Clay­ton Clarke

Janeil Bellille and Sparkle Mc Knight con­tributed valu­able points to help South Plains Col­lege to win the women's ti­tle at the 2011 Na­tion­al Ju­nior Col­lege In­door Track and Field Cham­pi­onships last Fri­day and Sat­ur­day at the Texas Tech Uni­ver­si­ty in Lub­bock Texas. Bellille, a 2008 World Ju­nior 400m hur­dles sil­ver medal­list, was sec­ond in the women's 55m hur­dles in 7.79 sec­onds (per­son­al best). Tak­ing the gold was Ja­maican Shani­ka Hall of Es­sex Coun­ty Col­lege. In the heats, Bellille clocked 7.91 sec­onds, the sec­ond quick­est. The for­mer dou­ble Carif­ta cham­pi­on al­so cap­tured bronze in the women's 400m in 55.49. In the pre­lim­i­nar­ies, she was third with a 56.32 clock­ing. Mc Knight picked up gold be­ing a mem­ber of the win­ning quar­tet in the women's 4x400m re­lay.

The team clocked 3min 39.72 sec­onds. The 2010 dou­ble Carif­ta sil­ver medal­list al­so bagged bronze in the women's 600m event cross­ing the line 1:33.60. Win­ning the event was her school­mate Na­toya Goule (Ja­maica), set a new meet record of 1:26:90. An­geli­na Williams (Cloud Coun­ty) was sec­ond.

Mc Knight was sixth in the 200m in 24.74 sec­onds (24.32 in the heats). Iowa Cen­tral's, Re­yare Thomas was al­so in fine form. The 2009 World cham­pi­onship sprint re­lay fi­nal­ist had a busy two days, win­ning three medals. Thomas was run­ners-up in the women's 55m fi­nals, re­turn­ing 7.05 sec­onds. She was de­nied gold by Ja­maican Ju­ra Levy (South Plain), who won in 6.81. In the 200m, Thomas had to set­tle for third in 24.06. Levy again struck gold in a meet record of 23.10 ahead of an­oth­er South Plain run­ner Grena­di­an Janelle Red­head (23.69).

Thomas, club­mates of Bellille and Mc Knight, end­ed the meet with a sil­ver in the women's 4x400m re­lay be­hind South Plains, an­chor­ing her school to 3:46:70. Iowa Cen­tral was third in the women's stand­ings with 59 points be­hind South Plain (180.5) and Cen­tral Ari­zona (88). In the men's com­pe­ti­tion, Kervin Mor­gan was sev­enth in the 600m fi­nals in 1:24:82. In the heats the 2005 dou­ble Carif­ta cham­pi­on clocked 1:22:02. Iowa(157) took the men's ti­tle ahead of South Plain (136) and Bar­ton Coun­try (84).