Three T-Birds Rank No. 1 in Junior College

The New Mexico Junior College women's track and field team was dominant Jan. 27-28 at the UNM Team Open in Albuquerque, NM.

The meet featured 11 athletes earning indoor national qualifying marks and five improved qualifiers.

Calisha Taylor is atop the NJCAA standings at No. 1 in the 800m after she posted a time of 2:13.87 in Albuquerque.

Damaris Chewon is the No. 1 NJCAA leader in the 3000m with an improved raw time of 10:24.98. The sophomore also made the national standard in the mile with a time of 5:24.02 (NJCAA No. 7).

Deshana Skeete holds a pair of No. 1 rankings at the NJCAA level. The sophomore improved on her 400m time in Albuquerque running a 54.29. Skeete also owns the fastest 200m run in junior college with a national standard of 23.88. Sophomore Ashantai Bollers is two spots behind Skeete in the 200m with an improved national mark of 24.37 (No. 3 NJCAA).

Sophomore Kishawna Wallace posted a 7.62 60m dash for the Thunderbirds, enough to place No. 8 in the NJCAA. Sophomore Tijuanique Morton hit the national standard finishing the 60m in 7.71 (No. 17 NJCAA).

Letlhogonolo Magoro is No. 2 in the NJCAA 3000m with a time of 10:55:37, just behind her teammate Chewon. Magoro also qualified nationally in the 800m with a time of 2:15.32. The sophomore is currently No. 2 in the NJCAA event behind her teammate Taylor. Freshman Vanessa Gallegos made the national standard in the 800m as well, finishing in 2:22.00 (No. 8 NJCAA).

Freshman Carolyne Kimaiyo is No. 6 in the NJCAA 3000m with a national mark of 11:04.31.  

Ese Awusa improved her 60mH national mark by .18 to 8.45. The sophomore's 60mH time is No. 3 in the NJCAA this season. Aaliyah Lindsay finished the 60mH with a national mark of 8.96, enough to rank No. 11 in the NJCAA. The sophomore also improved on her earlier national standard triple jump with a leap of 38' 3 ½" (No. 4 NJCAA).

Freshman Achol Maywin leapt to a national standard high jump of 5' 3 ¼" (No. 10 NJCAA).

Track and field head coach Keith Blackwill has high expectations for the women for the rest of the indoor season. 

"For the women, I expect them to have top performances in the nation now," Blackwill said. "You know you can never control what the other team's do or how their kids compete, but I know that our kids will always go out and do their best and if they stay at the top of the list that's fine and if they move down, we'll just keep working and try to get back there." 

The Thunderbirds maintained the No. 1 spot in Week 2's USTFCCCA NJCAA Women's Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

"This weekend we need our ladies to do what they've done in the past weeks," Blackwill said. "We're looking for some of those who haven't qualified to try to get qualified and improve on the times that we already have."

The T-Birds will compete next at the University of New Mexico Indoor Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, NM Feb. 3-4.