2021 Men's Cross Country Awards

2021 Men's Cross Country Awards

The annual ICCAC All-Region Teams for cross country are determined each year by their place at the Region XI Championships.

Iowa Central continued their dominance in Division I, with seven of the fifteen finishes this year to the All-Regional Team. Iowa Western provided five runners to the All-Region Team and Indian Hills rounded out the list accounting for three this year.

NIACC also continued its successful run in Division II with seven placements to the All-Region Team this year. Hawkeye also had a strong showing with five named to the list this year as well. DMACC followed with two selections, and Scott with one.

The 2021 Division I Male Athlete of the Year was Aspel Kiprob from Iowa Central. Kiprob received Athlete of the Week honors twice through the course of the ICCAC Cross Country Season. Kiprob placed third at the 2021 Greeno Dirksen Invite and second place finish at the All-American Invitational. The freshman was also the individual champion at the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational. His performance at the Region XI Championships propelled him ahead of teammate Kelvin Bungei and Iowa Western's Nicholas Kiprotich, where he took first place at the meet. 

The 2021 Division II Male Athlete of the Year was Melvin Kipkemboi from NIACC. This is the sophomore's second year being named to the All-Region Team and was selected as the Division II Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week four teams this season. He was also selected as a National Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Kipbemboi had several top five finishes this year and was the Division II individual champion at the 2021 Region XI Championships running a time of 24:28, over a minute better than his 2020 time. 

Dee Brown of Iowa Central was named the 2021 Division I Men's Coach of the Year. This is the ninth consecutive year that Brown has won this award. Under Brown this year, the Iowa Central Titans won their ninth consecutive Region XI Championship and it is their tenth consecutive year having the individual region champion.

Curtis Vais of NIACC was named the 2021 Division II Men's Coach of the Year. Vais led the NIACC Trojans to the second consecutive team championship in Division II. Going into the Region XI Championships the Trojans are ranked ninth in NJCAA Division II. However, the Trojans are the reigning national championship for NJCAA Division II. They will head to Richmond, Va. on Nov. 13, along with the rest of the ICCAC, to defend their crown. 

 

2021 ICCAC All-Conference (Division I & Division II Combined)

First Team All-Conference

Name School Year Hometown
Kelvin Bungei Iowa Central So. Kitale, Kenya
Zander Cobb Iowa Central  Fr. Washington, MI
Aspel Kiprob Iowa Central Fr. Nakuru, Kenya
Jaysen Bouwers Iowa Western  Fr. Sioux City, IA
Nicholas Kiprotich Iowa Western Fr. Eldoret, Kenya
Yonas Mogos  Iowa Western So. Aurura, CO
Melvin Kipkemboi NIACC So. Rift Valley, Kenya


Second Team All-Conference

Name School Year Hometown
Isaac Bryant  Indian Hills So.  ---
Colton Glosser Indian Hills So. Packwood, IA
Nick O'Connor Indian Hills So. Tiffin, IA
Brady Hogan  Iowa Central Fr. Waukon, IA
Yared, Kidane Iowa Central So. Eskilstuna, IA
Hunter Klimek Iowa Central So. Motley, MN
Wimachmorr Gilo Iowa Western So. Council Bluffs

 

Honorable Mention All-Conference

Name School Year Hometown
D'Artagnon Beaver Hawkeye Fr. Rockford, IL
Brady Millikin Indian Hills Fr. Hedrick, IA
Robi Agilar-Gonzalez Iowa Central Fr. Liberia
Merci Bita Iowa Western Fr. Sioux Falls, SD
Ryker Mattioli Iowa Western Fr. Durham, NC
Zach Rathburn Iowa Western Fr. North Port, FL
John Swotek Iowa Western Fr. Lincoln, NE

 

2021 ICCAC All-Region

Division I 

2021 First Team All-Region

Name School Year Hometown
Aspel Kiprob Iowa Central Fr. Nakuru, Kenya
Kelvin Bungei Iowa Central So. Kitale, Kenya
Zander Cobb Iowa Central  Fr. Washington, MI
Nicholas Kiprotich Iowa Western Fr. Eldoret, Kenya
Jaysen Bouwers Iowa Western  Fr. Sioux City, IA


2021 Second Team All-Region
 

Name School Year Hometown
Isaac Bryant  Indian Hills So.  
Hunter Klimek Iowa Central So. Motley, MN
Yared, Kidane Iowa Central So. Eskilstuna, IA
Yonas Mogos  Iowa Western So. Aurura, CO
Wimachmorr Gilo Iowa Western So. Council Bluffs, IA

 

2021 Honorable Mention All-Region

Name School Year Hometown
Nick O'Connor Indian Hills So. Tiffin, IA
Colton Glosser Indian Hills So. Packwood, IA
Brady Hogan  Iowa Central Fr. Waukon, IA
Robi Aguilar-Gonzalez  Iowa Central  Fr. Liberia
Ryker Mattioli Iowa Western Fr. Durham, NC

 

Division I - Athlete of the Year - Aspel Kiprob, Iowa Central

Division I - Coach of the Year - Dee Brown, Iowa Central

 

Division II 

2021 First Team All-Region

Name School Year Hometown
D'Artagnon Beaver Hawkeye Fr. Rockford, IL
Melvin Kipkemboi NIACC So. Rift Valley, Kenya
Christain Rodriquez  NIACC Fr. Mason City, IA
Peyton Seiler  NIACC Fr. Gering, NE


2021 Second Team All-Region
 

Name School Year Hometown
Tyler Colvin Hawkeye So. Marion, IA
Cooper Olsen Hawkeye Fr. Cedar Falls, IA
Bryden Juelsgaard NIACC So. Cresco, IA
Richard Marcoux NIACC So. Omaha, NE

 

2021 Honorable Mention All-Region

Name School Year Hometown
Harrison Vanderlinden  Hawkeye So. Marion, IA
Stephen Thomas  Hawkeye  Fr. Rockford, IL
Caleb Sledd NIACC So. Osage, IA
Noah Smith Scott So.  

 

Division II Athlete of the Year - Melvin Kipkemboi, NIACC

Division II Coach of the Year - Curtis Vais, NIACC