NIACC's Thomas sets 2 school records

• Thomas sets school marks in long jump, triple jump
• Ellis places 2nd in 400

EMPORIA, Kan. - What a start to the outdoor track and field season for NIACC freshman Terrence Thomas.

Thomas, who is from Antigua and Barbuda, set two school records in the Trojans' season-opening meet at the Emporia State Relays on Thursday.

Thomas won the long jump with a school-record leap of 7.39 meters (24 feet, 3 inches) and he also placed second in the triple jump with a school-record jump of 14.56 meters (47-9 1/4).

The old school mark in the long jump was 22-2 1/2 (6.77 meters) by Jordan Bakkum in 2010 and Thomas broke the old triple jump mark of 44-9 (13.63 meters) by Darrel Elliott in 2009.

Also for the Trojans on Thursday, freshman Quinton Ellis placed third in the 400-meter dash in a time of 48.16 seconds, which ranks second on NIACC's all-time outdoor 400 list. Ellis is one of four Trojans ever to run sub-50 seconds in the 400. 

NIACC freshman Tyreese James placed 28th in the 100 in a time of 10.76, which ranks third on the all-time NIACC 100-meter dash list.

In the 10,000-meter run, NIACC freshman Owen Almelien was ninth in a time of 34:58.01.

The Trojans placed seventh in the 4x100 meter relay in a time of 42.62 running Bruce Huggins, Tyreese James, Ellis and Thomas.

NIACC's Malaki Johnson-Bassey was 16th in the high jump with a jump of 6-0 1/2 (1.84 meters), which ranks ninth on the school's outdoor high jump list.

In the 3,000 steeplechase, NIACC sophomore Bryson Canton placed 12th in a time of 10:27.38.

2024 NIACC men's track and field outdoor bests (Through March 28, 2024)