Thunderbird Track & Field Earns Postseason Awards
New Mexico Junior College track and field coaches and athletes were honored with postseason awards from the 2023 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field season.
Head coach Keith Blackwill garnered three awards this year as the USTFCCCA Indoor National Women's Coach of the Year, the USTFCCCA Indoor National Men's Coach of the Year, and the West Region Women's Coach of the Year.
Blackwill recently led the Thunderbirds to both a men's and women's NJCAA Indoor National Championship. The Thunderbirds finished the indoor national meet with nine individual champions, 34 All-Americans, two relay All-American squads, and one national champion relay team.
"To me winning the awards means that both our teams went out and did exactly what we knew they were capable of doing," Blackwill said. "Also, other coaches noticed how our teams competed. For me, I can only be as good as the coaches that I work with."
Thunderbird men's track and field superstar Tapiwanashe (Carlie) Makarawu was named the USTFCCCA National Men's Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor season. Makarawu was exceptional in Topeka as a two-time national champion.
The freshman finished the 60m with a school record sprint of 6.63, earning himself the third-fastest time ever in the NJCAA. The All-American completed the double after breezing through the competition with a 20.51 run in the 200m.
Makarawu ran a 45.446 split on the second leg of the 4x400 relay to help secure a school record in the relay (3:07.26) and an overall men's indoor national championship. The Zimbabwe native accounted for 22 of the Thunderbird men's 107 points in Topeka.
"I'm so excited to receive such an honor. Considering that this was my first indoor national championship. l don't think I won because I'm a good athlete but it is because of God and the people surrounding me," Makarawu said. "My coaches, my teammates, my friends, and my family are the reason why I'm the Indoor National Men's Track Athlete of the Year and I'm so grateful to have them in my life."
First-year assistant coach Gino Hall was named the USTFCCCA Indoor National Women's Assistant of the Year and the West Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year. The T-Bird sprints coach was responsible for two individual national champions on the women's side. The first champ was Calisha Taylor, who broke the school record in the 600m (1:32.23), and the second being 200m (23.93) national champion Ashantai Bollers.
Hall also guided the national champion 4x400m relay team in Mickaliliah Vassell, Dejona Simpson, Calisha Taylor, and Deshana Skeete. The 3:40:56 4x400 time broke the school record and was the fourth-fastest time ever in the NJCAA.
"I'm honored that my hard work and that of our athletes is being seen and recognized," Hall said. "Their determination and trust in the process has paid off. Without the help of my head coach, the success wouldn't have come so quickly. I'm thankful for Coach Blackwill's guidance along the way."
"We are very blessed to have a great group of young athletes, and of course the best supporting cast in my head coach and my fellow assistant coaches," Hall said.
T-Bird long/triple jumper Aaliyah Lindsay was awarded the West Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year. Lindsay was the top performer in the triple jump and long jump for the region.
The sophomore was runner-up at indoor nationals in the long jump with a career-best leap of 6.12m. The Jamaican finished third in the triple jump with another career-best mark of 12.21m.
"Winning this award means that I know my potential and I know what I must do to better my abilities," Lindsay said. "Despite how I feel going toward my goals I must always be confident in everything I do. I didn't expect to win but I always expect the unexpected."
The Thunderbirds begin the outdoor track and field season March 24-25 at the Masked Rider Open in Lubbock, Texas.