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

Story by Tyler Cundith
1/31/2006

Athletes making their mark at JCCC

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Just three meets into the 2006 Johnson County Community College track and field season, and several athletes have already etched their names among the top performers all-time in the program’s history.

Freshman Nigel Morris of Thomson, Ga. has taken three of the top five performances in the 60-meter hurdles.  At the Adidas Nebraska Invitational, Morris posted a time of 8.20 seconds, which ranks second all-time at JCCC.  He also posted a time of 8.27 in the prelims at that meet, which ranks fourth all-time.  A week later at the Iowa State Open, Morris posted a time of 8.29, which ranks fifth all-time.

Also at that meet, freshman Tyler Antwine of Osawatomie, Kan., recorded a time of 8.32 in the 60-meter hurdles, which earned him the fourth spot on JCCC’s all-time performers list in that event. 

Sophomore sprinter Idiato Jeremiah of Milwaukee, Wis., posted the fourth-best time in team history in the 60-meter dash at Nebraska.  He finished in 7.02 seconds.  Antwine already owns the second and third best times which he established his freshman campaign.

Sam Stubbs, a freshman sprinter from Newburgh, N.Y., now ranks fifth all-time in the 400-meters and third as a member of the 4x400 relay.  Stubbs recorded a 400-meter time of 48.62 at the Iowa State Open.  He also ran a leg on the 4x400 that finished in 3:18.20.  Joining him were freshman Nathaniel Williams of St. Louis, Mo.; freshman Anthony Ledbetter of Gardner, Kan.; and freshman Rufus Triggs, Jr. of St. Louis, Mo.

Sophomore distance runners Tighe Van Anne of Eudora, Kan., and Alan Kroll of Lansing, Kan., took over the third and fourth spots all-time in the 1,000-meter run.   The pair posted their record marks at the Iowa State Open.  Van Anne crossed in 2:32.34, and Kroll was close behind at 2:32.47.

Freshman jumper Dustin Turner of Oak Grove, Mo., posted the fourth-best mark all-time in the long jump.  He jumped 22'9.25" at the Iowa State Open.  

The final two men to make a mark in JCCC record books are sophomore vaulters Kyle Dennis of  Pauls Valley, Okla., and Adam Ergenbright of Midwest City, Okla.  Both cleared 16'6.75" at the Nebraska Invitational, giving them the fifth-best mark all-time at JCCC.  Dennis set the school record last year clearing 16'10" at the Mule Relays.

On the women’s side, freshman sprinter Shanita Bledsoe of Wentzville, Mo., and freshman hurdler Tiffany Jackson of St. Louis, Mo., have taken over three of the top five performances in the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles respectively.  Bledsoe recorded a time of 7.95 in the prelims of the 60-meter dash at Nebraska, then improved to 7.94 in the finals.  Those times rank third and fourth.  At the Iowa State Open, she posted a time of 8.00, which ties her for fifth all-time.

Jackson set the school record in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.13 in the prelims at Nebraska, then recorded the second fasted time at 9.15 in the finals.  She also owns the third fastest time, finished in 9.31 seconds at the Iowa State Open.

Esther Mathias, a sophomore from Kansas City, Kan.,  broke the school record in the 1,000-meters while competing at the Iowa State Open.  Mathias recorded a time of 3:00.69, breaking her old mark by six seconds.  She set the school record last year on the same track.  Her effort earned her a second-place finish in the event.

Rounding out the list of top performances to date this season is freshman thrower Jenna Highley of Fort Scott, Kan.  Highley placed her name in the fourth position on JCCC all-time performers list in the weight throw with a mark of 39'0.25" while competing at Nebraska earlier this month.