The National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships wrapped up an action-packed three-day competition last weekend at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico, and emerging as the standout performers of the tournament were a cohort of talented Jamaican athletes, who claimed top honors across a wide range of events.
One of the most impressive displays of Jamaican dominance came in the men’s 400m hurdles, where athletes from the island nation claimed all three podium spots. Shadane Smith of Hinds Community College led the historic sweep, crossing the finish line in a new personal best time of 50.19 seconds. He outpaced Central Arizona’s defending champion Richard Hall, who finished second with a time of 50.42 seconds, while Barrain Smith of Odessa College secured third place in 51.23 seconds.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Shaquane Gordon, a former gold medalist at both the ISSA Champs and Carifta Games, lived up to his pre-tournament reputation. He clocked a wind-aided 13.04 seconds, with a tailwind of 4.1m/s exceeding the allowable threshold for record purposes, to take home the gold medal. Shevon Depass of Western Texas added another Jamaican top-three finish in the event, claiming bronze in 13.56 seconds.
Hinds Community College’s Jayval Wright turned in a stellar all-around performance in the short sprints. He won the men’s 200m with a wind-aided time of 19.91 seconds, boosted by a 4.8m/s tailwind, and followed that up with a silver medal in the 100m, finishing in 9.96 seconds. Two other Jamaican athletes placed in the top 10 of the 100m: Hector Benjamin of Indian Hills took sixth in 10.09 seconds, and Raheem Pinnock of Hinds crossed the line seventh in 10.16 seconds.
On the host campus, New Mexico Junior College’s Aaron McKenzie claimed the men’s high jump title, clearing 2.12m to beat out Barton County’s Chavez Penn, who recorded a best jump of 2.07m to finish second. Raheim Scott, also of New Mexico Junior College, added a bronze medal for Jamaican athletes in the men’s 400m, finishing in 46.47 seconds.
In women’s competition, Alexia Walker of Barton County College claimed gold in the heptathlon, amassing a total of 5,200 points across the seven events. Asharria Ulett, also of Barton County, won the women’s 100m hurdles in a wind-aided 12.89 seconds with a 6.8m/s tailwind, beating compatriot Daynea Colstock of Western Texas, who took silver in 13.10 seconds. Colstock later added a fourth-place finish in the women’s 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.80.
Deijanae Bruce of Odessa College won the women’s triple jump with a wind-aided mark of 13.13m, while Celine Riddle of Barton County took third in the same event with 12.92m. Riddle, the 2023 long jump champion, finished second in this year’s long jump competition with a new personal best of 6.29m, just behind compatriot Ishna James of Odessa, who won gold with a jump of 6.32m.
Multiple other Jamaican athletes secured top-six finishes across the tournament. Cindy Rose of Indian Hills took silver in the women’s 800m in 2:13.93, just ahead of Terrica Clarke of Butler CC who finished fourth in 2:15.43. Kahdijah Bailey of Iowa Western claimed silver in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.64m, the same height as Bruce, who finished third, while Rasheda Samuels of Iowa Western took fourth and Jahmeka Brown of Barton County placed sixth. Twin sisters Shamoyea and Shamoye Morris of Barton County took second and fourth respectively in the women’s discus throw, with marks of 49.82m and 45.46m, while Carla Kay Brown of Coffeyville finished fifth and Natassia Burrell of Cloud County placed sixth. Burrell also claimed a bronze medal in the women’s javelin throw with a mark of 45.78m. In the women’s 100m, Caneilia Hope of Hinds CC finished fourth in a wind-aided 11.27 seconds, with Mickayla Gardner of Central Arizona fifth and Alliah Baker of Western Texas sixth. Rounding out the Jamaican results, Osmond Holt of Iowa Central finished fourth in the men’s decathlon with 6,263 points.