CONCORDIA, Kansas — The Cloud County Community College track and field teams had a split squad Saturday, with some athletes completing the two-day Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, and another group off at the Fred Beile Classic in Crete, Nebraska.
A trio of sophomores impressed at the Husker Invite as thrower Vashon McCarthy set an indoor school record in the shot put, Jatoria McGirt added a record in the women's 60-meter dash, and Thobile Mosito earned event wins in the 5,000 and 3,000-meter runs.
McCarthy finished sixth overall— second among NJCAA athletes — with a throw of 57-feet, 7-inches, topping the 57'5'' mark of Rajindra Campbell from last season.
McGirt's time of 7.59 seconds in her preliminary race also dethroned a T-Bird from last year's roster as the time edged out the previous record of 7.67 set by Marjorie Thompson.
As for Mosito, he won the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:42.87 and the 3,000-meter in 8:24.33. He currently ranks first among all NJCAA athletes in the two events.
Fellow sophomore South African, Moses Dirane, finished 10th in the mile with a time of 4:17.81, moving him up to second nationally.
Out at Doane University, throwers Gabbreil Harris and Avi Bulai highlighted the afternoon for the T-Birds as they each earned personal records and finished first and second in the weight throw with marks of 58'0.5'' and 55'4.75'', respectively.
Freshman middle distance runner Omari Miller won the men's 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.12, as well.
Other notable performances over the weekend for the T-Birds included NJCAA national qualifying marks by freshman Tanner Brown, who finished eighth in the 600-meter dash with a time of 1:22.36, and Peter Ackah in the triple jump with a leap of 47'5.25''.
Stephen Marindich took fourth in the 600-meter run with a time of 1:20.15 and currently ranks seventh nationally in the event. He and Brown helped the Cloud County men's 4X400-meter relay team, also consisting of Darrien Lipscomb and Lesley Mahlakoane, to a season-best time of 3:18.44 to qualify for the national meet, as well.
Freshmen Kyle Alcine and Johnathan Spearman rounded out the top finishes for Cloud as Alcine took fourth in the high jump (6'8.75'') and Spearman earned eighth in the triple jump with a season-best jump of 46'2.75''.
Up next for Cloud County will be the Gorilla Classic this Friday and Saturday, hosted by Pittsburgh State. It will be the final tune-up for the T-Birds before they head off to the Region VI/KJCCC Meet.
