Searching for the right university, going through the recruitment process, and managing the pressures of high school can be overwhelming, to say the least.

Streamline Athletes helps high school track and field athletes make confident decisions about where to study and compete at the collegiate level.

Many high school student-athletes choose to attend junior colleges — or JUCOs — for their post-secondary education. There are a plethora of reasons why a student-athlete would enroll in a junior college and compete in the NJCAA (more on that here).

One of the main reasons is that the NJCAA acts as a stepping stone to the NCAA; student-athletes get the chance to increase their GPA and athletic ability while at junior college, prepping them for future NCAA competition. I got curious so I put together a list of the most decorated track and field athletes to ever go through the NJCAA system:

Men

Leevan Sands

Sands is an outstanding Bahamian triple jumper who is currently an assistant track and field coach at the University of Northern Colorado.

NJCAA Program: Barton Community College, Kansas

NCAA D-I Program: Auburn University

Country of Origin: Bahamas

Accomplishments:

• Bronze medal — 2008 Olympic Games
• Bronze medal — 2003 World Championships
• Triple Jump PB: 17.59m
• Long Jump PB: 8.27m
• 200m PB: 21.50
• SEC Scholar-Athlete (While attending Auburn University)

Daniel Effiong

Daniel Effiong is a retired sprinter, originally from Nigeria.

NJCAA Program: Central Arizona College, Arizona

NCAA: (N/A)

Country of Origin: Nigeria

Accomplishments:

• Gold Medal — 1993 World University Games (100m
• 1993 World Championship Semi-Final
• 200m PR: 20.10
• 100m PR: 9.98

Aaron Armstrong

Aaron Armstrong is a sprinter who competes internationally for Trinidad and Tobago. He has repeatedly made the national team for the 4 x 100m relay and the 200m dash.

NJCAA Program: Barton Community College, Kansas

NCAA D-I Program: University of Florida

Country of Origin: Trinidad and Tobago

Accomplishments:

• 6th in the 200m at World Championships in 2005
• 2nd to Usain Bolt in the 200m at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships
• 100m PR: 10.03
• 200m PR: 20.08
• 400m hurdles PR: 51.68

Boaz Kiplagat Lalang

Boaz Kiplagat has an impressive collection of world-class performances. He ran his 1:42.95 800m personal best in the same race as David Rudisha’s 2010 world record of 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy. You might also know his brother, Lawi Lalang, who was an iconic NCAA Division I runner for Arizona State University.

NJCAA Program: Rend Lake College, Illinois (*this track and field/XC program has since been discontinued*)

NCAA D-I Program: (N/A)

Country of Origin: Kenya

Accomplishments:

• 2nd place to David Rudisha when he broke the World Record in Reiti
• 7th at the 2008 Olympic Games
• 800m PR: 1:42.95
• 1000m PR: 2:14.83
• Mile PR: 3:52.18
• 1500m P: 3:35.80

Women

Veronica Campbell-Brown

Veronica is one of the most decorated sprinters Jamaica has ever produced. She is an 8 time Olympic Medalist, 11 time World Championship medalist, and has won multiple international meets, both as a junior and a senior.

Watch her win the 200m event against Allyson Felix and Carmelita Jeter in the 2011 Daegu IAAF World Championship:

NJCAA Program: Barton Community College, Kansas

NCAA D-I Program: University of Arkansas

Country of Origin: Jamaica

Accomplishments:

• 8-time Olympic medalist (200m gold in 2004 and 2008)
• 11-time World Championship medalist
• 100m PR: 10.76
• 200m PR: 21.74
• 400m PR: 52.25

Hyleas Fountain

Fountain is an American heptathlete who made the USA Olympic Team in 2008 and 2012.

NJCAA Program: Barton County CC, Kansas

NCAA D-I Program: University of Georgia

Country of Origin: United States

Accomplishments:

• Silver medal — 2008 Olympic Games
• 4th in the pentathlon at the 2010 IAAF Indoor Championships
• 1st place at the NCAA D-I National Championships in the heptathlon and long jump.

Janeah Stewart

Janeah Stewart is a shot put, weight throw, discus, and hammer specialist who was a multiple-time NCAA Division I All-American.

NJCAA Program: Iowa Central Community College

NCAA D-I Program: University of Mississippi (A.K.A. Ole Miss)

Country of Origin: United States

Accomplishments:

• NCAA Division I National Championship with Ole Miss in the hammer throw
• 5-time NCAA Division I All-American
• Hammer PR: 75.43
• Discus Throw: 56.39
• Shot Put: 18.03

Sally Kipyego

Sally Kipyego is an American athlete who was born in Kenya and has a very impressive range of world-class performances.

Country of Origin: Kenya

NJCAA Program: South Plains College, Texas

NCAA D1 Program: Texas Tech University

Accomplishments:

• Silver medal — 2012 Olympic Games (10,000m)
• Won three consecutive NCAA Division I National Championships
• 10,000m PR: 30:26.37
• 5,000m PR: 14:30.42
• 1500m: 4:06.23

Start your own journey today! Streamline Athletes is here to help track and field/cross country athletes discover their best options, both academically and athletically in the collegiate track and field landscape. All you have to do is create a free account and get started.

On Streamline Athletes, you have the ability to sort, filter, and add university programs to your own list of college options. You have the power to browse program pages to find out more about an institution and its offerings. After you have your list of top options, you can contact coaches and start your own conversations!