NJCAA Alumni Success at Four-Year Cross Country Championships
Charlotte, NC – Former NJCAA student-athletes exceled at the four-year level in cross country this season, as both runners and coaches. Read more about some of the alumni's accomplishments on the national stage this fall.
In the NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship, Iowa State University earned a third-place finish, aided by a pair of NJCAA alumni. Rodgers Kiplimo, who was the individual runner-up in the 2022 NJCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship for Butler Community College (KS), posted a time of 28:56.5 for a 23rd overall finish with the Cyclones. Teammate Sanele Masondo, who won the 2022 NJCAA DI men's individual title at Colby Community College (KS), finished 86th with a time of 29:31.0. Iowa State Director of Track & Field/Cross Country, Jeremy Sudbury, was a student-athlete at Paradise Valley Community College (AZ) and helped the Pumas win the 2008 NJCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship.
Representing Ole Miss, Kidus Misgina placed 46th overall with a time of 29:11.4 as the top finisher for the Rebels. Misgina ran cross country at Cloud County Community College (KS) in 2022 where he finished 23rd overall at the national championship. He then transferred to Trinidad State Community College (CO) and took bronze at the 2023 NJCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship and fifth overall in the 2023 NJCAA Men's Half Marathon Championship.
On the women's side, West Virginia University Head Coach, Sean Cleary, led the Mountaineers to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championship. Cleary, who has coached at WVU since 1993, attended Central Oregon Community College and helped lead the team to the 1989 NJCAA Men's Cross Country Championship title.
The NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country field was led by Wingate University, featuring multiple NJCAA alumni. Former Central Arizona College runner, Samuel Gilson, finished ninth overall with a time of 30:00.2. Teammate Arthur Faroux, who previously attended Trinidad State, posted a time of 30:23.3 and a 20th overall finish. Faoux took sixth in the 2024 NJCAA Men's Half Marathon Championship.
Another Central Arizona alumnus, Julian Campos, took sixth place with a time of 29:53.8, helping Adams State University to a silver medal finish. Adams State Assistant Coach, Kyle Masterson, joined the Grizzlies following a decorated coaching career at Trinidad State College where he led the Trojans to a pair of NJCAA team championship titles and coached 11 individual NJCAA champions.
In the NCAA Division II Women's competition, Grand Valley State University won the team title. Karen Kiratu, who was runner-up at the 2024 NJCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championship with Southeast Community College (NE), posted a time of 21:25.4 for Grand Valley State. As an individual qualifier from Fort Hays State University, former Colby runner, Emily McCullough (Diercks), placed 12th overall with a time of 20:38.0. The former Emily Diercks finished sixth at the 2022 NJCAA Division I Women's Cross Country Championship.
At the NAIA Women's Cross Country Championship, Rozzlyn Cazier, who previously attended the College of Southern Idaho, helped the College of Idaho to a fifth-place finish with a time of 21:56.07. She was the third runner to cross the finish line for College of Idaho, earning a 36th overall finish.
About NJCAA
Since 1938, the NJCAA has served as the premier governing body for two-year collegiate athletics, providing student-athletes with opportunities to prepare, compete, succeed, and achieve in both their academic and athletic disciplines. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States, with over 500 member schools and 3,400 teams competing in 28 different sports. Each year, the NJCAA sponsors 57 national championships and invitationals.
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