2017-18 Men's Track & Field News
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Texans place second, Lady Texans fourth at 2018 NJCAA Track & Field Outdoor National Championships in Kansas
May 19, 2018EL DORADO, Kansas — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams capped off the season with a pair of top-five finishes Saturday at the 2018 NJCAA Div. I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on the campus of Butler Community College. The Texans placed second overall with 112.5 points, with Barton County taking the top position with 128 points. Cloud County finished third with 67 points, while Western Texas and Central Arizona rounded out the top five. The Lady Texans ended the year tied for fourth with Barton County with 67 points. New Mexico Junior College won the women’s division with 139 points, while Central Arizona and Iowa Central took second and third. -
Hylton leads decathlon, Mosongo second in heptathlon after day one of 2018 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships in Kansas
May 18, 2018EL DORADO, Kansas — Day one of the 2018 NJCAA Div I. Track and Field National Championships got underway from BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on the campus of Butler Community College as the Texans and Lady Texans raced out of the blocks on Thursday. “We came out and did what we needed to do and have to keep battling tomorrow,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. "When we had a chance to stack some points we did, and we didn’t have any disasters, so we’re in pretty good shape. What our 10k runners did on both sides was huge, and it gave us some good momentum going into Friday.”
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South Plains track and field in contention for national gold heading into championship Saturday
May 18, 2018EL DORADO, Kansas — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams put themselves in contention to compete for national gold come Saturday following another solid outing on day two of the 2018 NJCAA Div. I Track and Field Outdoor National Championships Friday at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on the campus of Butler Community College. The Texans will enter championship Saturday in second with 43.5 points, trailing only Barton County who has tallied 46 points after two days of competition. Cloud County sits in third with 42 points. The Lady Texans have racked up 25 points heading into day three with Iowa Central holding the top position with 54 points.
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No. 1 Texans, No. 4 Lady Texans look to bring home national gold at 2018 NJCAA Outdoor National Championships May 17-19 in Kansas
May 13, 2018LEVELLAND — With the regular season complete, the South Plains College men's and women's track and field teams will shift their focus to the 2018 NJCAA Div. I Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 17-19 in El Dorado, Kansas at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on the campus of Butler Community College. Action will get underway on Thursday at 9 a.m. beginning with the women's combined events, followed by the men's combined events at 9:15 a.m. The meet will be capped following the men's 1600-meter relay at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday with the awards ceremony to follow. "We're just trying to keep our kids healthy and refreshed and on top of their game," South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. "I think they understand what time of year it is and you see that in practice and they're ready to go. Now that finals are done they can mentally recover from that, and now they have one thing to focus on, and once they do that we will be ready to go."
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No. 1 Texans, No. 3 Lady Texans combine for eight event titles Saturday in Lubbock
May 06, 2018LUBBOCK — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams capped their final regular season meet on Saturday as they combined for eight event titles at the 2018 Texas Tech Masked Rider Open at the Terry & Linda Fuller Track and Field Complex on the campus of Texas Tech University.
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South Plains to compete at Texas Tech Masked Rider Open Saturday in Lubbock
May 04, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in their final meet before nationals when they travel to Lubbock on Saturday for the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open at the Terry & Linda Fuller Track and Field Complex on the campus of Texas Tech University.
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South Plains track and field earn a pair of top three finishes in Canyon
April 23, 2018CANYON, TX — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams picked up a pair of top three finishes on Sunday at the West Texas A&M Invitational. The Texans finished second overall with 155 points, with West Texas A&M taking the top spot with 163 points. Angelo State, Eastern New Mexico, and Western Texas College rounded out the top five. The Lady Texans tallied 86 points, good enough for third, with West Texas A&M and Angelo State taking the top two spots.
