Oct 29, 2017 

FORT DODGE, Iowa - The Region XI Cross Country Championships took place on Sunday at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course. The men ran first at 11:00 a.m. With temperatures at just under 40 degrees, three Iowa Central runners, Karim Achengli, Ezekiel Kipchirchir and Jhordan Ccope and NIACC's Brian Jacques separated themselves from the rest. 

Those four, along with Triton Innocent Murwanashyaka, finished in the top 5.  The Tritons had 7 of the top 8 finishers and 10 of the top 13.  Karim Achengli finished first with an 8K time of 24:48.3 (which was the 10^th fastest course time in history). Kipchirchir followed 13 seconds later in second (25:01.5).  Ccope was fourth with a time of 25:39.7.  Murwanashyaka was fifth at 26:17.2.  Mark Whalen finished seventh at 26:43.3, Zack Emery finished eighth with a time of 27:01.5, and Abdinasir Abdi finished eleventh at 27:25.0.   

Iowa Central dominated the field and finished with a team score of 19 points, followed by NIACC who finished with 74. Hawkeye and Southwestern finished tied for third at 92 points apiece and Iowa Western finished five points behind in 5th. 

Following the men's race, the women took off at noon as rain began to spit down on the field. Adva Cohen established an early lead and did not look back. Cohen set a Region XI Championship record with a time of 17:22.1 and finished one minute and 12 seconds before her teammate Marion Bartilol (18:34.9). Abeba Sullivan and Agnes Mansaray crossed the line .3 seconds apart in third and fourth place at the 18:50 mark.

The Triton women would finish in all top 7 spots as well as 10 of the top 12 finishers.  Marta Lukijaniuk placed fifth with a time of 18:57.8, Aaliyah Regg Wajid was sixth at 18:59.0, Katy Pfile finished seventh at 19:04.6, Sierra Stucky was the ninth runner to cross the finish line at 19:35.5 with Naomi Alvarez right behind her at 19:50.9.  Abby Gawthorp crossed the line 12^th at 20:11.9. 

Adva Cohen's regional record was the second fastest in course history, just behind the 2016 winner, former Triton Leanne Pompeani who ran a 17:21.6 back in 2015.  

The Triton Women finished with a perfect score of 15.  Iowa Western came in second with 65 points, Hawkeye third with 91 points, NIACC fourth with 109, and Indian Hills rounding at the top 5 at 116. 

With their dominating 2017 performances, Cohen and Achengli took home 2017 ICCAC Men & Women Athlete of the Year award for cross country while Triton head coach Dee Brown hoisted both the ICCAC Men & Women Coach of the Year awards, as voted by the coaches. 

Fort Dodge and Lakeside Municipal Golf Course will be the home of the 2017 NJCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 11. 

COMPLETE RESULTS - MEN

COMPLETE RESULTS - WOMEN

Team Scores - MEN:

Individual Scores - MEN: (Top 15)

Team Scores - WOMEN:

Individual Scores - WOMEN: (Top 15)