Cloud County Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. - Split squad action for the Cloud County Community College track and field teams would see the T-Birds take part in two different meets in two different states over the weekend with a majority of the squad competing in the 2022 University of Oklahoma Sooner Invitational in Norman, Okla., while a limited number of field athletes would compete in the 2022 Butler Community College Grizzly Classic in El Dorado.
Kicking things off on Friday afternoon down in Norman at the John Jacobs Track and Field Complex, Cloud County would see freshman Miracle Thompson break her own school record for a third-straight week in the 100-meter hurdles by running a preliminary time of 13.58 seconds to qualify second in the event for Saturday's finals where she posted a time of 13.61 seconds to take second overall in the event. Also running a Friday qualifying time in an event for the CCCC women would be Isila Apkup in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.10 seconds before going on to post a time of 12.24 seconds for seventh among a 35-runner field that featured athletes across NCAA Division I, II, the NAIA, and the NJCAA.
Another school-record performance would come on Friday in Norman courtesy of men's thrower Mohamed Ahmed after unleashing a throw of 65.74 meters (215 ft. - 8 in.) for fourth in the hammer throw before going on the next day to finish as the top collegiate athlete at the Grizzly Classic in El Dorado with a throw of 62.73 meters (205 ft. - 10 in.) as the native of Egypt continues to add to his already massive NJCAA lead in the event.
A Friday evening event win would come from jumper Bradley Davies-Pughe in the long jump with a mark of 7.53 meters (24 ft. - 8.5 in.) to improve upon his already national qualifying mark as the freshman now has the fifth-best long jump recorded in the NJCAA this season. Turning things over to Saturday at Oklahoma, the Cloud County women would get a 2022 outdoor season-best time of 4:53.78 in the 1,500 meters from Melody Ochana while also seeing Vimbayi Maisvorewa nearly match her school-record set last week in the 400 meters by running a time of 53.76 seconds to take second among 21 runners in the event.
Other top finishes from Cloud County at the Sooner Invitational included a fifth-place finish from Vanessa Mercera in the heptathlon by recording a total of 4,178 points which currently ranks fifth in the NJCAA while the T-Bird men would get a third-place finish from Andrew Betton in the decathlon (6,122 points) along with a seventh-place finish from Elias Rivera (5,533 points).
As for action in the Sunflower State at the Grizzly Classic, the biggest mark of the day for Cloud County would come from sophomore Hollie Stewart in the javelin throw by winning the event with a mark of 43.17 meters (141 ft. - 8 in.) to beat the next closest competitor by 35 feet while recording the best-throw in the NJCAA this season. Stewart would also go on to win the shot put with a mark of 13.55 meters (44 ft. - 5.5 in.) while seeing teammate Mallory Callihan finish eighth in the event with a mark of 11.31 meters (37 ft. - 1.25 in.) to go along with a fifth-place finish in the discus (38.25 meters, 125 ft. - 6 in.).
Other top marks from CCCC at the Grizzly Classic included a fourth-place finish in the javelin from Davis Mick (40.95 meters, 134 ft. - 4 in.) along with a seventh-place finish in the hammer throw (39.77 meters, 130 ft. - 6 in.) while Brody Vance would place sixth in the javelin with a mark of 34.53 meters (113 ft. - 3 in.).
What's next?
Cloud County will host its only home competition of the year next Saturday with the 2022 Thunderbird Classic taking place both on campus and at Harold M. Clark Stadium in Concordia. Action on Saturday will get underway at CCCC with throwing events including the hammer throw, javelin, and discus while action at the Stadium begins with field events at 11 a.m. Track action will get underway at noon on a rolling schedule with the 10,000 meters with a track and field alumni reunion slated to take place back on campus following the conclusion of the meet Saturday evening.