NIACC sets 2 school records at nationals

NIACC's Owen Almelien, Bryson Canton, Quinton Ellis and Hugo Massa set a school record in the distance medley relay Friday at the national indoor meet.

March 1, 2024

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The NIACC men's track and field team set two school records Friday at the NJCAA Division I national track and field championships.

The Trojans placed 12th in the distance medley relay in a school-record time of 10 minutes, 15.40 seconds. The Trojans ran Bryson Canton, Quinton Ellis, Hugo Massa and Owen Almelien.

NIACC broke the school record of 10:21.48 set earlier this season (Feb. 17, 2024) at the SDSU Classic running Canton, Ellis, Jacob Vais and Almelien.

Ellis also broke the school record in the 400-meter prelims where he placed 17th in 48.98 and did not make the finals. Ellis broke the old mark of 49.32 by Gawain Gray a the national meet in 2011.

Ellis and Gray are the only two NIACC sprinters to break 50 seconds in the indoor 400-meter dash.

Also in the 400 prelims at nationals, NIACC freshman Tyreese James ran 51.58 and did not make the finals.

Also Friday, NIACC's Terrence Thomas placed 18th in the long jump with a leap of 6.44 meters (21 feet, 1 1/2 inches).

In the 600-meter prelims, Massa placed 16th in 1:21.09 and did not make the finals.

In the 1,000-meter prelims, Canton placed 28th (2:38.98).

For the NIACC women, NIACC's Taja Conley ran a 10.09 in the 60-hurdles prelims and did not make the finals.

NIACC's Tenisha Herbert placed 23rd in the long jump with a leap of 4.90 meters (16-1).