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No. 1 Texans, No. 3 Lady Texans return to action Sunday at West Texas A&M Invitational
April 21, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams will return to action on Sunday at the West Texas A&M Invitational in Canyon, Texas. Originally scheduled to compete at the John Jacobs Invitational on Saturday, South Plains chose to stay in the lone star state due to inclement weather threatening the meet in Norman. Action will begin on Sunday with the men’s and women’s high jump at 1:00 p.m, with running events getting underway with the women’s steeplechase at 2:30 p.m. The men’s 4x400 relay will cap off the meet at 6:55 p.m.
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South Plains track and field sets two facility records Saturday in Hobbs
April 14, 2018HOBBS, N.M. — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams capped the 2018 Ross Black Invitational with a pair of facility records on Saturday at the Ross Black Field of Champions. The top-ranked Texans swept the top three spots in the men’s long jump as sophomore All-American Fabian Edoki set a facility record with a mark of 26’ 2.25”* on his first attempt. Freshman Holland Martin followed up with a second place finish, soaring 24’ 9.25”*, while Danylo Molchanov earned third place honors with a final mark of 23’ 3.25”*. Molchanov would also take first in the men’s triple jump, turning in a mark of 49’ 10.5”*. “Our guys went one-two-three in the long jump today, and any time you can do that in a meet it’s a good day,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “Asani Hylton did really well and is starting to come along and keeps getting better every week. Overall I was really happy with the final results today and I thought both groups went out and did a great job.”
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No. 1 Texans, No. 3 Lady Texans travel to Hobbs April 14 for Ross Black Invitational
April 12, 2018LEVELLAND – The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams return to action on Saturday in Hobbs at the Ross Black Invitational following a strong outing in San Angelo a week ago. The Texans enter the weekend ranked No. 1 in the latest USTFCCCA national polls, while the Lady Texans come in ranked third. To date, the Texans and Lady Texans have combined for 64 national qualifying marks after winning six event titles in San Angelo. “Andre Edwards ran a very competitive time in the 100 which was just about legal wind with a 10.13, and Brandon Letts followed him up in the 100 meters with a new personal best as well,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “Junior Charles and Jordan Atkinson ran well in the 200 and did some good things in the finals, and Dan set the second-best mark in the country in the triple jump which was very solid.”
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No. 1 Texans, No. 3 Lady Texans combine for six event titles Sunday in San Angelo
April 09, 2018SAN ANGELO — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams were back on the track Sunday at the ASU David Noble Relays at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union Field. The Texans and Lady Texans combined for six event titles in San Angelo and have acquired 64 national qualifying marks to date, a number they will get a chance to add to on April 14 in Hobbs at the Ross Black Invitational on the campus of New Mexico Junior College. “All in all I thought we had a solid day from start to finish,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “We put a good number of kids in the prelims and had a good number in the finals tonight, so any time you can qualify that many is a good thing, and we came back this evening and competed well and really got after it.”
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No. 1 Texans, No. 3 Lady Texans poised for ASU David Noble Relays
April 05, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men's and women's track and field teams return to competition this weekend in San Angelo at the ASU David Noble Relays on the campus of San Angelo State University. After just two meets, the Texans have qualified 31 athletes in 18 events for nationals, while the Lady Texans have qualified 18 athletes in 12 events heading into week three. For their efforts, the Texans earned a No. 1 national ranking in the week one USTFCCCA national polls, while the Lady Texans come into the weekend ranked third in the NJCAA. In their previous outing in Austin at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, South Plains held its own against a field of the nation's best, setting two of the top marks in the country at the NJCAA level. Freshman Markim Felix set the top mark in the country in the men's javelin with a throw of 240' 3", and also has the 10th best throw in the men's shot put (50' 10.25") set on Feb. 16 at the Texas Tech Matador Qualifier. The Texans also posted the top time in the country in the men's 4x400 in Austin as Junior Charles, Jordan Atkinson, Myles Scott and Montel Hood finished with a time of 3:08.23. The Texans have also posted the top two times in the country in the men's long jump, as freshman Holland Martin soared 25' 4.5" a week ago, which is currently the second-best mark in the country behind teammate Fabian Enoki's mark of 26' 7", set March 23 in Abilene.
