The South Plains College men’s 4x800 relay team highlighted the 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays by setting a new national, meet, and school record, as well as the No. 15 all-time collegiate mark Saturday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
South Plains’ Aron Tanui, Tray’Quan Francis, Chevonne Hall, and Kimar Farquharson posted a blistering 7:15.6 in the 4x800, winning the event title over the likes of Texas, LSU, and Clemson. Saturday’s finish marks the second consecutive first place finish in Austin, as the Texans also took the top spot in the men’s 4x800 a year ago at the Texas Relays, positing a 7:20.31.
Saturday’s performance is the top all-time mark in the NJCAA, a new meet record at the Texas Relays, as well as the new school record at SPC.
“Coach Miller had our 4x800 group ready, and they were prepared and locked in,” South Plains head coach Erik Vance said. “Those four guys went out and executed really well, and to go out on the big stage like this and do what they did was really special.”
In the men’s high jump, reigning NJCAA national champion Kudawashe Chadenga placed third, clearing the bar at 7' 2.5' for South Plains. Freshman Dishaun Lamb notched a top-10 finish in the men’s 110m hurdles, placing ninth overall with a time of 14.03.
“Kuda was competing against an elite field, and he jumped well for us,” Vance said. “This was as good as of a field you are going to see, and to jump as high as everyone in that field except the Olympian, we were happy with that. He’s made some significant progress, and we’re going to clean some things up, and there are some big things ahead for him.”
The Texan’s 4x400 relay team placed 13th in a stacked field of the country’s top collegiate teams, as Hossam Hatib, Caio Almeida, Evaldo Whitehorne, and Farquharson clocked a 3:07.55.
On the women’s side, the Lady Texans posted an eighth place finish in the 4x400 relay, as Safhia Hinds, Success Umukoro, Leticia Quingostas, and Rushana Dwyer turned in a 3:39.45. South Plains would then turn in a 13th place finish in the women’s 4x100, as Umukoro, Corlasia Scott, Brandy Hall, and Breanna Clarke crossed the line in 45.13.
“Our women’s 4x400 ran really well, and they went out and competed against a tough field, so we were happy with that,” Vance said. Overall, to go in and break a meet record at the University of Texas, it really demonstrates the quality of junior college athletics. I feel like sometimes a lot of kids get overlooked, and we kind of become a minor league to the division one schools. If we continue to put in the work and do what we need to do, we can go out and compete with anyone in the country.”