DES MOINES — The 19th-ranked Indian Hills men made program history while the Warrior women’s cross-country program repeated as both teams finished second at the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Region 11 Championship.
The Warrior men placed three individuals in the top-10 and all five scorers in the top-15 to secure a second-place finish with 46 team points. All six individuals competing for the Warriors posted personal-best times at the event, hosted by Flint Hills Golf and Country Club in Burlington.
Indian Hills was led by a pair of impressive showings from sophomores Emmanuel Kiplagat and Brian Kiprop who placed fifth and sixth overall, respectively. Kiplagat cruised to a time of 23:53.5 for a new personal-best mark. Kiprop, who was in second place overall through two miles, finished with a personal-best mark of 23:53.8 to score for the Warriors.
Freshman David Moran put together his best race of his Indian Hills career, placing ninth overall with a time of 24:34.6. Fellow freshman Mathis Avrillon placed 12th overall with a time of 25:13 while freshman Daniel Gonzalez placed 14th overall, clocking in with a personal-best time of 25:18.5.
Sophomore Kohlby Newsom rounded out the Warriors’ effort with a personal-best time of 26:25.6.
Freshman Aniqah Bailey led the pack for the Warrior women, placing eighth overall with a time of 18:25.8, the second-fastest time in school history and just 13 seconds shy of a school record that has stood since 2007.
The next four placers for the Warriors all boasted personal-best marks as Indian Hills tallied 58 team points to beat out third-place Iowa Central Community College by three points.
Freshman Sophie Robertson-Dover crossed the finish line with a time of 19:00.01 to place 11th overall while fellow rookie Tierney Carter placed 15th overall with a personal-best mark of 19:17.2.
Sophomore Serene Thompson and freshman Florence Nafamba were the next two individuals to cross the finish line, finishing in 16th and 17th place, respectively. Thompson, a member of last year’s runner-up squad, posted a personal-best mark of 19:21.6 while Nafamba added a new season-best 19:57.6.
Prior to last season, the Warrior women had never placed higher than third at the NJCAA Region XI Championship.
Indian Hills will now focus on the upcoming NJCAA Division I Men’s Cross-Country National Championship in Huntsville, Alabama on Nov. 14.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
