Taylor Shines for the T-Birds, Sets NJCAA All-Time Record
The New Mexico Junior College women's track and field team competed in Lubbock, Texas at the Corky Classic Jan. 13-14.
The meet featured 14 athletes earning indoor national qualifying marks and two school records being broken.
Baylor signee Calisha Taylor broke her own 600y school record from last year with a time of 1:21.65.
Head coach Keith Blackwill said Taylor stood out for women with her historic showing at the Corky Classic.
"Individually, Calisha Taylor set a new school record for us in the 600y," Blackwill said. "She is now the all-time NJCAA national leader and finished with the second-fastest 600y time last weekend for all colleges."
Taylor was honored on Tuesday as the NJCAA women's division USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for her performance in Lubbock over the weekend.
The second school record broken for the T-Birds came in the 4x400m relay. Ashantai Bollers, Deshana Skeete, Calisha Taylor, and Lacarthea Cooper finished the race in 3:42.39. This passed the previous record of 3:43.59 set seven years ago in 2016.
On top of her performance in the mile relay, Bollers was also a national qualifier in the 60m (7.45) and the 200m (24.60).
Cooper showed out in her first collegiate meet with the T-Birds running an NJCAA leading time of 54.91 in the 400m. Skeete, a Kansas signee, was not far behind Cooper in the race finishing with a national qualifying time of 55.03.
Letlhogonolo Magoro had a very successful meet for the Thunderbirds, hitting national qualifying marks in the 1000m (3:01.39) and the mile (5:11.22). Magoro is currently the only national qualifier at the NJCAA level for the 1000m and sits in first place in the mile standings at the NJCAA level.
Tijuanique Morton currently holds second place in the NJCAA in the 200m with a national qualifying time of 24.52. Ese Awusa finished at the top of the standings in the 60m hurdles at the Corky Classic with a national qualifying time of 8.63. Her qualifying time is currently second in the NJCAA.
Mickaliliah Vassell posted a nationally qualifying standard for NMJC in the 600y with a time of 1:26.47.
Damaris Chewon hit the national mark in the 3000m with a time of 10:19.87. She is currently in first place across the NJCAA with that time.
In the field events, the T-Birds had two participants earn national qualifying standards. Triple Jumper Aaliyah Lindsay hit her national qualifying mark with a leap of 38' and now sits first overall in the NJCAA standings. High Jumper Daniel Hinds cleared the bar at 5'5" to exceed the national qualifying measure.
Overall, Coach Blackwill was pleased with the performance from the Thunderbird women.
"The women had a great opener. We qualified 14 athletes for nationals with seven being NJCAA national leading marks," Blackwill said. "This was a good place to start but again we should continue to progress throughout the indoor season."