Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Posted: Nov 18, 2022

Harper, Carl Sandburg race to Region 4 titles, Hawks collect fourth NJCAA championship

Harper, Carl Sandburg race to Region 4 titles, Hawks collect fourth NJCAA championship

KENOSHA, WISC. - As if connected in some strange way, both Carl Sandburg College and Harper College returned to the top of the women's cross country podium for the first time since 2019 with respective team titles at the 2022 NJCAA Region 4 Division II & Division III Women's Cross Country Championship on October 29. The Chargers registered 99 points to defeat second place Sauk Valley Community College by 13, while the Hawks' 36 points narrowly paced runner-up Joliet Junior College (42) and third place College of DuPage (78). Sophomore Lillian Buzani of the College of DuPage clocked in with the best overall time at 20:18.5 to earn Region 4 Athlete of the Year in Division III after finishing second as a freshman, and third-year runner Izamar Rodriguez took advantage of her extra eligibility to improve on her sixth-place run in 2021 to win the Region 4 Division II Athlete of the Year with a time of 20:53.7. Rodney Blue of Carl Sandburg College and Jim Macnider of Harper College took home Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades.

2022 NJCAA Region 4 Division II & III Women's Cross Country Championships Final Results

WESTFIELD, MASS. - At the 2022 NJCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships on November 5, Harper College won the program's fourth national title and first since an impressive three-peat ended in 2018. (Recap: NJCAA | Harper) By the narrowest of margins, the Hawks tallied 52 points to squeak past Mineral Area Community College by a single point. Fellow Region 4 representatives Joliet Junior College (89) and the College of DuPage (153) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Freshman Lilly Alberts of Harper College placed third individually at 19:33.29, while Buzani was four seconds behind for fourth place to both earn NJCAA First Team All-American honors. The Hawks Samira Rosenfeld and Brianna Ruiz, as well as the Chaparrals Isabelle Adduci, also placed in the top 15 to receive All-American recognition. 

2022 NJCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships Final Results

TALLAHASSEE, FLOR. - The 2022 NJCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships on November 12 saw Carl Sandburg College place 25th out of 28 teams. Sophomore Babra Jepkirui was the Chargers top finisher with a time of 20:58.2 to sit 51st overall. Izamar Rodriguez of CLC was 27th overall at 20:31.1.

2022 NJCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships Final Results

2022 Region 4 Division II All-Region Teams
(All-Region team placements are listed in order of finish at Region 4 Meet)

First Team
Izamar Rodriguez - College of Lake County
Natalia Wrobel - Moraine Valley Community College
Babra Jepkirui - Carl Sandburg College
Marina Mercado - Waubonsee Community College
Kylie Von Schnase - Kishwaukee College

Second Team
Olivia Wrobel - Moraine Valley Community College
Jorden Robinson - Sauk Valley Community College
Sara Johnson - Highland Community College
Faith Kiprop - Carl Sandburg College
Madison Bland - Sauk Valley Community College

Third Team
America Chavez - Waubonsee Community College
Mercy Jerono - Carl Sandburg College
Jasmeene Guido - Moraine Valley Community College
Lauren Tupper - Sauk Valley Community College
Mary NJuguna - Carl Sandburg College

Region 4 Athlete of the Year
Izamar Rodriguez - College of Lake County

Region 4 Coach of the Year
Rodney Blue - Carl Sandburg College

 

2022 Region 4 Division III All-Region Teams
(All-Region team placements are listed in order of finish at Region 4 Meet)

First Team
Lillian Buzani - College of DuPage
Lilly Alberts - Harper College
Lexi Clarke - Joliet Junior College
Brianna Ruiz - Harper College
Isabelle Adduci - College of DuPage

Region 4 Runner of the Year
Lillian Buzani - College of DuPage

Region 4 Coach of the Year
Jim Macnider - Harper College