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South Plains track and field cap strong showing at 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Saturday in Austin
March 31, 2018AUSTIN — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays from Mike A. Meyers Stadium Saturday with a trio of top 10 performances. Sophomore Fabian Edoki, who set the top mark in the men’s long jump in Abilene a week ago, ended the weekend with a fourth place overall finish on Saturday. Edoki soared 26’ 0” on his final attempt, trailing only Jarvis Gotch (26’ 11”), and Texas Tech’s Charles Brown (26’ 9.25”) and Odaine Lewis (26’ 0.75”).
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South Plains track and field shines on day three of 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays
March 30, 2018AUSTIN — Day three of the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays from Mike A. Meyers Stadium saw the Texans and Lady Texans set several new personal best and add to their list of national qualifying marks on Friday. The Texans began the day with a fifth-place finish coming out of heat three in the men's 4x100 relay as Brandon Letts, Keion Sutton, Andre Edwards, and Willari Watson hit a national qualifying mark with a time of 41.24. In the men's long jump, freshman Holland Martin stunned a stacked field of Div. I competitors, placing first overall as he set a new personal best and hit a national mark with a jump of 25' 4.5". Martin would also place ninth overall in the men's triple jump, soaring 49' 8.5" on his second attempt.
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South Plains track and field shines on day three of 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays
March 30, 2018AUSTIN — Day three of the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays from Mike A. Meyers Stadium saw the Texans and Lady Texans set several new personal best and add to their list of national qualifying marks on Friday. The Texans began the day with a fifth-place finish coming out of heat three in the men's 4x100 relay as Brandon Letts, Keion Sutton, Andre Edwards, and Willari Watson hit a national qualifying mark with a time of 41.24. In the men's long jump, freshman Holland Martin stunned a stacked field of Div. I competitors, placing first overall as he set a new personal best and hit a national mark with a jump of 25' 4.5". Martin would also place ninth overall in the men's triple jump, soaring 49' 8.5" on his second attempt.
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91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays day two recap
March 29, 2018AUSTIN — Day two of the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays from Mike A. Meyers stadium saw the completion of the decathlon and heptathlon and field events get underway with South Plains notching several national qualifying marks. In the women’s 400 hurdles, freshman Janiel Moore hit a national qualifying mark with a 1:04.15 coming out of heat 6. The Texans would pick up a pair of national marks in the men’s 400 hurdles as sophomore William Watson ran a 52.09 placing third in heat nine. Sophomore Myles Scott would also hit a national mark and set a new personal best, taking fifth in heat six with a 54.01. Competing against a field of Div. I athletes, freshman Asani Hylton wrapped up the decathlon with a 12th place overall finish, tallying 6699 points. Sophomore Patrick Johnson also had a strong outing, taking 14th overall with 6095 points.
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91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays day one recap
March 28, 2018AUSTIN — Despite inclement weather throughout the day, day one of the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays got underway Wednesday with the decathlon and heptathlon at Mike A. Meyers Stadium. Asani Hylton and Patrick Johnson were the two sole competitors for the orange and blue competing against 16 Div. I athletes in the decathlon Wednesday afternoon. With five events complete, Hylton sits in 11th overall with 3778 points while Johnson is 16th with 3152. Wichita State’s Hunter Veith is currently in first with 4398 points, followed by Scott Fllip of Rice who’s in second with 4286 points. Hylton placed inside the top 10 in four events including sixth-place finishes in the long jump and high jump events. Hylton soared 23’ 2.75” in the men’s long jump on his third attempt and cleared 6’ 4.75” in the high jump. Hylton also placed 10th in the men’s 100 meters with a time of 11.02 and 10th in the 400 meters with a 50.01.
