Former Western Champs stars Courtney Lawrence of Cloud County Community College and Nia Robinson of Barton County College were winners at the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) indoor championships held at the Robert W Plaster Center in Pittsburgh, Kansas, last weekend.

Lawrence, the former Petersfield ISSA Champs and Penn Relays winner, won the men’s shot put to crown an unbeaten season while Robinson, formerly of Rusea’s High School, won a full set of medals, highlighted by a gold in the women’s long jump.

Another former Petersfield High thrower Daniel Cope set a new personal best and Cloud County weight throw record as he copped second place, while former Spot Valley High middle-distance runner Tyrese Reid was also second in the men’s 800m.

Lawrence ended his indoor season unbeaten as he threw 18.83m, in the fifth round, to win the shot put, making up for his silver medal last year.

He trailed Barton County’s Fred Moudani through the first three rounds before taking the lead with 18.69 in the fourth, then extended his lead in the next round.

Robinson got the championships off to a good start on Friday when she jumped a big personal best 6.12m, ninth best all-time at Barton, to take the gold medal.

She was second in the high jump early on Saturday when she cleared an indoor best 1.71m. That is the same height as her teammate, former Edwin Allen jumper Annia Ashley. They were both behind former St Elizabeth Technical athlete Alliyah McNeil of Iowa Western who won with 1.76m, also her personal best.

Robinson was third in the triple jump with 12.26m, just behind Ashley who repeated her silver medal from last year with 12.39m.

Cope twice beat his previous personal best on Friday to finish with 20.01m, two weeks after he won the Region VI title at the same venue with 19.35m. He also improved on his fourth place at last year’s national.

After starting with two fouls, the former ISSA Champs Class 2 discus winner stayed in the competition with a ‘safe throw’ of 16.39m before he jumped into second place with a throw of 18.18m.

He then followed up with his two biggest throws ever, 19.61m in the fifth round then got over the 20.00m in the final round. Defending champion Andrei Romanov of New Mexico Junior College retained his title with 21.26m and Barton County’s Fabio Hessling repeated his bronze medal performance from last year with 17.85m.

Reid was tipped to win the 800m after winning at regionals a fortnight prior and led the rankings coming into the championships but was out-duelled by former Calabar High runner Javon-Taye Williams of South Plains who scored an upset win, running 1:52.13 seconds as Reid clocked 1:52.46 seconds.