Mesa Community College Hosts National Track and Field Championships

MESA, Ariz. -- Mesa Community College (MCC) is proud to host the 2014 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This marks the second time the event has been held in Arizona in nearly four decades. The 3-day event will be held at MCC’s John D. Riggs Stadium (1833 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85202) May 15th through the 17th.

The annual event draws outstanding athletes from across the country. Numerous track and field Olympians and Olympic champions have competed in this meet. In fact, a staggering 50 athletes with junior college backgrounds competed in the 2012 London Olympics.

The 2014 outdoor championship will be unique in that it will be the first to be held primarily in the evening because of our state’s climate. The site is equipped with dual jump lanes, several throwing circles, and an infield high jump apron; all completely illuminated at night.

Among the approximately 50 schools appearing at the championship will be Iowa Central, winner of both the men’s and women’s indoor titles in 2014 as well as South Plains (Texas) which has won six consecutive men’s outdoor crowns.

Events will commence at 3 p.m. daily and continue through the close of the Running Events on Saturday evening.

Thursday, May 15
3 p.m. -- Decathlon/Heptathlon Field Events
6:30 p.m. -- 4 x 800-meter relays and 10,000-meter runs (women and men)

Friday, May 16
3 p.m. -- Decathlon/Heptathlon Field Events and Individual Field Events
5 p.m. – Running Events -  Prelims and Finals

Saturday, May 17
3 p.m. -- Field Events Finals
5 p.m. – Running Events Finals

Single day tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students. Children under the age of two are admitted free. All-sessions tickets are available for $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for seniors and students.

The community is encouraged to view meets in person or live online at www.ihigh.com/mesacc. A complete schedule of events, daily results and additional information is available online at: www.mesacc.edu/track-field-championships.

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Contacts
Meet Director, Clyde Resendez, 480-788-9464, clyde.resendez@mesacc.edu
Sports Information Director, Wayne Block, 757-288-1484, wayne.block@mesacc.edu

About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College provides outstanding transfer and career and technical programs, workforce development, and life-long learning opportunities to residents of the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. MCC excels in teaching, learning and empowering its more than 40,000 students who attend annually to succeed in a local and global community.  Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information please visit http://www.mesacc.edu.

About MCC’s John D. Riggs Stadium
Dr. John Riggs was President of Mesa Community College for nine years (1965-1974). The stadium was named in honor of Dr. Riggs at the time of his retirement in 1974. The stadium is home to the MCC Thunderbirds and is one of the best track & field facilities in Arizona. The stadium has a permanent seating capacity for over 3,500 spectators and has become the preferred site for Arizona Interscholastic Association to host the Arizona High School Track and Field State Championships. The complex is located on the northeast end of MCC’s Southern and Dobson campus next to Southern Avenue (1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85202).

About MCC’s Track and Field
Mesa Community College’s Men’s & Women’s Track & Field consistently rank among the Top 10 junior college Track and Field Programs in the nation. MCC’s most acclaimed program has nine National Championships in its possession, the last coming in Men’s Outdoor in 1980. The late great Hall of Fame Coach Carvel Jackson captured six titles from 1969-1975. Additional information about MCC’s athletic programs is available online at http://athletics.mesacc.edu.

The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution and an
equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Source Details

Publication Date: 
Thursday, May 1, 2014