MESA, Ariz. – NIACC freshman Sharon Toako can call herself a national champion.
Toako won the javelin at the NJCAA Championships Thursday with a school-record toss of 42.33 meters (138 feet, 10 inches).
South Plains’ Ashley Johnson was second in 40.6 meters and NIACC’s Adrine Monagi was ninth with a toss of 37.30 meters.
Toako is NIACC’s fourth outdoor national champion and sixth overall national champion since the school started the track and field program in 2006. She’s the first champion since Tanesha Edmond won a pair of outdoor national titles (heptathlon and high jump) in 2012.
Toako (Papua New Guinea) broke her own school record with her national championship toss. The previous mark (41.84 meters) was set by Toako on April 16 at the Central College Invitational.
Also for the NIACC women Thursday, the Lady Trojans placed 12th in the 4×800-meter relay with a time of 10 minutes, 12.48 seconds. The Lady Trojans ran Lindsay Brunson, Kalama Towarup, Emmorie Stokka and Martina Smith.
Monagi is also competing in the heptathlon Thursday. She was 14th in the 100 (16.25), fifth in the high jump (5-0 1/2) nd 13th in the shot put (26-03 1/2.
For the NIACC men, sophomore Will Hanson was seventh in the javelin (57.06 meters).
The Trojans were 12th in the 4×800 (8:10.70) running Veherney Babob, Alex Blomquist, Scott Patnode and Austin McCool.
The NIACC women have earned all-American status at the NJCAA national outdoor track and field meet six times and has three national champions. The last national champion was Tanesha Edmond in 2012 when she was a national champion in the heptathlon and the high jump.
NIACC outdoor national champions
2008 – Marin Thorson (discus)
2012 – Tanesha Edmond (heptathlon)
2012 – Edmond (high jump)
2014 – Sharon Toako (javelin)
