NEW ORLEANS – Heading into this weekend's NJCAA Region VI Indoor Track and Field Championships, both the Cloud County men's and women's track and field teams are ranked fifth in the latest USTFCCCA NJCAA Top-25 Polls released on Wednesday.
On the men's side, Cloud County would be one of seven top-10 teams to see a new spot in the poll this week, with Butler making the move into the top-10 at number eight as one of the biggest movers in the poll. The fifth-ranked T-Birds have closed the gap some more on fourth-ranked Coffeyville, as Cloud County comes in with 195.01 points while Coffeyville garnered 201.28 points in the poll. Iowa Central, South Plains, and Barton hold down the top three spots as the trio have done for the entirety of the year in all four polls that have been released.
Cloud County will look to defend their NJCAA Region VI Championship this weekend, and is in good position to do so thanks to 23 national qualifying marks already set to go along with three multi-event athletes currently in the top 16 of the NJCAA. The T-Birds will look towards Courtney Lawrence (shot put, Richard Newman (60 meters and high jump, Habtamu Geta (mile run, 3,000 meters, and 5,000 meters, and Santino Kenyi (800 meters, 1,000 meters, and mile run) to produce points throughout the weekend as CCCC will have to contend with number two-ranked Barton for the Region Title.
This week would mark the second consecutive week that the Cloud County women come in at number five in the NJCAA Top-25 poll as the T-Birds earned 204.70 points and right behind conference foe Barton who is fourth (286.53 points). South Plains would move into the top three this week and comes in at number three as the top two (New Mexico JC, Iowa Central) both held their spots atop the poll.
Cloud County will have stiff competition at this weekend's NJCAA Region VI Indoor Championships as the T-Birds are one of nine Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference schools ranked inside the top-25. CCCC will look to do a lot of their scoring on the track side this weekend, led by Mercy Ntia-Obong (60 meters and 200 meters) alongside Maryse Mbenoun (600 meters, 800 meters, and pentathlon) while Marie Forbes (shot put and weight throw) and Jacqueline Pokuaah (60 meters, 60 meter hurdles, and long jump) will provide some points in the field events. Other names to watch for Cloud County this weekend include Grace Chinonyelum (long jump, Aliya Hatton (60 meter hurdles, and Sophie Jebose (pole vault).
--cloudtbirds.com--