NIACC men remain 8th in latest poll
MASON CITY - The NIACC men's cross country team remained eighth in the fifth USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II poll released Wednesday.
The NIACC men's cross country team won its second straight NJCAA Region XI Division II title with 21 points Friday at the South Hills Golf Course. NIACC's Melvin Kipkemboi also won his second straight individual regional title in a school-record 24 minutes, 28 seconds.
No. 12 Hawkeye CC placed second at the regional meet.
The Trojans placed five runners in the top seven of the Division II race and had seven runners in the top 13. Kipkemboi led the way with his first-place finish in 24:28.
NIACC's Christian Rodriguez placed third in a personal-best time of 27:17 and Peyton Seiler was fourth in a personal best time of 27:21.
The Trojans' Bryden Juelsgaard and Richard Marcoux both earned second-team all-region honors. NIACC's Bryden Juelsgaard was sixth in a personal best time of 28:04 and Richard Marcoux was seventh (28:19).
NIACC was ranked in the top 10 in all five of the polls this season. The Trojans were ranked sixth in the preseason poll (Sept. 8), were seventh in the second poll (Sept. 22), ninth in the third poll (Oct. 6) and eighth in the fourth (Oct. 20) and fifth polls.
Cowley County CC is ranked No. 1 in this week's poll. Daytona State (Fla.) is ranked second and Mesa CC is ranked third.
NIACC will defend its NJCAA Division II national title at the national meet in Richmond, Va. on Nov. 13.
USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II men's cross country poll (Nov 3, 2021)
- Cowley (Kan.); 2. Daytona State; 3. Mesa CC; 4. Lansing CC; 5. Heartland CC; 6. Paradise Valley CC; 7. Carl Sandburg; 8. NIACC; 9. Grand Rapids CC; 10. St. Clair County CC; 11. Lake-Sumter State; 12. Hawkeye CC; 13. Northwest Arkansas CC; 14. Wallace State CC; 15. Moraine Valley CC; 16. Tallahassee CC; 17. Southeast (Neb.) CC; 18. Southwestern Michigan; 19. Oakland CC; 20. Metropolitian CC; 21. Jackson (Mich.); 22. Marion Military Institute; 23. Florida State-Jacksonville; 24. UA Rich Mountain; 25. State Fair (Mo.); 25. Kaskaskia (Ill.)