Montgomery College’s Athletics Department has a strong tradition of developing talent across all nine sports. One we at The Advocate would like to highlight is Track and Field, and we did so alongside the new coach for both the men and women’s teams, N’kelle Harper.
Last year, Montgomery College jumpers Kendall Wideman, Chisenga Mwape, and Promise Whitmore were active across the 2025 outdoor season. They were representing the Raptors at a string of major meets including the Phoenix, Towson, Mid-Atlantic, Annual Legacy, Maryland Kehoe Twilight, Liberty, and Widener Invitationals.
Wideman, a freshman at the time, delivered some of the team’s strongest individual performances, highlighted by a third-place finish in the long jump at the Phoenix Invitational with
a leap of 21 feet, 10.75 inches. He also impressed at the Widener Qualifier, clearing 6 feet, 2.25 inches to place tenth in the high jump and adding a qualifying mark in the 100-meter dash to his résumé.
This year, whoever winds up running and/or jumping for the Raptors will be doing so under N’kelle Harper, A.K.A “Coach Kelle.” A DMV and Prince George’s (PG) county native herself, Harper dominated the track while a student at Largo High School. She was competing in the 100 up to the 800, jumped long and triple – even winning a state title in the triple jump – and in college adding an NEC championship in the 400 hurdles. Upon graduating, she went on to compete in a variety of events for Long Island University (LIU). When asked about how her own athletic career and philosophy would coincide with her philosophy as a coach, this is what she had to say.
“[As an athlete,] I did whatever my coach asked me, I was our workhorse. If I could have only jumped, I would have, but sometimes [the] coach would notice we were short on points in the 100, 200, whatever event it may be, and asked me to run them, so I did. Sometimes, I’d be asked to do a heptathlon (seven events in two days). I do not encourage my– or any– athletes to do this, it’s tough on the body. I hope to simply get more athletes so that people won’t have to.”
Harper makes a good point; although Montgomery College is solid at developing the athletes they have, in recent memory, the track department has been a bit short. Last year, aforementioned Kendall Wideman, Gisenga Mwape, and Promise Whitmore were the only three track athletes. The interest meeting for Track and Field was this Thursday, Oct. 9, but with it being a spring sport, it’s not too late for Montgomery College students to express their interest in competing for this year’s competitions, and they can do so by reaching out to the track department on the MC Raptors athletic staff directory.
Coach Kelle’s been in the Track and Field hemisphere everywhere she’s gone, whether it was competing in Maryland and New York, or coaching in Texas and Virginia; we asked if there’s anything she’s adopted from spots outside of Montgomery County that she’d perhaps like to bring in.
“The biggest thing I want to bring in is the idea that track is a gateway for opportunity no matter where you are, a lot of people don’t realize the opportunity that lies in track and field, whether you’re starting out in JuCo (junior college) with aspirations to compete at the Division I NCAA level– or whatever– you have opportunity and a place as long as you work hard, so let’s just get you on that track and see what you can do,” Harper emphasized.
Harper a few weeks ago, therefore hasn’t had much time to interact with the student body of Montgomery College just yet, but this is what she had to say in regard to the faculty since her arrival.
“I’ve really only interacted with the rest of the athletics department… I like it here, everybody’s been welcoming and helpful, so far it’s been a good experience… from the students I have met, I’m excited to see what we’re gonna do this upcoming season.”
Coach Kelle intends on expanding the track and field program and getting to know her athletes upon doing so to ensure that Montgomery College will leave its mark on as many events as they can.
