Skeete Named NAOTW, Magoro and Cooper Impress at Jarvis Scott Open

The No. 1 ranked New Mexico Junior College women's track and field team competed at the Jarvis Scott Open in Lubbock, Texas Feb. 10-11.

The women finished the meet with six new national qualifiers and seven improved national qualifiers.

Sophomore Letlhogonolo Magoro improved her 1000m national standard by 1.61 seconds to finish in 2:59.78. Magoro is currently No. 2 in the NJCAA, trailing Iowa Western's Chloe Garcia Grafing by .42 seconds.

Lacarthea Cooper improved her 400m national qualifying time by .05 with a time of 54.85. The freshman is ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA behind her Thunderbird teammate Deshana Skeete. Sophomore Damaris Chewon hit the national mark in the 5000m with a time of 17:40.73. She ranks No. 2 in the NJCAA in the event, 2.68 seconds behind Iowa Western's Mercy Biwott.

Sophomore Ashantai Bollers improved her 200m national mark by .24 to cross the line in 24.13. Bollers now ranks No. 4 in the NJCAA 200m. Freshman Vanessa Gallegos nationally qualified with a time of 3:03.97 in the 1000m. She sits at No. 4 in the NJCAA in the event.

Minankolo Magassa finished the 1000m with a national mark of 3:07.18 (NJCAA No. 5). The sophomore also nationally qualified in the 800m finishing in 2:23.05 (NJCAA No. 22). Mickaliliah Vassell ran the 600Y in 1:24.37, bettering her national mark in the 600Y by 2.10 seconds. She is No. 5 in the NJCAA after the conversion from yards to meters in the event.

Freshman Carolyne Kimaiyo was a national qualifier in the 5000m after completing the race in 18:56.38 (NJCAA No. 6). Achol Maywin improved on her national standard in the high jump with a leap of 5' 5" (NJCAA No. 7).

Tijuanique Morton ran the 60m in 7.55 to improve on her previous national standard by .16. Morton is now No. 9 in the NJCAA in the 60m. The sophomore also improved on her national mark in the 200m by .19 with a time of 24.33 (NJCAA No. 8).

Freshman Dejona Simpson finished with a national standard in the 200m after crossing the line in 24.57 (NJCAA No. 10). Sophomore Daisy Jerop made the national standard in the 5000m finishing the race in 19:15.43 (NJCAA No. 13).

Sophomore Deshana Skeete was honored on Tuesday as the NJCAA women's division USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for her performance in Lubbock over the weekend. Skeete ran the 400m in 54.49 .20 off her NJCAA No. 1 leading time of 54.29. The Thunderbirds have now won the award four straight weeks.

"National athlete of the week is a great honor, I look for her to continue to work and improve," head track and field coach Keith Blackwill said. "Everyone in the nation is going to improve and drop times, she must keep her focus, which I expect she will."

The Thunderbird women remained at the No. 1 spot in Week 4's USTFCCCA NJCAA Women's Indoor Track & Field National Rating Index.

The T-Birds will compete next in the Matador Qualifier in Lubbock, Texas Feb. 17.