NIACC places 2nd, Bertry repeats as champion

WATERLOO - The No. 12 NIACC women's cross country team placed second at the NJCAA Region XI Division II meet with 42 points.

No. 8 Hawkeye CC was the team champion with 40 points at the South Hills Golf Course. DMACC was third with 50 points and Southeastern was fourth with 82 points.

The second-place finish by the NIACC women is the highest since the Trojans placed second in 2014 when it was a one-division race.

NIACC was led by sophomore standout Sarah Bertry, who claimed her second straight regional title in a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 1 second on the 5-kilometer course. Bertry's time of 18:01 ranks second on the school's all-time list.

Bertry, who was selected as the NJCAA Region XI Division II runner of the year, placed second in the overall race, which also included NJCAA Region XI Division I squads. Iowa Western's Mercy Biwott was the overall indiviudual champion in a time of 17:19.

Bertry's previous personal 5K best was 18:26 at the Indian Hills Invitational on Oct. 16, 2020. Hannah Palmeter holds the 5K school record of 17:51 at the 2014 regional meet in Emmetsburg.

NIACC's other four runners on Friday recorded personal bests, as well. Lilly Stockberger earned second-team all-region honors with a fifth-place finish in a personal-best time of 21:11.

NIACC's Brianna Ross and Madisyn Heller earned honorable mention all-region honors. Ross was ninth in a personal-best time of 21:28 and Heller was 12th in a personal-best 22:19.

Also for the Trojans, Mercy Melly was 15th in a personal-best 23:12.

NIACC returns to action Nov. 13 at the NJCAA Division II national meet in Richmond, Va.