2020 NJCAA Cross Country Championships Preview

FORT DODGE, IA - This year's NJCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Doge to be hosted by Iowa Central. The last time Iowa Central hosted the NJCAA XC Championships was in 2017 with the Tritons claiming both men's and women's championships in Division I.

The meet will kick off with Division I Women running their 5K race at 9:30 am followed by Division I Men running an 8K at 10:15 am. Division III Women will follow after at 12:00 pm and Division III Men will start at 12:45 pm. The meet will end with Division II Women running at 2:30 pm and Division II Men running after at 3:15 pm. Below is a schedule of how the meet with be ran.

Schedule: 

9:30 am - Division I Women's 5K race

10:15 am - Division I Men's 8K race

*Division I Awards

12:00 pm - Division III Women's 5K race

12:45 pm - Division III Men's 8K race

*Division III Awards

2:30 pm - Division II Women's 5K race

3:15 pm - Division II Men's 8K race

*Division II Awards

Women

Iowa Central enters the NJCAA Championships coming off a win at the 2020 Region XI Championships and a No.  1 ranking. Iowa Western was the runner-up in the 2020 Region XI Championships and the Reivers are ranked No. 4 in the Divisin I polls. The Warriors of Indian Hills finished third overall two weekends ago and are ranked 14th in the polls.

For Division II, Hawkeye won the 2020 Region XI Championships which earned them a spot in the top-3 in the polls ranking #3. NIACC did not place in the Region XI Championships but are ranked 12th overall in the most recent polls. 

Men

Along with the women, Iowa Central claimed the 2020 Region XI Championship for Division I and are a top the rankings coming in at No. 1. Iowa Western ranks right behind the Tritons at No. 2 overall after finishing second in the Region XI Championships. Rounding out the top-10 rankings, Indian Hills comes to Fort Dodge ranked No. 6 after finishing third in the Region XI Championships. 

On the Division II side, NIACC looks to keep the ball rolling after claiming the title at the 2020 Region XI Championships in the beginning of November which put the No. 2 overall in the rankings. Hawkeye was the runner-up and are ranked No. 4.

The ICCAC has done well in the past during the NJCAA XC Championships. For Division I, the men's team at Iowa Central has finished third in 2019, second in 2018, and won the championship in 2017. The women's Triton squad won the championship in the last three years, 2017-2019. 

This is the first year since 2003 that Division II will be participating as their own division. 

Past Champions

Division I Men

Division I Women

Division II Men

Division II Women

Runners to Watch:

Division I Men:

Kelvin Bungei, Iowa Central: Bungei has three wins on the season in different length races. Winning the Grand View Open with a 5K time of 15:17, Morningside Open as an 8K, and most recently winning the 2020 Region XI championships running at 25:12. He set his PR in early October with a time of 24:32.  

Yonas Migos, Iowa Western: Migos won the men's race at the Indian Hills Invite on Oct. 16 and finished second at the Region XI Championships running a 25:27. Achieving a PR of 24:37, he has only gotten stronger as the season has worn on. 

Pur Biel, Iowa Central: You can be fairly confident that you will see Pur Biel's name within the top 3 because that's the furthest down he has been on a leaderboard all season. Biel kept that momentum going finishing third in the Region XI Championships finishing at a time of 25:38.

Division II Men:

Melvin Kipkemboi, NIACC: Kipkemboi has had a strong showing throughout the 2020 season and helped the Trojans claim their first win ever at the Region XI Championships. Kipkemboi ran five seconds faster than the runner-up finishing with a time of 25:50. 

Jorge Ruiz, NIACC: Ruiz alongside his teammate, Kipkemboi, helped the Trojans make school history two weekends ago. Ruiz finished second overall with a time of 25:55 in the 8K race. He, along with three other teammates finishe in the top-5 in the Region XI Championships.

Division I Women:

Faith Linga, Iowa Western: Linga has dominated every meet she has competed in most recently winning the individual title at the 2020 Region XI Championships with a time of 17:32. Before the Regional Tournament, Linga had won three straight meets.

Eleonora Curtabbi, Iowa Central: Curtabbi has not finished outside the top-2 in any race in last seven weeks. Curtabbi most recently claimed second place at regionals with a time of 17:58 and looks to keep that trend going at nationals.

Division II Women:

Sarah Bertry, NIACC: Sarah Bertry as come well accustomed to the front of the pack claiming the Region XI individual title for Division II with a time of 19:02. Bertry has the third fastest 5K in NIACC women's history and a PR of 18:26. 

Ryann Portch, Hawkeye: Portch was the runner-up at the 2020 Region XI Championships with a time of 19:30 only 30 seconds behind her PR of 18:58. Her recent history with finishing in the top-3 puts her in good position to keep that up this weekend.