Texans finish 3rd, Lady Texans 5th at NJCAA Cross Country Championships

FORT DODGE, Iowa – The South Plains College Texan and Lady Texan cross country teams finished third and fifth at the NJCAA Cross Country Championships held Saturday at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Doge, Iowa.

The Texans finished with 98 team points, putting together what was possibly their best team race of the season to finish third behind Central Arizona and host Iowa Central.  The SPC men put for of their runners in the top 25, while their fifth scorer was just outside the top 40, individually. 

Antibahs Kibiwott led the way for the Texans, crossing the line in sixth place overall with a time of 25 minutes, 33.5 seconds over the 8,000-meter course to earn All-American accolades along the way.  Teammate Jose Martinez also earned his first All-American award as a Texan, finishing 15^th in 26:10.30. 

Cordaryl Whitehead (26:23.90) – the lone sophomore of the five scorers – finished 20^th whileColton Hollis (26:25.10) was right behind in 22^nd.  Kennedy Chumba (26:47.90) was SPC's fifth and final scorer, finishing 42^nd overall. 

Jacob Clark (26:51.90) and Mike Waller (27:32.40) also competed for South Plains, crossing the line 51^st and 82^nd, respectively. 

On the women's side, Desreen Montague was the first Lady Texan to complete the 5,000-meter course as she finished 18^th in 19:11.40. 

Atara Segree (19:42.80) finished 45^th individually, leading a trio of Lady Texans that included J'Cee Holmes (19:43.60) and Madison Kauffman (19:46.70) right behind in 46^thand 47^th.  

Brittany Letts (20:20.30) rounded out the team scoring for the Lady Texans in 86^th, giving the Lady Texans 208 team points. 

Sarah Peterson (20:26.40) and Kaitlyn Henderson (20:56.70) also competed for the SPC women with 93^rd and 127^th place finishes. 

Though the cross country season is technically in the books, the SPC Texan and Lady Texan harriers have one more competition scheduled as they will compete in the NJCAA Half-Marathon Championships held next Saturday, Nov. 16 in Dallas, Ga.  The half-marathon is a 13.1-mile competition in which the scoring is similar to cross country, with the exception being a team is made up of five athletes (instead of seven) and the top three athletes from each team are scored.

Texans

6^th       Antibahs Kibiwott     25:33.50*

15^th     Jose Martinez             26:10.30*

20^th     Cordaryl Whitehead 26:23.90

22^nd     Colton Hollis               26:25.10

42^nd     Kennedy Chumba     26:47.90

51^st     Jacob Clark                 26:51.90

82^nd     Michael Waller          27:32.40

*All-American

Lady Texans

18^th     Desreen Montague   19:11.40

45^th     Atara Segree              19:42.80

46^th     J'Cee Holmes              19:43.60

47^th     Madison Kauffman   19:46.70

86^th     Brittany Letts             20:20.30

93^rd     Sarah Peterson          20:26.40

127^th   Kaitlyn Henderson    20:56.70