Moraine Valley, Joliet Junior College race to Region 4 championships
MALTA, ILL. - A highly-competitive day of races ended with Moraine Valley Community College and Joliet Junior College claiming the 2021 NJCAA Region 4 Women's Cross Country titles in Divisions II and III, respectively. The individual championships were awarded to Carly Leonard of the College of Lake County in Division II and the Wolves' Tiffany Lehmann in Division III.
Thanks to personal best times by every single runner on the team, the Cyclones nipped Carl Sandburg College to earn their first Region 4 crown since 2015. Moraine Valley posted a team score of 45, while the Chargers came in with 46 points. The team standings were rounded out by Waubonsee Community College with 58 points, followed by Sauk Valley Community College at 69 points. Leonard, a sophomore from Hawthorne Woods, Illinois, sprinted through the tape in 20:12 with MVCC's Natalia Wrobel and the Chargers' Babra Jepkirui on her heels as they finished within three seconds of the champion.
The Division III race was not as heart-pounding as Joliet Junior College produced a 14-point victory over the College of DuPage. The Wolves, who won the NJCAA Division III National Championship in 2020, tallied 24 points, followed by 38 by the Chaparrals and 73 by Harper College. Reigning NJCAA Division III Individual Champion Tiffany Lehmann, a freshman from Joliet, Illinois, beat all racers with a time of 19:36. Lillian Buzani of the College of DuPage was runner-up at 19:47.
By leading their teams to their respective championships, Dimitri Dimizas (MVCC) and Jeff DeGraw (JJC) were named the Region 4 Coaches of the Year.
2021 Region 4 Divisions II & III Women's Cross Country Final Results
Those who qualify will compete on November 13 at the 2021 NJCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championship in Richmond, Virginia or in Milledgeville, Georgia, at the 2021 NJCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship.
2021 Region 4 Division II All-Region Teams
(All-Region team placements are listed in order of finish at Region IV Meet)
First Team
Carly Leonard - College of Lake County
Natalia Wrobel - Moraine Valley Community College
Babra Jepkirui - Carl Sandburg College
Isabelle Vaccaro - Moraine Valley Community College
Mary Njugana - Carl Sandburg College
Second Team
Izamar Rodriguez - College of Lake County
Elly Kuhn - Waubonsee Community College
Maria Thurman - Moraine Valley Community College
Melissa Allen - Sauk Valley Community College
Melia Perry - Waubonsee Community College
Third Team
Jasmeene Guido - Moraine Valley Community College
Madison Bland - Sauk Valley Community College
Faith Kiprop - Carl Sandburg College
Kelynn Boyle - Carl Sandburg College
Mika Martinez - Sauk Valley Community College
Runner of the Year
Carly Leonard - College of Lake County
Coach of the Year
Dimitri Dimizas - Moraine Valley Community College
2021 Region 4 Division III All-Region Teams
(All-Region team placements are listed in order of finish at Region IV Meet)
First Team
Tiffany Lehmann - Joliet Junior College
Lillian Buzani - College of DuPage
Yesenia Suarez - Joliet Junior College
Isabelle Adduci - College of DuPage
Lexi Clarke - Joliet Junior College
Runner of the Year
Tiffany Lehmann - Joliet Junior College
Coach of the Year
Jeff DeGraw - Joliet Junior College