Hill College sends four runners to NJCAA Track and Field Championships

Four Hill College athletes competed in the NJCAA Track and Field Championships May 16-18 in the sweltering conditions of Monroe, Louisiana, concluding a successful season in the program’s third year.

Hill College Head Cross Country and Track Coach Greg Lautenslager said the program has continued to produce more student-athletes each year competing at nationals.

“We had no one come close to qualifying for nationals our first year, two qualified last year, and now four this year,” Lautenslager added.

Freshman Josh Gill from Nelson (New Zealand) showed the most resilience as he finished seventh in his 1,500-meter heat on May 17 in a near-season best time of 4:01.6 and placed 18th overall.

Gill also came back the next afternoon, and in 90-degree and humid conditions, placed sixth in his 5,000-meter heat with a time of 15:30.36 and was 20th overall. “Josh was encouraged by his performance, moving up from the 27th placing from cross country nationals in November,” Lautenslager said. “The nationals experience has given him a boost to log some serious miles up and down the hills and mountains in New Zealand this summer and compete for All-American honors in cross country and track next season.”

Sophomores Jose Alfonzo, Kalil Bell, and Lyndon Orr struggled more with the conditions and field of top international and national runners.

Alfonzo finished 30th in the 1,500 meter; Bell came in 32nd in the 1,500 meter and 33rd in 5,000 meter; and Orr was 28th in the 10,000 meter and 34th in the 5,000 meter.

The team’s final regular season meet, the J. Fred Duckett Invitational at Rice University on April 20, produced a plethora of personal bests for Hill College student-athletes.

Orr ran a 30-second personal best time of 15:29.08 in the 5,000 meter. In the same race, Trenton Pentecost cut seven seconds off his best time.

Bell finished second in his 1,500-meter heat, slashing 10 seconds off his personal best with a time of 4:02.85.

The men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Obed Cruz, Faizone Ogendo, Joenniel Sanchez and Adrian Moreno established a school record with a time of 4:07.39.

On the women’s team, freshman Laila Vasquez finished her first college season with a two-second personal best time of 2:36.64 in the 800 meter, and freshman Analia Menendez capped off her best season after running a personal best by 15 seconds in the 1,500 meter with a time of 5:47.44. It was also the best women’s 1,500m time by a Hill College runner during the season. “It was quite emotional for Analia,” Lautenslager added. “She had been trying all season to break six minutes, and she smashed it. It was a night she will remember the rest of her life.” Alfonzo, Bell, Orr and Flores will run on scholarship next year at four-year universities.

For more information on the Hill College cross country and track programs, please visit https://hillcollegeathletics.com.