Sandburg Women’s Cross Country Wins 1st Region IV Title in Program History
Aaron Frey
Saturday, October 26, 2019 6:14 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
The Carl Sandburg College women’s cross country team made history Saturday, becoming the first Chargers team — men’s or women’s — to win the Region IV Division I cross country championship.
The Chargers pulled off the feat while running on their home course at Sandburg, edging DuPage by just two points to earn a trip to the NJCAA Division I Championship on Nov. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M.
On the men’s side, freshman Andrew Cation (Farmington, Ill./Farmington) earned All-Region IV honors to highlight a sixth-place finish for the Chargers.
Host Sandburg totaled 53 points in the 5-kilometer women’s race and was led by defending Region IV champion Nancy Jebet (Eldoret, Kenya/Tulwo Girls), who took fourth overall in Division I and was first among those competing with a full team, in a time of 20 minutes, 4 seconds.
The Chargers also got All-Region IV efforts from sophomore Anna Marino (West Burlington, Iowa/Notre Dame) with an eighth-place finish in 20:26.6 and freshman Caren Maiyo (Eldoret, Kenya), who placed 15th overall in 21:32.4.
Sandburg trailed DuPage 31-29 when the Chargers’ Annadoria Ledbetter (Oneida, Ill./ROWVA) crossed in 23:14.1, but freshman Brooke Carlson (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville) made up the difference by finishing in 23:43.4, four spots ahead of DuPage’s fifth runner.
Oakton’s Souleya Ibrahim was the overall women’s winner, blowing away the field by 1 minute, 16 seconds with a time of 18:16.9.
Cation finished 14th among the Division I field in the men’s 8K with a time of 28:50.9. Other scorers for the Chargers were freshman Ryan Monson (Aledo, Ill./Mercer County) in 19th at 29:39.4, sophomore Dixon Kiptoo (Eldoret, Kenya/Kipsangui Boys) in 20th at 30:00.0, sophomore Kevin White (Carthage, Ill./Illini West) in 22nd at 30:18.7 and freshman Gunner Goff (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville) in 42nd at 33:17.4.
Sandburg’s men totaled 107 points, just one back of fifth-place Waubonsee. Bryant & Stratton had four finishers in the top nine while finishing with 59 points to easily win the Division I team title. Morton was second with 79 points.
Waubonsee’s Jordan VanBarriger was the overall men’s champion with a time of 26:41.8.
NJCAA REGION IV CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Carl Sandburg College — Galesburg
Women’s 5K
Division I team standings: 1 Sandburg 53, 2 DuPage 55, 3 Moraine Valley 63, 4 Morton 74, 5 Waubonsee 83.
Sandburg finishers: Nancy Jebet 20:04.0, Anna Marino 20:26.6, Caren Maiyo 21:32.4, Annadoria Ledbetter 23:14.1, Brooke Carlson 23:43.4, Annie Sholl 28:28.2.
Division III team standings: 1 Harper 14, 2 Joliet 22.
Men’s 8K
Division I team standings — 1 Bryant & Stratton 59, 2 Morton 79, 3 DuPage 92, 4 Moraine 93, 5 Waubonsee 106, 6 Sandburg 107, 7 Lake County 132, 8 Kishwaukee 181.
Sandburg finishers — Andrew Cation 28:50.9, Ryan Monson 29:39.4, Dixon Kiptoo 30:00.0, Kevin White 30:18.7, Gunner Goff 33:17.4, Andrew Hand 35:17.7, Andres Ramirez 35:38.7.
Division III team standings — 1 Harper 19, 2 Joliet 36.
FULL RESULTS (combined Division I & Division III)
The Carl Sandburg College women’s cross country team holds its Region IV Division I trophy after winning the first region title in program history on Saturday in Galesburg. L-R: Assistant coach Cameron Woodbury, assistant coach Anastasia Beetler, Brooke Carlson, Annadoria Ledbetter, Annie Sholl, Anna Marino, Caren Maiyo, Nancy Jebet and head coach Rodney Blue.
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