2022 Region XI Outdoor Track & Field Championships Preview
2022 Region XI Outdoor Track & Field Championships
May 7-8 - Iowa Western CC - Council Bluffs, Iowa
Region XI Championship Track & Field Records
With the end of the spring semester just around the corner, the Region XI Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held at Iowa Western in Council Bluffs on May 7th and 8th.
Both the men and women will be there competing, where a lot of talent from both sides will be showcased. Starting off on the men's side of the competition, one runner to be on the lookout for is Aurel Tchnabi of Indian Hills. Tchnabi has been one of the nation's top sprinters through both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Tchnabi is currently in the top-10 in both the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.27 and the 200-meter dash with a time of 20.73. Another Indian Hills runner, Rivaldo Marshall, has been one of the top 800-meter runners in the nation with the second fastest time so far this season at 1:48.70.
Iowa Western has a very strong team with many runners and athletes near the top of the NJCAA. Nicholas Kiprotich has been a stunner for the Reivers so far this season and currently holds the 5th fastest time in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:22.87 and holds the 3rd fastest time in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:41.98. Both the 110 and 400-meter hurdles look to be held down by Iowa Western runner Cortney Watkins with a time of 13.94 in the 110-meter hurdles and 52.98 in the 400-meter hurdles. In the triple jump, Martin Lamou has the top distance in the nation with a mark of 16.33 meters.
The relay races will also be very tight in this regional with Indian Hill's 4x100-meter time of 40.14 brings them to fourth in the nation with Iowa Western coming in behind at 41.02 for 11th. The 4x400-meter relay will be even tighter with Indian Hills coming in once again slightly ahead of the Reivers with a time of 3:10.20 and 3:11.74. The competition is more open in the 4x800 where the times of Indian Hills, Iowa Western, Iowa Central and Hawkeye all having top finishes within ten seconds of each other.
Other notable athletes from around the competition include Melvin Kipkemboi of NIACC who comes into the meet in the top-15 in both the 5,000-meter run and the 3,000-meter steeplechase. One of the top throwers in the nation, Blake Veenstra of NIACC, comes into the meet with the 4th best shot-put throws at a mark of 16.83 meters.
On the women's side of the competition Iowa Western will be at the forefront of the competition this year as they have been dominant all spring including winning the NJCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships. One key piece to their domination this year has been distance runner Hilda Chebet. Chebet's times of 4:30.19 in the 1,500-meter run and 16:42.91 in the 5,000-meter run are at the top of the NJCAA. Chebet was also the indoor champion in both of those events earlier this spring. The Reivers also have one of the nation's top 200-meter and 400-meter runners in Nickisha Pryce. Pryce took home the national championship in the indoor 400-meter run earlier this spring and currently has the 6th fastest time in the nation in the 200-meter dash with a time of 53.68.
The Reivers also have some of the best field athletes this season as well, including Miracle Ailes and Alliyah McNeil, who rank 1st and 2nd in the NJCAA in high jump. Ailes' top mark this season was 1.81 meters with McNeil following right behind at 1.78 meters. Their teammate Victory George has the top triple jump mark in the nation with a distance of 12.86 meters.
One event to be on the lookout for at this year's regional meet will be the 100-meter dash. It looks to be a close race between Iowa Western's Tirecia Walcott and Indian Hills' Kayla McCray. The pair have the 2nd and 3rd fastest times in the nation, only being separated by one-hundredth of a second.
It is yet to be seen if any other teams will enter any relays at the regional meet but Indian Hills is the only school to have posted times this season. The Warriors time of 45.69 in the 4x100-meter relay lands them with the third fastest time in the nation. Their 4x400-meter relay team also landed at 7 in the nation with a time of 3:47.82. One of the top individuals for the Warriors this season has been middle distance runner Aliyah Simmons. Simmons is one of the top runners in the 800-meter run with the 2nd fastest time in the event at 2:10.55.
Another distance runner who has been dominant in her own right this season has been Emma Hoins of Hawkeye in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Hoins currently holds the fastest time in the NJCAA with a time of 11:34.46. She also holds the 5th fastest 1,500-meter time in the country with a time of 4:43.18.
All stats courtesy of TFRRS