MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Cloud County Community College track and field teams took a select group out east the Northwest Open on Saturday, hosted by Northwest Missouri State University, posting over a dozen new national qualifying performances and collecting five event wins.
Cloud County’s men’s team added 10 of the national qualifying marks Saturday, highlighted by first-place finishes from freshman Santino Kenyi and sophomore Lesley Mahlakoane.
Kenyi dominated the men’s mile event, winning in a time of four minutes, 8.48 seconds to take over the top spot on the NJCAA national qualifying list.
The former South Sudan Olympian would also add a sixth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run to give him national qualifying marks in the mile, 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter two weeks into the indoor season. Fellow freshman Dennis Kiptoo (8:38.88, 9th) and Mthembu in 13th place (8:41.50) also posted national qualifying marks in the 3,000-meter run.
As for Mahlakoane, already a national qualifier in the 400-meter dash, improve upon his national qualifying mark by winning with a personal record 47.81 seconds. It’s currently the fourth fastest time in the nation amongst NJCAA athletes.
The sophomore added a second victory in the men’s 200-meter dash with a national qualifying mark of 21.76.
Cloud County would also receive a pair of event wins Saturday from its women’s team.
Sophomore thrower Avi Bulai captured the top spot in the country amongst NJCAA athletes with a toss of 62-feet, 1-inch in the women’s weight throw, and freshman Jacqueline Pokuaah claimed first place in the long jump at 19’3.5.
Pokuaah added to her day with a second-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles (8.95) and earned a new national qualifying mark in the 60-meter dash with a sixth-place finish and time of 7.74.
Cloud County had two new male runners join Kenyi in the national qualifying lists in the 5,000-meter as freshman Kwanele Mthembu (15:04.90, 4th) and sophomore Thom Reynders (15:35.13, 11th) were sandwiched around teammate and current qualifier Saba Khvichava (15:16.96) in fifth place.
The T-Birds will now turn their attention toward the two-day Jayhawk Classic scheduled for next Friday and Saturday in Lawrence.