a second-straight women’s team title and South Plains (Texas) earned a share of the men’s crown for the fourth consecutive year.

Men’s Recap

South Plains won four events en route to winning the title outright for the first time since 2022 (the Texans shared the 2021 and 2023 crowns) – the 1500 (Hamdani Benahmed, 3:48.58), 110 hurdles (Isaiah Patrick, a PR 13.58), javelin (Jaime Moreno, 66.95m/219-8) and the 4×100 relay (39.75).

Runner-up New Mexico JC – which shared the titles with rival South Plains in 2021 and 2023 – had the most event titles with five, led by double-winner Tapiwanashe “Carlie” Makarawu’s sweep of the 100 (10.04) and 200 (20.08). The century title was a repeat for Makarawu. Also earning victories for the T-Birds were Donald Chiyangwa (a PR 45.06 in leading a 1-2-3 blitz for NMJC), Tomas Vega (8:56.10 in leading a 1-2 sweep in the steeple with twin brother German) and the 4×400 relay team (3:05.70).

Barton (Kan.) CC had the next highest collection of wins with three – all in the field events led by double-winner Christopher Young with PRs in the shot put (18.76m/61-6¾ in repeating from last year) and hammer (56.61m/185-8). Young scored 34 total points with a runner-up finish in the javelin and a third in the discus. Trevon Hamer claimed the triple jump with a PR 15.90m (52-2).

Tyrice Taylor of Indian Hills (Iowa) CC joined Makarawu and Young as a repeat champion, winning the 800 in 1:47.97.

Women’s Recap

New Mexico JC won by five points over Barton (Kan.) CC, flipping the national rankings order entering the meet. The T-Birds had three event winners, including the only woman to repeat from last year – Anisha Gibbons, who claimed the javelin at 49.07m (161-0). NMJC also got wins from Lacarthea Cooper in the 400 (53.65) and Tania Da Silva in the hammer (55.40m/181-9, earning victory by just 1cm).

Barton had the most women’s event winners with four – two of which set meet records with major all-time NJCAA significance. Treneese Hamilton won the shot put at 17.46m (57-3½) to take down the 2019 NJCAA record of 16.94m (55-7) by Devia Brown of Central Arizona, while Cedricka Williams’ win duplicated her own NJCAA standard of 57.80m (189-7) set in April.

Williams needed almost every centimeter to win, as teammate Ivanilda Semedo was right behind at 57.77m (189-6). Also winning for the Cougars were Jazmine Williams in the long jump (6.25m/20-6¼) and Ana Cuoto in the heptathlon (5298 points).

A third meet record went to Sophia Do Amaral Salvi of Vincennes (Ind.), who won the pole vault with a clearance of 4.02m (13-2¼).

The meet’s only female double-winner was Anita Afrifa of Colby (Kan.) CC, who won the 100 (11.49) and 200 (22.98), the latter performance improving her standing of No. 4 on the all-time NJCAA list.