The Outdoor Track & Field season is upon us as we transition in to the heart of the spring sport season! The seven teams in the ICCAC will build off of their Indoor season with different expectations across the board.
The top three programs in the ICCAC each head into the season with championship expectations annually. Iowa Western is picked as the favorites on the men's side to prevail as the Region 11 Champions. The Reivers have won each of the last two championships and will eye a three-peat in 2024. They are coming off a fifth place indoor this season and will hope to slide up that ladder in the Outdoor season.
Indian Hills surprised everyone by winning their first ever track & field national championship at the 2024 Indoor meet. The Warriors, despite no individual championships, filled event top 8s and beat out New Mexico by 7.5 points. The Warriors had six events with a runner up finish that gave them a big boost. Known for their sprints, expect them to compete again on the track in the Outdoor season.
Rounding out the ICCAC top three is Iowa Central who took eighth at the NJCAA Indoor Championships. The Tritons had good showings in the Distance Medley Relay (set an NJCAA record) and the 4x800 Meter Relay as the runner up. The Tritons hope to improve on their Indoor season if they hope to surpass Indian Hills or Iowa Western.
Hawkeye, NIACC, Southeastern and Southwestern each look to produce some national qualifiers -- none of the four scored any team points at the 2023 NJCAA Outdoor Championships -- or 2024 Indoor Championships for that matter.
Despite that, Region 11 had 26 top 5 finishes at the Indoor Championships, which they hope to carry over into May.
ICCAC Men's Track and Field Preview