The NMJC Lady T-Birds made history this past weekend at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The team brought home the first ever title for Women's Track and Field at NMJC.

Right from the start the meet turned into an epic battle between two great teams, NMJC and Iowa Central Community College. After nineteen of the twenty events NMJC trailed Iowa Central by two points. In the final event, the 4 x 400 meter relay, NMJC finished with second place for 8 points while Iowa Central came away with third good for six points. This left the score tied at 115 points and since there is no tie breaker in Indoor Track this gave both schools a share of the National Title.

Leading the way for the Lady T-birds was Caroline Jepleting. Caroline brought home the gold in three individual events and one relay. For her great performances Caroline was named the NJCAA Female Track Runner of the Year. Also scoring ten or more points for the team were Keno Heavens, Olivia Lewis (who was 400 meter National Champion), Jordan Brown and Yolanda Suggs.

Overall the team finished with eight National Champions, twenty three All-Americans, and six school records.

For an outstanding coaching job, Head Coach Keith Blackwill was awarded the Co-National Coach of the Meet!!

Individual Results

TrackP= Prelims F= Final

60M 2^nd Place Yolanda Suggs 7.59P 7.59F All-American

8^th Place Chalsea Ewing 7.57P 8.19F Coaches AA/School Record

18^th Place Paula Bowens 7.96P

200M 11^th Place Yolanda Suggs 25.49P

16^th Place Trudy-Ann McLean 26.12P

400M 1^st Place Olivia Lewis 56.44P 55.55F National Champion

6^th Place Trudy-Ann McLean 58.22P 58.00F All-American

14^th Place Genesis Johnson 59.78P

600M 9^th Place Mychressa Ward 1:39.45P

12^th Place Tamra Grayson 1:40.88P

800M 1^st Place Caroline Jepleting 2:22.01P 2:18.02F National Champion

3^rd Place Keno Heavens 2:24.44P 2:19.17F All-American

1000M 1^st Place Caroline Jepleting 3:04.79P 2:56.70F National Champion

4^th Place Petrona Layne 3:10.52P 3:02.40F All-American

13^th Place Mychressa Ward 3:16.92P

Mile 1^st Place Caroline Jepleting 4:59.78 National Champion

5^th Place Jordan Brown 5:17.63 All-American

3000M 4^th Place Jordan Brown 10:30.98 All-American/ School Record

5000M 7^th Place Jordan Brown 18:47.89 All-American/School Record

60M Hurdles 6^th Place Aleese Pittman 8.99P 9.01F All-American

4 x 400M 2^nd Place 3:48.03 All-American/ School Record

Suggs, Lewis, Johnson, Heavens

4 x 800M 2^nd Place 9:34.75 All-American/ School Record

Layne, Grayson, Ward, Heavens

DMR 1^st Place 12:11.44 National Champion/ School Record

Layne, Grayson, Heavens, Jepleting

Field

High Jump 8^th Place Christina Barrett 5'1" All-American

Pentathlon 2^nd Place Christina Barrett 3218 pts. All-American

6^th Place Aleese Pittman 2937 pts. All-American

Click here for complete results