Men win Jayhawk title, Region VI runner-up

The Colby Community College women's cross country team took first and the men placed second at the Region VI Championships Oct. 30 in Garden City.

It was a banner day for the Trojans. With the finishes, each team also captured the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference western division title. Coach Cameron Rieth was named the Region VI Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year as well as the Region VI Coach of the Champions.

"What an incredible journey," said Rieth. "We have been talking about this from day one. We were not the favorites to win, but the course and weather conditions were made for who we are. Both of our teams are scrappy and feisty competitors."

Oscar Leyva led the Trojan men with a third place time of 26:44 and Illey Bruce returned from a leg injury to finish fourteenth in 27:18. Emmanuel Kipngetich (27:28), Gibson Weydeveld (28:10), Caleb Carrasco (28:13), Mauro Arancibia (28:13), Amilcar "Tito" Gonzalez (28:19), Austin Russell (28:27), Roberto Silva (29:50) and Stephen Lott (31:40) also contributed to the team's first conference title since 2014, under Coach James Ortiz.

Both teams now prepare for the NJCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 11 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

"The Buffalo Dunes in Garden City is one of the hardest courses in the nation but we knew we were prepared," Rieth said. "Now we take it to a bigger scale at nationals. I believe there is still room for improvement. We will be ready."