TOPEKA – Four national qualifying marks and a school-record would be set on Saturday as the Cloud County Community College women's track and field team would take third at the 2021 All-Kansas Invite hosted by Washburn University in Topeka on Saturday.
Finishing with 97 total points, Cloud County would only trail NCAA Division II Fort Hays State (143 Points) and Pittsburg State (115 Points) while besting Fort Scott, Washburn, Garden City, Cowley, and Ottawa University in the eight-team meet.
The T-Birds would wind up with five event victories on the day, with Mercy Ntia-Obong taking part in three of the five victories while setting one of the two national qualifying marks. Taking an event victory in the 60 meters with a time of 7.49, the sophomore would also win the 200 meters in a national qualifying time of 24.14 and help set a new school record in the 4x400 meter relay with Leonie Beu, Isila Apkup, and Pamela Milano (3:50.61). The time would wind up being over three seconds faster than the previous record that was set in 2011.
Other event victories for Cloud County on Saturday saw Marie Forbes with a national qualifying throw of 14.08 meters (46 ft. – 2.5 in.) in the shot put while Milano would take the 400-meter victory with a national qualifying time of 58.01. The T-Birds lone other national qualifying time would come from sophomore Patricia Koma in the mile as the Wichita, Kansas native would run a time of 5:20.39 and finish as runner-up in the event.
Just missing out on national qualifying marks on Saturday would be Apkup in the 200 meters (25.07) and Beu in the 400 meters (58.80) as both would wind up taking second in their respective events. Apkup would also take third in the 60 meters (7.73) to close out her afternoon. Other top-eight finishes on Saturday for CCCC would see Koma (2:26.20) take fifth in the 800 meters alongside teammate Kya Johnson who would take seventh with a time of 2:29.89. Johnson would add an eighth-place finish in the mile run (5:35.95) while Maycee Callihan would take third in the shot put (10.59 meters, 34 ft. – 9 in.) and seventh in the weight throw (12.09 meters, 39 ft. – 8 in.). Brenna Davidson would also land a top-eight finish in the weight throw with a toss of 11.23 meters (36 ft. – 10 in.).
What's next?
Cloud County's first schedule change of the season will see the T-Birds head to Pittsburg on Jan. 31 to compete in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference/NJCAA Region VI Invitational. Most KJCCC schools are expected to compete in the event, which will be held at the same location as the NJCAA Region VI Championships and this year's NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
--cloudtbirds.com--