Gabby Ruiz, Allen County Community College freshman, lowered her national NJCAA Indoor Track Championship qualifying time by 14 seconds in the women 5,000 meters at last Saturday’s Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.
Ruiz has qualified for the national meet in both the 5,000 meters and the 3,000 meters. The Red Devils have two more indoor meets remaining — this weekend’s Region VI Championships at Manhattan and the NJCAA Indoor National Championships March 1-3 in Charleston, Ill.
Both of Ruiz’s qualifying times in the 5,000 meters came on the Iowa State indoor track this season. Ruiz ran the 5,000 meters in 18 minutes, 43.98 seconds for 37th on Saturday. She opened the short indoor track season at the ISU Open on Jan. 20 with an 18:57.42 showing for 12th.
On Jan. 27, the ACCC indoor track team was at the KU Classic in Lawrence. Ruiz posted a qualifying time of 11:04.40 for 12th in the 3,000 meters. Ruiz is currently ranked fifth in the 5,000 meters and 12th in the 3,000 meters in the NJCAA.
ACCC teammate Tsianina Whitetree is ranked 16th in the 3,000 meters. She ran the race at the ISU Open in 11:12.81 for 13th.
For the ACCC men, Tegan Michael hit a national qualifying time in the 800 meters this past weekend at Iowa State. He ran the race in 1:59.37 for 43rd. He also ran a season’s best 4:26.67 in the mile for 35th.
Earlier in the season, Michael ran the 800-meter race in 2:02.03 at the ISU Open then 1:59.60 for second at the KU Classic.
Michael is currently ranked 15th in the NJCAA at the mile distance. He ran the mile in 4:35.34 for 34th place in the ISU Open then posted a time of 4:30.14 for eighth at KU. Also in the mile, ACCC’s Josh Whittaker was 38th at 4:36.46 at the ISU Open and 17th at KU in 4:38.78.
Garrett Colglazier ran the men’s 3,000 meters in 9:25.64 for 29th at KU. He posted a time of 16:30.17 in the 5,000 meters at the Missouri Southern meet in Joplin, Mo., on Jan. 28.
At the Johnson County Community College Relays on Jan. 27, John Thompson and Christian Muniz were 19th and 20th, respectively, in the 60-meter dash in 7.83 seconds and 7.85 seconds. Thompson placed 10th in the 400-meter dash in 58.89 seconds and Muniz placed third in the 500-meter run in 1:14.36.
Travis Venniro competed in the men’s shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 11 inches. Bridget Sears had a career-best heave of 35’2” in the women’s shot put.
The next day, Venniro went 40’9 3/4” in the men’s shot and Sears had a toss of 32’9 1/2” in the women’s shot at Missouri Southern.
