MCC Track Travels West to NJCAA National Championships

From School Reports

Meridian, MS – The top junior college track and field athletes from across the country will travel to Albuquerque, NM this weekend for the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

MCC will travel nine athletes to compete in the two day event in hopes of posting a top finish in the programs first year back competing.

The MCC men will enter the meet ranked 17^th in the country in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll.

“This is what we practice for all fall and during the regular season,” said Head Coach Chip Gayden.  “We have to go in to this meet focused and execute what we know how to do and worry about just ourselves and we will see a lot of success.”

MCC will be led by freshmen Chris Lewis and Kendrick Smith in the 60-meters.  Lewis and Kendrick are both ranked number two and number three in the country in the event after posting a one-two sweep at the LSU Twilight two weeks ago.  Freshman Cravorkian Carson will also join them in the event with the 15^th fastest time in the country.

In the 200 –meters, MCC will look to Smith who currently ranks 12^th in the event.  Smith will be joined by Terrance Johnson who has posted a time of 22.26.

Freshmen Bryson Penton and Eric Durham will look to lead MCC in the 400-meters.  Penton and Durham will also join K’lan Harris and Devontre Young in the 4x400 –meter relay which currently ranks 17^th in the country.

Freshman Josh Austin will compete in the 600-meters for MCC.  Austin qualified two weeks ago with a time of 1:23.09 at the LSU Twilight.

In the high jump Devontre Young will enter the event ranked 12^th in the country with a height of 2.05 meters (6’8.75).

The meet begins Friday afternoon at 10:30 a.m. and runs through Saturday evening.  Live results can be found at http://www.liverunningresults.com