NJCAA National Championships Day One Recap

By Chris Lotsbom, ArmoryTrack.com

Day one of the NJCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships is in the books, as schools from all across America traveled to The New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory to take part in the two-day competition. The men and women of Iowa Central Community College currently lead the team standings, with more than five hours of competition still to come on Saturday. 

Fourteen national crowns were handed out on Friday. Here's a rundown of the top performances:

- Setting roughly a foot and a half personal best in the men's long jump was Iowa Central's Jerry Westerfield. Westerfield's farthest mark was an astonishing 25 feet, 8.25 inches (7.83m), just ahead of runner-up Will Williams 25-06.00 (7.77m). Rounding out the top five were Craig Mattox (Paradise Valley), Andreas Trajkovski-Soeresen (Iowa Western CC), and last year's New Balance Nationals champion Andre Jefferson (Hinds CC), all jumping farther than 24 feet.

Westerfield is part of the Iowa Central CC team that drove more than 24 hours from Fort Dodge, Iowa to The Armory, arriving on Thursday. It is Westerfield's first time in New York City.

"I just want to win a team title," he answered when asked what he'd like to do in the Big Apple.

- Iowa Central CC also placed three athletes in the top eight of the women's pentathlon, including overall winner Elizabeth Dadzie. Dadzie tallied a grand total of 3697 points, including a very impressive 921 from her winning 20 foot, 5.25 inch (6.23m) leap in the long jump.

- In the women's long jump, Iowa Central CC continued their dominance with a one-two finish by Destiny Carter and Dadzie, the latter of whom was champion in the pentathlon. Carter's farthest jump was 19 feet, 6.25 inches, while Dadzie's was 19-05.50.

- A duel played out in the women's pole vault, as Vincennes' Kaitlyn Moricz and Cloud County CC's Taylor Swanson battled over 12 feet. Ultimately, both would clear 12 feet, 7.50 inches (3.85m), 7.75 inches higher than the rest of the field. Moricz wound up the champion on jump-backs, as she soared over 12-07.50 in one attempt.

- Simon Gyllensten of Vincennes had quite the day. Not only did Gyllensten win the men's pole vault with a clearance of 16-02.75, he's also in the lead of the heptathlon after day one.

- Barton County CC's Lydia Mato and Iowa Central's Tahir Chakisso both earned double victories, taking home national crowns in the 5000 and 3000 meters. Chakisso defended his title in the 5000m with a time of 15:10.51, then returned to the track about four hours later to win the 3000m in 8:32.51.

- In the women's 5000m, Mato edged Iowa Central's Viola Kebenei by nearly three seconds, 17:38.68 to 17:41.12. Kebenei's teammate Hannah Maina was third in 17:42.55. Mato, Maina, and Kebenei each doubled back in the 3000m, finishing first (10:16.04), third (10:17.42), and fourth (10:22.00). Placing second was Nikki Regalado of Pima CC in 10:17.32.

- Three competitors in the men's shot put went beyond 55 feet. Coffeyville CC's Tristan Whitehall earned the victory with a put of 55-07.00 (16.94m), while Iowa Central CC teammates Allen Davis and Shaquille Wells took second and third with marks of 55-06.25 and 55-03.75.

- Damar Robinson of Cloud County and Xaivier McAllister of Iowa Central each cleared 6-11.00 in the men's high jump, with Robinson the winner on jump-backs. 

- Colby Community College and Essex Community College claimed men's and women's distance medley relay titles, respectively, with times of 10:04.05 and 12:17.15. Coffeyville CC's Racquel Williams threw more than two and a half feet farther than all of her competitors to win the women's shot put, 49-03.00 (15.01m).

Full results can be found here, while race replays can be found here.

Photos from Day 1 are visible here.

Tomorrow's action begins at 11:00am. A live webcast can be seen at this link.