Meridian CC Track Gears Up for NJCAA Nationals

From School Reports

Winston Salem, NC - MCC will gear up for their top competition in their indoor season this Friday and Saturday as they compete at the NJCAA Indoor National Championships in Winston-Salem, NC.

MCC will enter the weekend as one of the teams looking for a high finish in Head Coach Chip  Gayden’s second season, with the men’s squad entering the weekend ranked 11th in the country and the women ranked 22nd.

“We are excited for the championships and the intensity and focus that comes with this meet,” said Head Coach Chip Gayden.  “This is a meet were anything can happen, and you have to put up the marks on Friday in prelims to make it to finals on Saturday.  Our team knows that we have to match the intensity of the other teams and to execute what we have worked on all year.”

On the men’s side MCC will look to load up in the 60 meters and the 200 meters.  MCC ranks third, fifth and sixth in the 60 meters with Kendrick Smith, Chris Lewis and Cravorkian Carson.  Last year Lewis and Smith finished second and third in the event.  In the 200 meters, MCC will return the reigning National Champion in Kendrick Smith along with Devarius Turner and Dontarian Evans.  MCC ranks 9th, 11th and 17th in the event.  Coach Gayden believes this group can really shake things up on the first day.

“The short sprint group, can really rack the points up for us,” said Gayden.  “We have a lot of depth in those events, and that group is ready to run fast.”

In the distance events, MCC will look to place very highly in the 4x800m relay.  MCC currently ranks second in the NJCAA in the event. The group will also look to Josh Austin in the 800 meters and Tim Hoodlebrink and Rogelio Araiza in the mile.  Coach Gayden believes this is a group that will really surprise other teams at the meet.

“This middle distance group is something that most people don’t recognize in our program, because of the success we had last season in the sprint events,” said Coach Gayden.  “These young men are hungry and looking to shake things up a bit.”

MCC will look to two veterans in the field events with Devontre Young in the high jump and K’lan Harris in the long jump.  Young comes in to the high jump ranked 8th in the NJCAA and Harris comes in ranked 22nd in the NJCAA.

On the women’s side MCC will look at Ashley Henderson in the 60 meters and the 200 meters.  Henderson currently ranks 9th in the NJCAA in the 60 meters and 4th in the 200 meters.  Coach Gayden believes Henderson is ready to really plant herself in the NJCAA in the short sprints.

“Ashley is a competitor, she is really improving and she has really shown that in the last month,” said Gayden.  “She is going in knowing that she can do very well if she executes just like she has been in her training.”

MCC will begin competition Friday afternoon and live results can be found online at http://jdl.liveresults.io/tf/njcaa-indoor-national-championships.  You can also watch the meet live on flotrack.org.