REGION CHAMPS AGAIN! LCCC Long Distance Runners Sweep Men’s and Women’s NJCAA Region 12 Championship
October 28, 2023 - - The Lorain County Community College men's and women's cross country teams went up to Grand Rapids, Mich. Friday afternoon for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 12 DIII Championships and returned triumphant. Two runners for the Commodores finished with top 10 times amongst all competitors, including DII, and a total of four LCCC runners made the All-Region DIII team.
The men's and women's team defeated the other DIII school competing in Kellogg Community College, 26-30 and 19-36, respectively. The LCCC men are currently ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA.
Madison Palmer (Sheffield Village/Brookside HS) shined for the women's team with a 5th place time of 19:56.8 to take the DIII individual championship. Isabella Morales (Amherst, Ohio/Vermilion HS) turned in a time of 25:30.5 to earn an All-Region nod alongside Palmer.
On the men's side, Matthew Bowman (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS) earned the individual championship for the men and made All-Region with a 10th place finish turning in a time of 26:53.2, his fastest time of the season on an 8K course and best time among all DIII runners. The other men's runner to earn All-Region was Michael Couture (Elyria, Ohio/Open Door Christian School) who ran his second best time of the year with 27:24.1 to come in 17th place.
For Head Coach Jim Powers, who has been at the helm of the LCCC long distance running program since 2009, the victories on Friday were the 14th and 15th regional titles (men's and women's combined) earned during his tenure.
This year's championship is the fifth in a row for the Commodore men's team and the second in a row for the women's team.
Next up for the Commodores is the NJCAA National Championships taking place in Huntsville, Ala. on November 12, 2023. Both LCCC teams finished in the top-10 last year with the men taking 9th and the ladies taking 10th overall.
Name |
Place |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
10 |
26:53.2 |
|
|
17 |
27:24.1 |
|
|
Ethan Zientarski (Lorain, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) |
51 |
30.27.6 |
|
Scott Saksa (Columbia Station, Ohio/Columbia HS) |
59 |
31:08.0 |
|
Noah Willard (Grafton, Ohio/Midview HS) |
61 |
31:22.9 |
|
Andrew Hamilton (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria HS) |
69 |
31:50.4 |
|
Rayan Zaidi (Amherst, Ohio/ Marion L. Steele) |
78 |
32:51.1 |
|
Grayson Belles (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS) |
114 |
41:16.7 |
Name |
Place |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
5 |
19:56.7 |
|
|
64 |
25:30.5 |
|
|
Leah Basci (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone HS) |
65 |
25:37.7 |
|
Ally Marszal (Elyria, Ohio/Avon HS) |
66 |
26:05.4 |
|
Ella Meszaros (Vermilion, Ohio/Firelands HS) |
69 |
26:28.4 |
Next up for the Commodores is the NJCAA National Championships taking place in Huntsville, Ala. On Saturday, November 11, 2023. Both LCCC teams finished in the top-10 last year with the men taking 9th and the ladies taking 10th overall.