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South Plains track and field to compete at 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays March 28-31
March 27, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men's and women's track and field teams will travel to the capital city March 28-31 for the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Meyers Stadium. The meet will welcome athletes from 35 states and 21 countries including 195 college/university programs. Action will get underway on Wednesday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. with the collegiate decathlon and heptathlon. For the seventh consecutive year, the meet will broadcast live on the Longhorn Network beginning Wednesday morning. The collegiate decathlon and heptathlon will continue Thursday at 10 a.m. with field events set to begin at 11 a.m., with running events getting underway at 4:30 p.m. “The Texas Relays are a show, and it’s definitely one of the best meets in the country,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “It’s one of the top three collegiate meets in the country and also attracts some of the top high school athletes and gives our coaching staff a chance to recruit. There are high school and collegiate records broken every year and serves as a dual-purpose meet for us.”
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Edoki sets top collegiate mark as South Plains impresses in opening outdoor meet in Abilene
March 26, 2018ABILENE — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams opened the outdoor season this weekend at the Wes Kittley Invitational on the campus of Abilene Christian University. South Plains will return to action March 28-31 in Austin at the 91st annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Meyers Stadium. Sophomore Fabian Edoki wasted no time setting the bar for the Texans in the men’s long jump as he set the top collegiate mark in the country in the men’s long jump, soaring 26’ 7”* on his third attempt, good enough for first overall on Saturday. Freshman Danylo Molchanov also found himself in the top 10 in the long jump as he placed sixth for South Plains with a mark of 23’ 6.25” on his third attempt. Molchanov would then place first overall in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 50’ 5.25”* on his sixth attempt.
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South Plains track and field open outdoor campaign this weekend in Abilene
March 23, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams will kick off their 2018 outdoor campaign this weekend when they travel to Abilene for the Wes Kittley Invitational Friday and Saturday at Elmer Gray Stadium on the campus of Abilene Christian University. South Plains will be one of two junior college programs making the trip to Abilene, competing against the likes of Texas Tech, Oral Roberts, Angelo State, West Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Wayland Baptist and Western Texas College. The two-day meet will get underway at 1:30 p.m. Friday with the decathlon 100-meter dash followed by the heptathlon 100-meter hurdles at 2:10 p.m.
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Vance named Men's Indoor National Head Coach of the Year, Hobbs named Women's Indoor National Assistant Coach of the Year
March 08, 2018LEVELLAND — South Plains College track and field head coach Erik Vance added to his growing list of accolades on Thursday as he was named the 2018 USTFCCCA Men's Indoor National Head Coach of the Year. Vance led the Texans to the 2018 NJCAA Men's Indoor National Championship this season, picking up his second national title at the helm of the South Plains program. Vance coached 22 athletes who finished the indoor season ranked inside the top 10 in their respective events, including freshman Holland Martin who won the men's triple jump and set the top mark in the country with a jump of 52' 8.25" at nationals.
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South Plains track and field make strong showing on day one of Indoor National Championships in Lubbock
March 03, 2018LUBBOCK — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams were business as usual on day one of the 2018 NJCAA Indoor National Championships Friday at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center. The Lady Texans sit atop the point standings with 46 points, with Iowa Central sitting in second with 44 points and New Mexico Junior College in third with 33 points. The complete men’s results were unavailable as of 11 p.m. on Friday. As soon as they become available, this story will be updated. “I thought we had a solid day throughout and competed well today,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “We qualified who we needed to for the finals tomorrow, and our men’s and women’s teams picked up a good number of points and gave themselves a chance to be in contention tomorrow.”
