RICHMOND, VA - The third ranked Iowa Central women's cross country team landed in Virginia with a monumental task ahead of them. The Tritons had not faced either of the two teams ranked ahead of them: Salt Lake City CC or the College of Southern Idaho. The one thing they were sure of was that they were not leaving Pole Green Park without a trophy this year after failing to field a full team one year ago. From the gun, Salt Lake went to the lead while the Tritons sat in third overall behind New Mexico Junior College (NMJC). At the four kilometer mark, the Tritons were still in third position, four points behind NMJC. However, over the last 1000 meters, three Tritons passed a total of 14 athletes to move from third to National Runners Up.
Salt Lake finished first with a score of 55 points, followed by Iowa Central with 105 points. The Tritons edged NMJC by four points, who finished third with a score of 109. The Iowa Central women have won the NJCAA Division I National Championships eight times in school history and finished second, three times.
"We are fortunate to have such a deep and versatile team. We know Yididiya will be in the lead pack competing for an individual title, the determining factor will be how well our pack can stick together," said Coach Dee Brown.
The Tritons followed the plan. Through 3 kilometers, Yididiya Bifa held tight with the lead pack of six runners. By the 4 kilometer mark she was one of only three remaining up front. Bifa finished strong, holding off a late surge to earn bronze. Elizabeth Ilanda of Odessa won in a time of 17:08 while Bifa was third in a time of 17:23.4.
"Coach Bennett and I knew that Yididiya was capable of that race. She has as good of a kick as anyone if she can stick with them the entire way, said Coach Brown. "We weren't at all surprised, but we were extremely thrilled for her individual accomplishment."
Bifa's third place finish earned her NJCAA 1st Team All American status. She was the tenth athlete in school history to place among the top 3 at nationals and the 40th NJCAA Women's Cross Country All-American in the past twenty years. Prior to the competition, she was voted the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Female Athlete of the Year by the coaches' association. Since 2015, five Tritons have won this award six times. Most recently, Winrose Chesang won the honor in 2019.
"There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to place well and my goal going into the race was always top three. I achieved just that," said Bifa.
Maud Lambotte, Marie Garret and Abbi Hutchinson finished in 22nd, 23rd, and 24th places, respectively. All three women, including Bifa were named to the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association All-American team. Lambotte's time of 18:03.9 ranks her 16th all-time in school history. Both Garret (18:09.6) and Hutchinson (18:11.8) passed six girls each in the last half mile of the race to help seal their team finish. Hutchinson ran a personal best time to rank her 21st in school history.
"Winning is about giving it your all, having a great attitude and working as a team. That's what made us successful this weekend," said Abbi Hutchinson.
Fifth runner, Imane Jourji also saved her best race of the year for last. Jourji finished in 34th place with a time of 18:31.5 to rank her 29th all time in school history.
Jourji emphasized, "we didn't just run; we fought on the course, earning second place in the nation – but in our hearts, it was a victory that meant everything."
Also racing for the Tritons were Juliette Gavois who finished in 66th place with a time of 19:33.6 and Natalie Bogdanova Kirilova, finishing in 90th place with a time of 20:10.2.
Coach Dee Bown was voted the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Coach of the Year for the eighth time in the last ten years.
The focus and goals were far different for the Tritons in the Men's NJCAA Division I Championship race. Due to injuries only five athletes finished for Iowa Central in Richmond, the team was without five of their top six athletes. The 12th ranked Tritons finished in 19th place overall with 520 points out of 28 scoring teams.
"We knew today wasn't going to be about finishing on the award stand but how we could work together and run fast," said Coach Brown.
Yasser Soualah and Chase Deiter led the Tritons. Both runners ran personal bests on the flat and dusty course. Soualah, who is typically the fourth runner for the team, ran 13 seconds faster than his regional meet and finished in 45th overall with a time of 25:15.6. Deiter improved by 23 seconds, finishing in 26:35.8 and a 103rd place finish.
"Nationals wasn't just a race; it was a testament to my fortitude and willpower. Every turn, every lap, I had to stay focused. This race pushed me past the lactic threshold more than any race before it. There were times where I usually would have given up and dropped back, but the stakes of nationals, my team being there, and my parents flying out to support me, gave me strength to push through the pain," said Deiter.
Also competing for the Tritons were Evan Paplow, Rodney Maracle and Ben Reyes. All three men ran within seconds of their personal best times, finishing in 110th, 131st, and 155th places, respectively.
"The guys that competed today put it all out there. We are immensely proud of the hard work they put in all season long and it showed in their efforts in their final race of the year," stated Coach Brown.
Iowa Central will compete next in the NJCAA Half Marathon Championships in three days. The event will start and finish in Dorey Park in Richmond, VA.