NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 9, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs men's track and field team had three different student-athletes take first place in their respective events on Saturday, as the Mustangs competed in both North Carolina A&T State University's Aggie Invitational and Southern Connecticut State University's Wilton Wright Invite.
 
AGGIE INVITATIONAL (NORTH CAROLINA A&T)
Karim Belmahdi dominated his first try at the 3000-meter steeplechase at the Aggie Invite on Saturday. He cruised to a first-place finish with a time of 9:17.99, nearly 80 seconds faster than the next closest competitor. Belmahdi's time qualifies him for the 3000m Steeplechase at the 2022 NJCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and currently gives him the fourth fastest time in the NJCAA.
 
Mohlouwa Koos Molutsi ran his first 5,000-meter run of the outdoor season and grabbed another win for Monroe, clocking in at 15:20.95 to top the field in the event. His time earned him qualification for the NJCAA Championships in the event.
 
Prince Mcabelo earned another win for the Mustangs in the 1,500-meter run on Saturday. He topped the field of 31 runners with a time of 4:05.54 in his first try at the outdoor 1500m. Wail Bourahli joined Mcabelo in the 1500m, placing 13th overall with a time of 4:15.08.
 
Edward Williams Jr. ran a time of 14.26 in the preliminary round of the 110-meter hurdles, and followed that up with a time of 14.43 in the finals to take fifth place in the event.
 
Four Mustangs ran in the 400-meter dash on Saturday. Javel Best ran a personal-best time of 49.01, while Matthew Paul also set a new personal mark with a time of 49.27. Tyhir Jones clocked in at 51.05, while Tendai Nyoni finished in 51.59.
 
Jonathan Hackshaw competed in the 400-meter hurdles. He finished with a time of 1:00.15 to set a new season-best time.
 
The Mustangs also had four runners in the 200-meter dash. Edward Williams Jr. finished in 22.62 seconds, while Best ran a time of 22.88. Paul clocked in at 22.92, and Jones finished in 23.45.
 
WILTON WRIGHT INVITE (SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE)
Two more Mustang men ran at the Wilton Wright Invite on Saturday. Rafael Dayton competed in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. He finished the 100m with a time of 12.62 seconds, while later clocking in at 26.47 in the 200m.
 
Deshawn Williams competed in the 800-meter run on Saturday in Connecticut. He finished the race in 2:23.61.
 
Next up for the Mustangs is a two-day meet in New Jersey next weekend, when they compete at the Larry Ellis Invitational, hosted by Princeton University. Day 1 of the Larry Ellis Invite is Friday, April 15.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).