57 Former or Current NJCAA Student-Athletes to Compete in London Olympics
July 23, 2012
 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is pleased to announce that 57 former or current student-athletes with ties to the Association will participate on the world’s biggest stage at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
Four years ago over 50 athletes with ties to the NJCAA competed in Beijing, China at the 2008 Summer Olympics of which 10 took home a coveted gold, silver or bronze medal.
Highlighting the list of former NJCAA student-athletes favored to compete for a medal in London are Tyson Gay and Hyleas Fountain of the United States. Gay is one of the world’s fastest sprinters (currently the second-fastest man in the world) while Fountain is looking to top her 2008 bronze medal performance in the Heptathlon. Both Gay and Fountain competed at Barton County Community College (Kan.).
Also hailing from Barton County, Leevan Sands will compete for the Bahamas in the triple jump in his third Olympics. At the 2008 Beijing games, Sands set a Bahamian record in the triple jump and won a bronze medal.
The women’s track and field squad from Jamaica has four former NJCAA student-athletes that should again contribute to their medal count. Barton County alumna Veronica Campbell-Brown won three medals in Athens in 2004 and defended her gold medal in the 200 meters in 2008.
Essex County College (N.J.) alumni Kerron Stewart, Melaine Walker and Novlene Williams-Mills are all heavily favored in their respective events. Stewart won silver in the 100 meters in Beijing as well as bronze in the 200 meters. Walker defended her gold medal and set a new Olympic record (52.64) in the 400 meter hurdles in 2008 and, along with Williams-Mills, took bronze in the 4x400 meter relay.
Although track and field dominates the listing, other former NJCAA student-athletes will compete in London in basketball, soccer and swimming.
Several coaches with ties to the NJCAA will also be participating in London. Dominic Okon is currently an assistant basketball coach at Three Rivers Community College (Mo.) and will be serving in the same capacity for his native Nigera. Current Barton County assistant track and field coach Nigel Bigbee will be assisting Akeem Haynes of Canada while former Barton County track and field coaches Lance Brauman and Matt Kane will be in London assisting several athletes including Gay, Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados and Alonso Edward of Panama.
The 2012 Olympics take place July 27 -August 12. For full coverage, schdeules and live video go to www.london2012.com or www.nbcolympics.com.
The listing below, compiled from information submitted to NJCAA Headquarters by member colleges, is composed of NJCAA current or former student-athletes competing in the 2012 London Olympics. If you know of a current or former student-athlete who will be competing in London that is not listed, please send an email to mkrug@njcaa.org.
| Country |
Name |
NJCAA College |
Sport |
Position/Event |
Bahamas |
Leevan Sands^ |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
Triple Jump |
| Demetrius Pinder |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
200m, 400m, 4x400m |
| Trevor Mackey |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
200m |
| Andrae Williams |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
4x400m |
| Sheniqua Ferguson |
Southwest Mississippi CC |
Track & Field |
100m |
| |
Barbados |
Shane Brathwaite* |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
110m Hurdles |
| Ryan Brathwaite |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
110m Hurdles |
| |
Brazil |
Larry Taylor |
South Suburban College (Ill.) |
Men’s Basketball |
Forward |
| |
British Virgin Islands |
Karene King |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
100m |
| |
Burundi |
Diane Nukuri |
Butler CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
Marathon |
| |
Canada |
Akeem Haynes |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
4x100m |
| |
Granada |
Kurt Felix |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
Decathlon |
| Joe Phillip |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
400m |
| Kanika Beckles |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
400m |
| Joel Redhead |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
200m |
| Rondell Bartholomew |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
400m, 4x100m |
| Janelle Redhead |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
200m |
| |
|
|
|
|
Great Britain |
Rose Anderson |
Northern Oklahoma-Enid |
Women’s Basketball |
Guard |
| |
Haiti |
Jeffrey Julmis |
Cloud County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
110m Hurdles |
| |
Honduras |
Roger Espinoza |
Yavapai College (Ariz.) |
Men’s Soccer |
Midfielder/Forward |
| |
Israel |
Donald Sanford |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
400m |
| |
Jamaica |
Veronica Campbell-Brown^ |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
100m, 200m, 4x100m |
| Sheree Francis |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
High Jump |
| Jason Morgan |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
Shot Put |
| Maurice Smith |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
Decathlon |
| Korine Hinds* |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
3k Steeplechase |
| Riker Hylton |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
4x400m |
| Kenia Sinclair* |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
800m |
| Kerron Stewart^ |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
100m, 4x100m |
| Melaine Walker^ |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
400m Hurdles |
| Novlene William-Mills^ |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
400m, 4x400m |
| |
Kenya |
Sally Kipyego~ |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
5k, 10k |
| |
Lithuania |
Antanas Kavaliauskas |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Men’s Basketball |
Forward |
| |
Micronesia |
Debra Daniel |
Iowa Central CC |
Women’s Swimming |
100m Freestyle |
| |
Panama |
Alonso Edward |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
200m |
| |
Papua New Guinea |
Judith Meauri |
Iowa Central CC |
Women’s Swimming |
50m Freestyle |
| |
Puerto Rico |
Enrique Llanos |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
110m Hurdles |
| |
Saint Kitts |
Kim Collins |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
100m |
| Tameka Williams |
Central Arizona College |
Track & Field |
100m |
| |
Senegal |
Moussa Dembele |
Essex County College (N.J.) |
Track & Field |
110m Hurdles |
| |
South Africa |
Gidon Louw |
Indian River State College (Fla.) |
Men’s Swimming |
50m, Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 4x100 Freestyle, 4x100m Medley |
| |
Trinidad Tobago |
Lalonde Gordan |
Mohawk Valley CC (N.Y.) |
Track & Field |
400m, 4x400m |
| Reyare Thomas |
Iowa Central CC |
Track & Field |
4x100m |
| Janeil Bellille |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
400m Hurdles |
| Sparkle McKnight |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
4x100m |
| Renny Quow |
South Plains College (Texas) |
Track & Field |
400m, 4x100m, 4x400m |
| |
Turkey |
Tugce Cantinez |
North Idaho College |
Women’s Basketball |
Guard |
| Tugba Palazoglu |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Women's Basketball |
Guard |
| |
U.S. Virgin Islands |
Laverne Jones-Ferrette* |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
100m, 200m |
| Tabarie Henry* |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
400m |
| |
United States |
Isiah Young |
Allen County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
200m |
| Hyleas Fountain^ |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
Heptathlon |
| Tyson Gay* |
Barton County CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
100m, 4x100m |
| Chelsea Hayes |
Butler CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
Long Jump |
| Darvis Patton |
Garden City CC (Kan.) |
Track & Field |
4x100m |
| Trell Kimmons |
Hinds CC (Miss.) |
Track & Field |
4x100m |
| Brittney Reese |
Mississippi Gulf Coast CC |
Track & Field |
Long Jump |
| Ryan Bailey |
Rend Lake College (Ill.) |
Track & Field |
100m |
| Abdihakem Abdirahman* |
Pima CC (Ariz.) |
Track & Field |
Marathon |
*competed in 2008 Summer Olympics
^won Gold, Silver or Bronze at 2008 Summer Olympics
~2006 NJCAA Betty Jo Graber Female Athlete of the Year
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