PHILADELPHIA, Pa., April 27, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs track and field team sent four competitors to the line Thursday evening on the first day of the 127th Penn Relays Presented by Toyota at historic Franklin Field, and all four earned qualification for the 2023 NJCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
 
Jaheim Dotson got things started on the right foot for the Mustangs on Thursday. He competed in the 400-meter hurdles event, and earned an NJCAA Outdoor Championship qualifying time of 53.66 seconds in the race. His time also represented a new personal-best.
 
Karim Belmahdi got his chance next for the Mustangs, competing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event. He clocked in with a time of 9:10.11 in his first run in the event for the season, easily earning an NJCAA qualifying time in the race.
 
Zothile Mbhamali made a run at the 10,000-meter run Thursday evening. She crossed the line with a time of 40:14.27, defeating the qualifying standard for the race to qualify for the NJCAA Championships in the event.
 
Kgaogelo Moloisi then took his turn in the men's 10000m to close out the night for the Mustangs. Like Mbhamali, he succeeded in earning his spot for the event at the NJCAA Championships, running a time of 32:02.29 to surpass the qualifying standard time.
 
The Mustangs will compete again on Day 2 of the Penn Relays on Friday, April 28. They will run in another five races, the first of which is set to begin at 3 p.m.
 
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 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 11 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).