Kimutai, Kiprotich compete for Chargers at NJCAA Div. II Championships

MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — The Sandburg women's cross country team and two men's runners competed at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Pole Green Park.

The Chargers finished 22nd in the women's standings and were once again led by freshman Linda Koech, the Arrowhead Conference and Region 4 champion. Koech completed the 5-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 16.6 seconds and placed 50th in a field of 317 runners.

Joan Jepngetich was next across the line for Sandburg, placing 64th in 20:32.2. Damaris Kimaiyo just missed out on a top-100 finish, placing 102nd in 21:20.6. The Chargers' Sharon Yego was 183rd in 22:24.5, and Marrion Kemboi was Sandburg's fifth scorer, finishing 285th in 25:09.2.

Sandburg's 578 points were behind 21st-place Potomac State (566) and ahead of 23rd-place Gulf Coast in the 41-team field.

Mesa won the women's title with 51 points, beating runner-up Paradise Valley by 16. Nora Brady of Heartland was the women's individual champ with a winning time of 17:34.6. Brady finished 43 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

In the men's 8K, Titus Kimutai was the Chargers' top runner as he placed 225th in 30:02.9. Sandburg also was represented by Mathias Kiprotich, who was 241st in 30:19.9.

Lansing won the men's title in convincing fashion with 66 points, finishing well ahead of second-place Des Moines Area's 102. Paradise Valley's Jackson Bland was the individual men's champ in 25:14, beating Mesa's Nick Valle by 13 seconds. 

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