By: Emilie Jenson
Public Information Coordinator
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Iowa Central distance medley relay team shattered records at the NJCAA National Indoor Track and Field Meet here Friday.
The team of Jed Elmbarki, Bongumusa Nkosi, Jadon Boots and Housem Hrabi finished the event in 9:44.89, breaking the school, facility, NJCAA meet and NJCAA national records in the process.
Sophomore Elmbarki led off the relay with a 1200 meter and put Iowa Central in a great position with the lead runners. Nkosi ran second, the 400 meter leg and ran almost two seconds faster than he had all season up to that point. Boots ran third on the 800 meter leg and gave his typical and consistently stellar time of 1:52. By this point in time, South Plains had taken a significant lead on the entire field the Tritons were neck and neck with Indian Hills for second and third. Hrabi was the anchor on the mile leg. He paced himself stride for stride for about 1000 meters with the Indian Hills runner, after that he passed him and locked his eyes on the South Plains athlete who had about a 20 meter lead on Iowa Central. Over the next 600 meters, Housem slowly chipped at his lead and made a final pass of him on the last lap and held him off down the homestretch.
"I was absolutely stunned for only the second time in my 20 year career with the Tritons," said Dee Brown, director of track and field at Iowa Central. "I knew they were capable of it but to see it executed was truly a work of art and such an amazing accomplishment for them and our program."
The 4x800 relay team of Elmbarki, Trevon Prince, Joseph Asahi Wright and Boots finished third in the nation, breaking the school record.
"It is not often I am surprised by what our athletes do, but after witnessing two amazing performances in the men's distance medley relay on Friday and then the 4x800 relay on Saturday I was left speechless," said Brown. "It was a very stacked event with two teams who had already broken the national record earlier this year."
The men's 4x400 relay team of Boots, Nkosi, Seon Booker and Price finished in ninth place with a time of 3:14.76 while recording the ninth best time in program history.
Tina Samson set a facility record and finished as national champion in the women's pentathlon while recording the #3 Triton all-time best. Samson also finished seventh in the women's long jump and completed the women's high jump with the #6 Triton all-time best.
Cooper Spurgeon finished fifth in the men's heptathlon, recording a #7 all-time Triton best.
Bongumusa Nkosi finished sixth in the men's 200 meters, recording a #4 Triton all-time best. Youssef Hamed's 21.46 seconds in the 200 recorded the eighth all-time program best.
Hrabi's fifth place finish in the men's mile run was the third best time in the Triton record books with a time of 4:07.96.
Elbarki finished seventh in the men's 1000-meter run with a time of 2:28.60, recording the #8 all-time Triton best.
Rounding out Triton all-time best finishes were Dayvione Briggs with the tenth best in the women's 60-meter hurdles and Prince finishing seventh in the men's 600-meters.
Samson and the men's distance medley relay team were named NJCAA All-Americans for bringing home gold in their respective events.
Receiving United States Track, Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American honors for their top-8 finishes were the men's 4x800 relay, Hrabi, Spurgeon, Nkosi, Cambell, Elmbarki and Samson (long jump).
Overall the Triton men finished the meet in eighth place while the women finished 20th.