Kellogg Community College’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams will compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Championship Saturday, Nov. 3, at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass.
Both teams – which are in their first year at the College – earned regional champion honors after winning their respective NJCAA Region XII Division III Cross-Country Championship races Oct. 27 at Grand Woods Park in Lansing.
“Honestly, being a brand new program can be challenging because there are a lot of unknowns,” Erin Lane, head coach for both teams, said. “They’re very excited and very encouraged.”
In the men’s regional 8K race, Kyle Strong of Vicksburg finished first with a time of 26:54.7, Joey Glubke of Battle Creek was third with 28:17.1, Nathan Wiley of Battle Creek was sixth with 29:23.8, Jack Greenman of Battle Creek followed at seventh with 29:42.2 and Adam Cline of Sturgis finished 10th with 31:20.9.
For the women’s regional 5K race, Maggie Wood of Battle Creek was first with a time of 19:35.5, Emma Berning of Battle Creek was third with 21:48.9, Morgan Walton of Centreville was fourth with 22:04.9, Hannah Delmotte of Marshall was sixth with a 23:50.0 and Emily Robertson of Battle Creek was 10th at 27:13.3.
Cross-country teams must have at least five runners to score. Lane said that throughout the year prior to the season, 11 women and 10 men signed letters of intent to run for KCC, but eventually it came down to five people on each team who chose KCC.
Now they’re competing to be the best in the nation.
“For everyone to stay relatively healthy and uninjured for the season is amazing,” Lane said. In some meets, smaller teams can sometimes be outperformed by larger ones, Lane said, but the Bruins didn’t need to worry about that.
“The times don’t lie,” Lane said.
The two teams have come to know each other well and have been encouraging each other during their joint practices, Lane said, with each runner bringing a different dynamic to the team.
On the women’s side, Lane expects top runner Wood to be named a NJCAA All-American, an honor given to the top 15 finishers in the championship, while Strong has risen to the number-one men’s runner.
“Both teams are going to do well,” Lane said.
For more information about KCC’s cross-country teams, contact Erin Lane at 269-965-4151 or crosscountrycoach@kellogg.edu.
For more information about men’s cross-country at KCC, you can also visit www.kellogg.edu/mens-cross-country. For more information about women’s cross-country at KCC, you can visit www.kellogg.edu/womens-cross-country.
The above photo of the teams following last week’s regional wins is courtesy of Anita Robertson.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.