NIACC men ranked 21st in final poll

MASON CITY - The NIACC men's cross country team is ranked No. 21 in the fifth and final USTFCCA NJCAA Divison I poll released Wednesday.

The NJCAA Division I national meet is set for Saturday in Garden City, Kan.

Iowa Central is ranked No. 1, Hawkeye CC is No. 15, Indian Hills is No. 20 and Southwestern is No. 25.

NIACC placed third at the NJCAA Region XI meet on Oct. 26 in Bettendorf. Iowa Central was the regional champion with Hawkeye CC placing second and Indian Hills fourth.

NIACC's Abdiaziz Wako and Gavin Connell both earned second-team all-region honors at the regional meet.

Wako was eighth with a personal-best time of 26 minutes, 19 seconds on the 8-kilometer course. Wako's time moved him into a tie for 16th on NIACC's all-time best list.

Connell was 11th in a personal-best time of 26:42.

Also earning all-region honors for the Trojans were honorable mention performers Sam Pedelty, who was 23rd in a personal-best time of 27:16, and Isaac Branstad, who was 24th in a personal-best time of 27:21.

USTFCCA NJCAA Division I men's poll

1. Iowa Central; 2. Central Arizona; 3; El Paso CC; 4. Hutchinson CC; 5. Southern Idaho; 6. Colby CC; 7. Allen CC; 8. Cloud County CC; 9. South Plains; 10. Paradise Valley CC; 11. Lansing CC; 12. Trinidad State JC; 13. Louisburg College; 14. Mesa CC; 15. Hawkeye CC; 16. Cowley County CC; 17. Ranger College; 18. Muskegon CC; 19. Highland (Kan.) CC; 20. Indian Hills; 21. NIACC; 22. Grand Rapids CC; 23. Wallace State CC; 24. Waubonsee CC; 25. Southwestern.

2018 NIACC men's 8K season bests

Abdiaziz Wako 26:19 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18)

Gavin Connell 26:42 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18)

Sam Pedelty 27:16 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18)

Isaac Branstad 27:21 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18) 

Daniel Hennigar 27:57 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18)

Zane Miller 28:17 (Trent Smith Invitational, 10-12-18)

Grant Dieken 28:37 (NJCAA Region XI meet, 10-26-18)

Evan Wilson 29:38 (Grand View Viking Invitational, 9-14-18)

Tyler Crawford 30:03 (Trent Smith Invitational, 10-12-18)