2025 NJCAA DI Outdoor T&F Championships ::: USTFCCCA

USTFCCCA News & Notes

By Howard Willman, USTFCCCA
May 17, 2025  &nbsp

Champions were crowned at the 2025 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Hutchinson, Kansas!

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A No. 1 national ranking was only good a predictor for one of the teams as the No. 1 South Plains (Texas) men triumphed for a fifth year in a row while the No. 3 Iowa Western CC women outperformed the rankings to win for the first time since 2022.

Men’s Recap

South Plains (Texas) added to their incredible history in
this meet, earning a fifth title in a row – and record 16 total (all since
2007). This one involved another duel with rival New Mexico JC, runner-up for a
second-straight year after sharing the title with South Plains in 2023.

The two programs combined to win 10 events, South Plains
leading 6-4. The Texans had two of double winners in Daniel Simuslalela (100
and 200 in 10.25 and 20.36, respectively) and Shamar Reid (shot put at
17.39m/57-0¾ and discus with a last-round effort of 60.45m/198-4). Simuslalela
got a share of a third title as a member of the winning 4×100 relay team
(39.23). The Texans’ sixth title went to Michael Francois, who claimed the 400
by a scant 0.002 seconds in 45.40.

Three of NMJC’s titles were in field or combined events –
Samuel Estrada Ospina in the pole vault (5.06m/16-7¼), LeBron James in the
javelin (69.27m/227-3) and Jonathan Da Silva in the decathlon (6714 with
teammate Ilias Arifi as runner-up). The T-Birds’ other victory came in a
thrilling 4×400 relay (3:03.32 over South Plains’ 3:03.52 as both easily
clocked their seasonal best).

Mohammed El Youssfi of Odessa (Texas) was a double winner,
leading off with an NJCAA record 28:32.04 in the 10,000 on the opening evening while
winning by more than a minute. That took down one of the oldest NJCAA records
on the books, as Mark Roberts of Central Arizona ran his 28:35.0 in 1987. El
Youssifi completed his double with a meet-record 13:56.82 to take the 5000
while moving to No. 3 all-time in NJCAA history.

Central Arizona’s Richard Hall swept the hurdle events, setting
PRs in both at 13.63 in the 110 highs and following just over an hour later
with a victory in the 400 intermediates at 49.95.

Indian Hills (Iowa) CC captured three titles – Raynier Galvez
in the 800 (1:50.66), Tate Joens in hammer (59.99m/196-10) and the 4×800 team
at 7:25.89 that included Galvez as three squads registered top-10 all-time NJCAA
performances (the Warriors at 7:25.89 over Iowa Central CC [7:26.96] and Salt
Lake CC [7:29.10] – Nos. 7, 8 and 10 all-time, respectively).

Women’s Recap

Iowa Western CC reclaimed the national title it last held in
2022, and this one was somewhat of a surprise as the Reivers entered ranked No.
3 nationally.

It was a tight competition as Iowa Western (98) was followed
by four programs also totaling more than 80 points – No. 2 Barton (Kan.) CC repeated
as runner-up with 90.33 points ahead of No. 1 and two-time defending champ New
Mexico JC (84) and No. 4 Cloud County (Kan.) CC (82.33).

Iowa Western was led by triple winner Juliana Sakat, whose
first title came with a time of 34:46.49 in the 10,000 – merely the No. 3
performance in NJCAA history while winning by more than a minute. She followed
with victories in the 1500 (4:25.78 to move to No. 7 all-time NJCAA) and 5000
(16:43.47). Mercy Honesty repeated as triple jump champ (13.21m/43-4¼) for the
Reivers’ fourth title.

Cloud County had the most victories with five, led by
sprinter Maimuna Jallow’s 100/200 double in the 100 (11.56) and 200 (22.92 to
equal her PR as No. 3 in NJCAA history). Jallow also ran a leg on the
victorious 4×400 relay that was anchored by 400 winner Rafiatu Nuhu (52.41
after a 51.46 in the prelims that made her No. 2 in NJCAA history). The
Thunderbirds also won the 4×800 relay in 8:47.04 (with N Vanee Anchike
providing a 2:07.55 second leg split) to become the No. 2 program in NJCAA history.

Barton (Kan.) CC won three events, with Cedricka Williams providing two more NJCAA discus records to raise her career total to eight. Her efforts here included the first NJCAA effort over 60 meters – Round 1 at 60.23m (197-7) – before the first over 200 feet – Round 3 at 61.07m (200-4). Williams also scored in the hammer with a PR 52.79m (173-2) for third place. The Cougars’ other titles came from Asharria Ulett in the 100 hurdles (13.45) and Celine Riddle in the long jump (5.97m/19-7).

Central Arizona claimed three titles, with Rejoice Agbewodie
providing two (shot put at 15.51m/50-10¾ and javelin at 50.64m/166-2 – both PRs).
Agbewodie scored 33 points total in the meet, adding a runner-up finish in the
hammer (53.64m/176-0) and a fourth in the discus (49.83m/163-6). Her javelin
mark was a meet record and puts her No. 2 all-time in NJCAA history. The
Vaqueras’ other title went to Aliyah Gidharry in the heptathlon at 4833.