Iowa Central's Aspel Kiprob and Dee Brown were honored by the ICCAC for their efforts so far this fall in cross country.
Kiprob was selected the ICCAC Div. I Male Athlete of the Year, with Brown earning top coaching honors.
At the recent regional championships, Kiprob broke the meet record in placing first. The freshman has had a strong run for the Tritons this year, earning athlete of the week honors in the conference twice while also winning the Jim Drews/Tori Neubauer Invitational to go along with second and third place finishes at the All-American Invitational and Greeno Dirksen Invitational.
"To me, it means we are really doing a lot as a team," Kiprob said, "to have the best."
Brown captured the coaching honor for a ninth consecutive year. Under his guidance, Iowa Central has won both the men's and women's regional title nine straight years, a streak that includes a run of 18 in a row on the women's side.
"It's exciting to see our athletes accomplish such great things," Brown said. "Aspel has had a great season and owes much of his successes to our defending national champion Kelvin Bungei. Those two are amazing training partners."
Kiprob, Bungei and Zander Cobb were named first team all-conference with Brady Hogan, Yared Kidane and Hunter Klimek on the second-team. Robin Aguilar Gonzalez was honorable mention.
Earning all-region first team were Kiprob, Bungei and Cobb. Klimek, Kidane were second and Aguilar Gonzalez honorable mention.
"Earning an award like this is just one more way of validating the hard work our team has put in," Brown said. "It's exciting for me but it is also just as exciting for me to see some of my good friends earn these honors as well. We are blessed to have some outstanding people and leaders coaching our Region XI cross country programs."
Chloe Garcia Grafing and Taylor McCreedy were first team all-conference, while Josie Stackis, Kate Miron, Mercy Jepngetich, Shaunti Longfellow and Zinash Valen second. Garcia Grafing and McCreedy made first team all-region, Jepngetich, Longfellow and Valen second, and Stackis and Miron honorable mention.
The NJCAA Championships take place November 13 in Richmond, Virginia. The Triton men are the defending national champions while the women won the title two years ago.
-By Dana Becker