TUSCALOOSA, AL. — Meridian Community College's men's and women's track and field teams made a strong showing at the Crimson Tide Invitational, hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on April 11-12. The Eagles went toe-to-toe with top-tier four-year universities, proving they belong among the nation's elite.

The MCC men's team entered the weekend ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA outdoor standings and didn't disappoint.

Freshman Nhamoinesu Mabvuka led the women's squad with a standout performance, claiming first place in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:39.17.

On the men's side, sophomore Tafadzwa Chikomba continued his dominant outdoor season by capturing first place in the long jump with a mark of 7.62 meters. Chikomba, who also won the NJCAA indoor national title in the long jump, has now won back-to-back outdoor competitions.

Additional MCC highlights from the invitational include:

• Men's 4x100-meter relay team finished 4th overall

• Kylan Bernard, redshirt sophomore, placed 7th in the 110-meter hurdles

• T.J. Autrey, freshman, finished 15th in the high jump

• Jaci Summers, sophomore, placed 7th in the 200-meter dash

Next up, the Eagles will travel to Baton Rouge to compete in the LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday, April 26.