CONCORDIA, Kansas — The Cloud County Community College women's track and field team had a handful of question marks entering the 2018 indoor season, but stayed its course and continued to improve with each passing week.
Now the T-Birds head into the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Texas Tech University in Lubbock this Friday and Saturday, with 11 qualified athletes and the gratification of being the No. 8 ranked team in the country that is looking for more.
"From the beginning of the season, if you told me we'd be ranked No. 8, I wouldn't necessarily say it'd have been surprising, but it's very good," said Cloud County head coach, Ted Schmitz. "I think we can possibly finish higher than that, but I just want everyone to go to nationals prepared and do their best. We want as many national champions and national placers as we can have. But these girls are already winners regardless of what they do this weekend. They've worked hard to put themselves in this position and it's already been a good, successful indoor season."
Sophomores Gabbreil Harris and Jatoria McGirt have spearheaded the T-Birds' rise up the USTFCCCA rankings and are expected to compete for individual national championships this weekend.
Harris enters ranked No. 1 as the only NJCAA thrower to eclipse 60 feet this season (60'5.25''), which she set on Feb. 18 to win the event at the Region VI/KJCCC Championships.
"Gabby has been improving and climbing while some of the girls behind her haven't had season-best marks for a couple of weeks," Schmitz said. "You never know for sure at nationals, but it looks good for her."
Freshman Avi Bulai is also a threat in the weight throw for Cloud County as she ranks No. 4 in the country at 57'5.75''.
Harris and another freshman teammate Takrya Hilton ranked seventh and ninth, respectively, in the women's shot put and could threaten to collect points and earn spots on the podium in that event, as well.
As for McGirt, the sprinter has had a huge February with school record times in the 60-meter dash (7.42 seconds) and 200-meter dash (24.64) to her credit. She won each event at the Region VI/KJCCC Championships and has put herself in the national championship hunt.
McGirt ranks No. 2 in the 60-meter dash, just .02 off the pace of Nelda Huggins from Iowa Central, and No. 4 in the 200-meter.
"She's really worked hard and has cut a lot of time the last few weeks," said Schmitz of McGirt. "She has to be in the conversation (for a national title)."
McGirt will also run a leg on the Cloud County 4X400-meter relay team, which consists of Chanice Forbes, Ageonia Wilkerson and Ariel St. John and is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation and coming off a second-place finish at the regional meet.
"They (4X400-meter relay team) are another group of girls who have just exploded since the beginning of the year," Schmitz said. "They've taken off about 15 seconds since our first meet. We're really looking forward to that race and their chances."
Cloud County is also optimistic about the outlooks for freshman Nikki Kraaijeveld, a long jumper and No. 3 ranked Pentathlon athlete, as well as St. John in the 800-meter run.
St. John, who rejoined the team late this season and is still in the process of getting into prime shape, jumped on the national scene as a freshman with a surprise third-place finish at last year's national indoor meet.
Schmitz is hopeful that St. John can be a dark horse again this season as she enters the weekend with the No. 23 best time in the event (2:23.67).
"I expect (St. John) to rise to the occasion," Schmitz said. "I expect she'll run her best times of the season and make the finals. And anything can happen if she makes the finals."
