NIACC's Kipkemboi, Vais earn USTFCCCA awards

MASON CITY - NIACC's Melvin Kipkemboi earned first-team USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II all-American honors for his third-place finish at last Saturday's national cross country meet.

Kipkemboi placed third at the NJCAA Division II national meet in Richmond, Va. in a time of 25:04 in the 8-kilometer race. It was the second straight season that Kipkemboi was a USTFCCCA all-American.

Kipkemboi was also selected as the USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Midwest Region men's athlete of the year for the second straight season. Kipkemboi won the Trent Smith Invitational and the NJCAA Region XI Division II race, placed second at the Indian Hills Invitational and was fourth in the Maroon Division II race at the Roy Griak Invitational.

Also, NIACC coach Curtis Vais was selected as the  USTFCCCA NJCAA Division II Midwest Region men's coach of the year. It was the second straight season that Vais received the USTFCCCA regional coach of the year award.

In the 2021 season, the Trojans placed second at the Trent Smith Invitational, repeated as NJCAA Region XI Division II champions and placed 10th at the NJCAA Divison II national meet.