Cross Country Set to Host 2025 NJCAA Region 6 Championships
The stage is set for one of the most competitive meets of the fall as Colby Community College hosts the 2025 NJCAA Region 6 Cross Country Championships on Friday at the Meadow Lake Golf Course in Colby, KS.
COLBY, Kan. — The stage is set for one of the most competitive meets of the fall as Colby Community College hosts the 2025 NJCAA Region 6 Cross Country Championships on Friday (Oct. 24) at the Meadow Lake Golf Course in Colby, KS.
The championship will bring together 14 programs from across the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC), featuring a loaded field of both NJCAA Division I and Division II teams. The men's 8K will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 5K at 10:45 a.m.
This year's Region 6 Championships feature one of the deepest fields in the nation, with six nationally ranked programs represented in both the men's and women's NJCAA Division I polls.
On the men's side, Hutchinson (No. 2), Butler (No. 4), Garden City (No. 9), and Colby (No. 10) headline the Division I entries, with Dodge City and Cloud County rounding out a stacked group of contenders. On the women's side, Hutchinson comes in at eighth, Butler in 12th, Garden City in 13th, Cloud County in 19th, Dodge City in 21st and Colby grinding it our at 25th. In Division II, Cowley College enters ranked No. 5 nationally, while their women's team comes in at No. 23, making the Tigers a strong dual threat for podium finishes.
The No. 10-ranked Trojan men are coming off a standout performance at the FHSU Tiger Open (Oct. 11), where they placed sixth overall against a competitive NCAA and NAIA field. Sophomore Japhet Kiprono led the way once again, finishing 11th overall in 24:31.6, his fastest time of the season and one of the top NJCAA marks in the meet. Right behind him, sophomore Kenan Delestre delivered a career-best 24:39.4 to take 16th place, giving Colby two top-20 finishers and proving the team's growing depth.
On the women's side, the Trojans cracked the national rankings for the first time this season, debuting at No. 25 in the latest USTFCCCA NJCAA Division I poll. Sophomore Nadine McIntyre has paced the team throughout the fall, highlighted by her personal-best 18:58.4 at the FHSU Tiger Open, good for 28th overall and fourth among KJCCC competitors. Freshman Laina Larson and Shirley Cotant have also emerged as consistent scorers, while Kaylen McAtee, Antoinette Brungardt, and Blanca Gallegos add depth to a balanced women's roster.
The 2023 Region 6 Championships saw Colby sweep both the Division I men's and women's titles, with standout performances from Kgadi Monyebodi and Elif Poyraz, who each captured individual crowns in dominant fashion. In Division II, Cowley College, led by Head Coach Cameron Reith, claimed both the men's and women's team championships. The Tigers were led by Miguel Cruz on the men's side and
Friday's championship will serve as the final major test before the NJCAA Cross Country and Half Marathon National Championships, set for (Nov. 8–11) at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Just a few days later, the NJCAA Men's and Women's Half Marathon Championships will be held on Tuesday (Nov. 11) also in Fort Dodge