Deshana Skeete’s brilliance helps New Mexico Junior College to NJCAA national Indoor title

Mar 06, 2023 Sports

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur News – Deshana Skeete, over the weekend, continued the Guyanese women’s complete dominance across the various collegiate track and field spectrum when she helped New Mexico Junior College to another National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division One National Indoor title.

Deshana Skeete joined her teammates to celebrate winning the NJCAA D1 National Indoor (women) title.

Held at the Washburn-Indoor Athletic Facility in Topeka, Kansas, New Mexico College, one of the top NJCAA D1 institutions behind Skeete and the other top athletes, stormed to the Women’s title after amassing 116 points, finishing ahead of Cloud County (84.5) and South Plains (83.5).

Skeete showed her brilliance in the women’s 400m, where she finished second (54.44s) just behind winner Vimbayi Maisvorewa (53.4s) of Cloud County, but ahead of her New Mexico teammate Dejona Simpson (54.6).

The former McKenzie High School (MHS) outstanding student-athlete then turned her attention to the women’s 4x400m relay where she teamed up with Simpson, Michaliliah Vassell and Calisha Taylor and ran the anchor leg to clock three minutes, 40.4s (3:40.5) to outshine the competition, setting a new ‘Facility Record’.

Guyana’s Deshana Skeete is all smiles with the NJCAA Indoor National title trophy.

Skeete’s performance in the women’s 4x400m also saw her setting a new Personal Best in the event, bettering her 2022 showing at the Sports Performance Center in Texas, where she also anchored her team to a time of 3:46.6s.

South Plains College’s Safhia Hinds, Success Umukoro, Leticia Quingostas and Rushana Dwyer finished second (3:42.12), while Cloud Count College with Vanessa Mercera, Passion Crews, Miracle Thompson and Vimbayi Maisvorewa ran 3:46.9s to finish third.

In 2017, as a 15-year-old, Skeete wrote her name in the annals of track and field in Guyana when she became the first and only Guyanese to win gold at the South American Youth Games, doing so in the 400 metres.

Skeete is known for her dominance over the years at the National Schools Championship, where she competed for District 10 and in 2021, she accepted a full scholarship to New Mexico Junior College.

Since her departure, the 2018 CARIFTA Games 400m bronze medallist has enjoyed a successful collegiate career.

With the Indoor season completed, Skeete’s focus now shifts to the Outdoor season with the NJCAA Number One-ranked track and field programme.

Meanwhile, following her time at New Mexico College, Skeete will move on to represent the University of Kansas, where she will join fellow Guyanese Aaliyah Moore at the NCAA D1 institution.

Moore recently claimed the NCAA BIG 12 800m title for the University of Kansas, registering a Personal Best time of two minutes, 05.11s (2:05.11).

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