Johnson County Community College
Press Release

College Information and Publications
913-469-8500
Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

1/26/07
Story by Tyler Cundith

JCCC sprinters off to fast start

OVERLAND PARK, KS -- The sprint corps for the Johnson County Community College men’s and women’s track and field team had an impressive start to the 2007 track season while competing at the Iowa State Open in Ames, Iowa, last weekend.

In the men’s 60-meter dash, freshman Jamin Benjamin of Seabrook, N.J., set a school record with a time of 6.76, breaking the previous mark of 6.88 set in 1997 by Adrian Dunbar.  That time was also the fastest of the 107 contestants in the prelims.  However, Benjamin sat out he finals nursing a sore hamstring. Two other Cavaliers did reach the finals in the 60-meter dash.  

Freshman Terrius McMillin of  Newburgh, N.Y., and sophomore Dantavius Harmon of Louisville, Ga., finished sixth and 14th respectively with time of 6.90 and 7.07.  McMillin’s time of 6.90 ranks as the fourth fastest in school history.

Freshman Gabrielle Patterson of Kansas City, Mo. raced to an eighth-place finish in the women’s 60-meter dash, finishing in 7.96, the sixth fastest time in school history.

In the men’s 200-meter dash, four Cavaliers placed in the top seven. Leading the way was sophomore Gerron Herring of Kansas City, Mo.  He placed second overall with a time of 21.59, the fifth-best performance in JCCC history.  Herring also recorded a personal-best time of 44.64 in the 400-meters, which earned him a fourth-place finish.

Benjamin was close behind placing third in 21.69.  Freshman Terrel Cotton of Warrensburg, Mo., finished sixth in 21.99 and Harmon placed seventh in 22.03.

In the women’s 200-meters, freshman Gabrielle Gibson of Kansas City, Mo. recorded the sixth fastest time in team history, finishing fifth with a time of 25.92.  

Hurdler Lavina Dent, a freshman from  Mobile, Ala., recorded the sixth fastest time in JCCC history in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing the preliminary round in 9.22.  She posted a time of 9.23 in the finals, good for an 11th-place finish.

In the middle distance category, freshman James Tong of Kansas City, Mo., an All-American last fall at the Half Marathon Championships, raced to a third-place finish in the mile run, finishing in 4:16.80.  That performances ranks fourth all-time at JCCC.

Freshman Christa Heideman of Wamego, Kan., an All-American at both the NJCAA Cross Country and Half Marathon Championships last fall, raced to a seventh-place finish in the mile, crossing in 5:18.48.

Sophomore Nathaniel Williams of St. Louis turned in an impressive effort in the 600-yard run, placing seventh overall with a time of 1:14.48.  

In field events, freshman Milton Henry of  Kansas City, Mo., placed second in the long jump with a mark of 23-feet, 1.75 inches, fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 48-feet, 0.75 inches and ninth in the high jump, clearing 6-feet, five-inches.  Sophomore Dustin Turner placed seventh in the triple jump with a mark of 44-feet, 8.25-inches.