Harper three-peats, Moraine Valley narrowly comes out on top at Region 4 Championships
LOCKPORT, ILL. - The two NJCAA Region 4 Women's Cross Country Championships that were awarded October 26 came about in two very different ways. Moraine Valley Community College barely snuck by Carl Sandburg College to claim its second Division II crown in the last four years, while Harper College completed a three-peat in Division III. Freshman Linda Koech of Carl Sandburg College and Hawks sophomore Isabella Wojciechowski broke the tape to earn Region 4 Runner of the Year honors in their respective races. Dimitri Dimizas of MVCC and Jim Macnider from Harper College were awarded Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades, with Macnider claiming his for the tenth time.
2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division II & III Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships Final Results
In a hotly contested Division II race, Koech claimed the individual title with a time of 19:57.8 over runner-up Meghan Johnson of Waubonsee Community College by seven seconds. The team competition proved to be even tighter, with Moraine Valley Community College's 37 points finishing one better than Carl Sandburg College at 38 points. The Cyclones were paced by freshmen Mia Villa and Desiree Mendoza in third and fourth places, respectively. They also picked up points for two more top-ten finishes from second years Mariah Karamagianis and Annabel Lipkie, followed by a two more in the top 15. The Chargers, meanwhile, followed up their runner of the year with a fifth place finish from Joan Jepngetich, and seventh and eighth place runs by sophomores Damaris Kimaiyo and Sharon Yego. Their final two runners were also in the top 20. Waubonsee Community College was third overall with 49 points, followed by Illinois Valley Community College in fourth with 101 points. The 2024 NJCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships are November 9 in Richmond, Virginia. (Recaps: Moraine Valley | Sandburg)
Harper College placed all five of their runners in the top ten en route to 28 points and a 16-point victory over the College of DuPage at 44 points. Joliet Junior College was third with 50 points. Isabella Wojciechowski was 12 seconds clear of runner-up Carmen Solis of the Chaparrals with a time of 18:55.5. Sister Claudia Wojciechowski placed fourth, followed by Natalia Pocica in sixth, Roza Puchalski in eighth, and Ashley Harrison in ninth. The 2024 NJCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships are also in Richmond, Virginia, on November 9. (Recaps: Harper)
(Images courtesy of Moraine Valley Community College Athletics & Harper College Athletics)
2024 All-Region Teams
Division II
First Team
Linda Koech - Carl Sandburg College
Meghan Johnson - Waubonsee Community College
Mia Villa - Moraine Valley Community College
Desiree Mendoza - Moraine Valley Community College
Joan Jepngetich - Carl Sandburg College
Second Team
Hayley King - Kishwaukee College
Anna Green - Waubonsee Community College
Lexi Bohms - Sauk Valley Community College
Damaris Kimaiyo - Carl Sandburg College
Sharon Yego - Carl Sandburg College
Third Team
Sasha Doyle - Bryant & Stratton College
Mariah Karamagianis - Moraine Valley Community College
Annabel Lipkie - Moraine Valley Community College
Kiana Brokaw - Sauk Valley Community College
Rylee Milenkovic - Moraine Valley Community College
2024Region 4 Athlete of the Year
Linda Koech - Carl Sandburg College
2024Region 4 Coach of the Year
Dimitri Dimizas - Moraine Valley Community College
Division III
First Team
Isabella Wojciechowski - Harper College
Carmen Solis - College of DuPage
Gabby Zid - Joliet Junior College
Claudia Wojciechowski - Harper College
Olivia Kics - Joliet Junior College
2024 Region 4 Runner of the Year
Isabella Wojciechowski - Harper College
2024 Region 4 Coach of the Year
Jim Macnider - Harper College