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Texans capture 2018 NJCAA Men's Indoor National Championship in final race Saturday in Lubbock
March 03, 2018LUBBOCK — The stage was set. Trailing Barton County by two points with a single race remaining, the top-ranked South Plains College men's track and field team controlled its own destiny. With the South Plains College faithful packed into the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center chanting "SPC", the Texans didn't disappoint. Running as the anchor for the orange and blue in the men's 4X400 relay, Montel Hood barreled down the final stretch in front of a ruckus crowd as the Texans finished second with a 3:09.56, two spots ahead of Barton to take a 94-92 lead in the final standings as they captured the 2018 NJCAA Men's Indoor National Championship, their sixth indoor title in program history and first since 2015. "I knew Barton was on my tail and had to keep pushing," Hood said. "I like to make my move in the final half of the race, so I kicked at the halfway mark and was able to pass him smoothly. All you feel at that moment is jitters going through your body, but we all pulled together and made it happen. Every time we step on the track we give it everything we have, and it paid off for us today."
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Vance named West Region Men's Indoor Head Coach of the Year, Hobbs named West Region Women's Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year
March 02, 2018LEVELLAND — For the second time in as many years, South Plains track and field head coach Erik Vance has been named the West Region Men's Indoor Head Coach of the Year, voted on by fellow coaches in the west region. This marks the third time Vance has come away with Coach of the Year Honors as he was named the West Region Indoor and Outdoor Head Coach of the Year last season. Vance has led the Texans to a No. 1 national ranking in the latest USTFCCCA national polls and will compete for an indoor national crown this weekend at the 2018 NJCAA Indoor National Championships at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center.
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South Plains track and field set for 2018 NJCAA Indoor National Championships March 2-3 in Lubbock
March 01, 2018LEVELLAND — Championship weekend. The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams will look to add to the trophy case this weekend at the 2018 NJCAA Indoor National Championships at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center March 2-3. The Texans have ascended to the top of the USTFCCCA national rankings and will enter the weekend ranked first in the country. Led by head coach Erik Vance, the Texans have amassed 15 top 10 national marks in 12 different events.
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South Plains track and field impresses in final regular season meet Friday in Lubbock
February 17, 2018LUBBOCK — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in their final regular season meet before nationals on Friday at the Texas Tech Matador Qualifier as the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center. Ranked third in the latest national polls, the Texans have acquired 43 national qualifying marks to date. The Lady Texans earned a No. 4 national ranking after four meets and have qualified 28 athletes for the 2018 NJCAA Indoor National Championships which will be held at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center March 2-3. “We did what we needed to do, and we had a couple events where we needed to qualify people, and for the most part we were able to get that done today,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “We added a couple more qualifiers we needed to have, and we got into the facility and got some practice and all in all I was very pleased with what we were able to do.”
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South Plains track and field primed for Texas Tech Matador Qualifier Friday in Lubbock
February 15, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in their final regular season meet on Friday at the Texas Tech Matador Qualifier at the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center in Lubbock. Action will get underway with the field events at 3 p.m., with the running events set to begin at 4 p.m. South Plains is coming off a successful stint at the Tyson Invitational last weekend at the University of Arkansas which saw a number of school records fall throughout the meet.
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South Plains track and field shines in Fayetteville
February 10, 2018FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Each ranked third in the latest USTFCCCA national polls, the South Plains College men’s and women’s track and field teams were back on the track this weekend at the 2018 Tyson Invitational from the Randal Tyson Track Complex on the campus of the University of Arkansas.
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South Plains track & field journey to Fayetteville for 2018 Tyson Invitational
February 08, 2018LEVELLAND — The South Plains College men's and women's track and field teams will return to action this weekend in Fayetteville at the Tyson Invitational from the Randal Tyson Track Complex on the campus of the University of Arkansas. After another solid outing a week ago at the Charlie Thomas Invitational in College Station, the Texans and Lady Texans each earned a No. 3 national ranking in the latest United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association national polls.
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South Plains track and field impress on day two of Charlie Thomas Invitational
February 03, 2018COLLEGE STATION — The South Plains College men's and women's track and field teams added to their list of national qualifiers on day two of the 2018 Charlie Thomas Invitational on Saturday at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium at the McFerrin Athletic Center.
