Chargers Win Both Individual Titles, 3-Peat as Men’s Team Champ at Region 4 Meet

GENEVA — The Carl Sandburg College cross country teams took home both individual titles and made it a three-peat for the men's team at the Region 4 Championships on Saturday at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course.

Led by champions Sharon Yego and Allan Kipruto, the Chargers men's team and all four runners for the women's squad automatically qualified for the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Nov. 11 in Huntsville, Ala.

Yego took home first place in the women's 5-kilometer run, winning in 20 minutes, 45.7 seconds. She joined Nancy Jebet (2018) as the only Chargers women's runners to take home the individual region title.

Damaris Kimaiyo made it a 1-2 finish for Sandburg, crossing the line in 20:53. The Chargers' two other runners also earned all-region honors and automatically qualified for nationals by finishing in the top 15. Ascar Jepchirchir was sixth in 23:14.6, and Jersee Hamm placed eighth in 23:25.5.

In the men's 8K, Sandburg held off Sauk Valley to win its third straight region championship, totaling 57 points to the Skyhawks' 63. Morton was third with 68 points in the six-team field.

Kipruto was the men's champion with a time of 27:59, joining Calton Kibet (2018, 2019) and Zach Yeager (2009) as the only Sandburg men to win the individual region title.

Freshman Collines Chelak, fighting through shin splints, placed fourth in 28:49.7. He was joined on the all-region team by freshman Meshack Kimutai, who took 14th in 30:56.6. Titus Kimutai was 17th with a time of 31:04.1, and Chandler Talley provided the Chargers' fifth score, taking 27th in 34:40.7.

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, Nov. 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. 

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