NIACC's Thomas places 3rd in long jump at nationals

MONROE, La. - NIACC's Terrence Thomas placed third in the long jump Thursday at the NJCAA Division I championships at the at Brown Stadium on the University of Louisiana Monroe campus.

Thomas, who is from Antigua and Barbuda, earned his third-place finish on his final jump of the competition with a leap of 24 feet, 8 1/4 inches (7.52 meters), which broke his own school record of 24-5 3/4 (7.46 meters) at the NJCAA Region 11 championships on May 4.

Meridian CC's Tafadzwa Chikomba was the national long jump champion with a leap of 25-2 1/2 (7.68 meters). South Plains' Isaiah Patrick was second with a jump of 24-11 (7.59 meters).

Thomas became the school's first men's all-American in the long jump. NIACC's Rellie Kaputin was a women's long jump all-American with her third-place finish at the 2015 outdoor national meet.

Thomas also became the first NIACC men's track and field team's NJCAA outdoor track and field all-American, which is a top three finish, since Wal Khat won the 800-meter run in 2017. Thomas is the third NJCAA men's track and field all-American joining Khat twice (indoor 800 and outdoor 800 in 2017).

Thomas is the NIACC men's track and field team's first USTFCCCA all-American (top 8 placewinners) at the outdoor national meet since 2022 when Kipkemboi was a two-time honoree in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (7th) and 5,000-meter run (4th).

Thomas claimed five titles in the long jump during the 2024 outdoor track and field season. He was the NJCAA Region 11 champion (7.46 meters) and also claimed long jump titles at the Emporia State Relays (7.38 meters), the Wartburg Select meet (7.24 meters), the Jim Duncan Invitational (7.40 meters) and the Mount Mercy DeBacker Invitational (7.00 meters).

Also Thursday, NIACC's Colby Krutsinger, who is from Forest City, placed 23rd in the hammer throw with a toss of 128-10 (39.28 meters), which was his second best performance of the season.

NIACC placed 18th in the 4x100-meter relay prelims on Thursday in a season-best time of 42.09 running Thomas, Tyreese James, Bruce Huggins and Quinton Ellis. The Trojans' previous best time in the 2024 outdoor season was 42.62 at the Emporia State Relays on March 28.

The Trojans will run in the 4x400-meter relay prelims at 5:25 p.m. on Friday. The Trojans will run James, Jacob Vais, Huggins and Ellis.