Kellogg Community College’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams both placed second in their respective regional championship races Friday in Byron Center, with two Bruin runners earning spots on the All-Region Team.
Women’s freshman Brenna Withers (Battle Creek/Harper Creek High School) finished second in the National Junior Athletic Association Region 12 Division III women’s race among DIII runners. She ran a personal best 22:02 for the 5K run, which is the fifth fastest time for a women’s runner in KCC history.
Men’s freshman Zachary Piercy (Battle Creek/Lakeview High School) finished third among DIII runners in the men’s race, running a season PR of 28:38 for the 8K.
Both Withers and Piercy were named to the NJCAA Division III All-Region 12 Team.
The men’s team and two women’s runners have qualified for the NJCAA National Championships and will compete in the race on Nov. 11 in Huntsville, Alabama.
“The men have an excellent chance to be a Top 10 team in the nation with a good solid race, which we fully expect,” Head Cross-Country Coach Tom Shaw said. “The Lady Bruin individual runners will gain valuable experience in the race to take into the off-season, where they’ll improve and stay hungry for next season.”
Head Cross-Country Coach Tom Shaw called the first leg of the postseason a success and said the future of both programs looks bright.
“On the men’s side, we return six of eight runners, including the top four runners entering the off-season,” Shaw said. “The Lady Bruins will return two of their four top runners and look to recruit some talent next year to round out the roster.”
For more information about men’s and women’s cross-country at KCC, visit kelloggbruins.com or contact Coach Shaw at crosscountrycoach@kellogg.edu or 269-965-4151 ext. 2133.
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