Division I Men
This past weekend at Pole Green Park in Richmond, Virginia, the Iowa Central Tritons were successful in defending their title as national champions in Division I with a total of 67 points. This is Iowa Central's fifth title in program history and was won with the help of four top-15 place winning All-Americans. Aspel Kiprob and Kelvin Bungei lead the way for Iowa Central coming in second and third with times of 24:07.4 and 24:11.4 respectively. This is Bungei's second year with All-American honors after a first-place finish in last year's race. Finishing in 13th place for Iowa Central was Yared Kidane with a time of 24:49.4 and in 15th was Zander Cobb with a time of 24:55.6.
Iowa Western came in second place this year as a team with 127 total team points. The Reivers were led by Nicholas Kiprotich with a fourth-place finish with a time of 24:12.3. Iowa Western also had several runners who finished just outside of the top-15.
ICCAC Division I Men Teams
1. Iowa Central - 67
2. Iowa Western - 127
12. Indian Hills - 308
ICCAC Division I Men All-Americans:
1. Vincent Nchogu - Northwest Kansas, 24:04.8
2. Aspel Kiprob – Iowa Central, 24:07.4 (First Team)
3. Kelvin Bungei – Iowa Central, 24:11.4 (First Team)
4. Nicholas Kiprotich – Iowa Western, 24:12.3 (First Team)
13. Yared Kidane – Iowa Central, 24:49.4 (Honorable Mention)
15. Zander Cobb – Iowa Central, 24:55.6 (Honorable Mention)
Division I Women
NJCAA DI Women XC Championships
On the women's side of Division I, Iowa Western took fifth place with a team score of 146. Mercy Biwott has been dominant for the Reivers all year and came in second place overall in the meet with a time of 17:43.0.
Coming in 6th place overall with a total of 149 total points at the national meet was Iowa Central. The Tritons also had one All-American this year in Chloe Garcia Grafing. Grafing came in sixth place with a time of 18:29.7.
ICCAC Division I Women Team:
1. Southern Idaho - 60
5. Iowa Western - 146
6. Iowa Central - 149
15. Indian Hills – 421
ICCAC Division I Women All-Americans:
1. Faith Nyathi - El Paso, 17:08.8
2. Mercy Biwott – Iowa Western, 17:43.0 (First Team)
6. Chloe Garcia Grafing – Iowa Central, 18:29.7 (Second Team)
Division II Men
NJCAA DII Men XC Championships
In the Division II Men's race Melvin Kipkemboi was a standout for NIACC placing third overall at the championships with a time of 25:04.3. This is his second year as an All-American after being the individual champion at last year's meet. The NIACC men finished in tenth place overall.
ICCAC Division II Men Team:
1. Cowley - 82
10. NIACC - 321
14. Hawkeye - 377
29. DMACC - 859
ICCAC Division II Men All-Americans:
1. Adrian Diaz-Lopez - Cowley, 24:52.1
3. Melvin Kipkemboi – NIACC, 25:04.3 (First Team)
Division II Women
NJCAA DII Women XC Championships
The race in Division II ended in a dominant first place finish for individual champion Sarah Bertry of NIACC. Coming off a second-place finish at the 2020 national championships, Bertry returned with a vengeance and became NIACC's first-ever individual women's cross country national champion. Bertry led the race from beginning to end and finished 16 seconds ahead of second place, with a time of 18:21.1.
Hawkeye also had an All-American of their own in Emma Hoins. Hoins placed third overall with a season best time of 18:43.9. Hawkeye also finished in 13th place overall as a team.
ICCAC Division II Women Team:
1. Lansing - 78
13. Hawkeye - 390
16. NIACC - 412
18. DMACC - 460
ICCAC Division II Women All-Americans:
1. Sarah Bertry – NIACC, 18:21.1 (First Team)
3. Emma Hoins – Hawkeye, 18:43.9 (First Team)