all athletics Archives - Page 2 of 4

A large pack of female athletes racing cross country.

Biggambler Sets 6k School Record

Full Results Riverside, Calif. – Coconino Community College’s Breana Biggambler established a fierce 6k school record of 23:20 at the Highlander Invitational hosted by University of California Riverside, as the team took on their biggest competition yet this season. The comets hit the road and competed at the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, California, where they met a competitive field with over 20 teams consisting of NCAA division I , division II, division III, NAIA, and NJCAA teams. Not only did they take on steep competition but they raced the 6k distance, a distance typically run at the NCAA level, compared to usual 5k distance run at the NJCAA level. Biggambler finished in 136th place with a strong time of 23:20 (6:15 per mile pace). She was followed by teammate Amber Woody in 25:25, and Sierra Manygoats in 25:48. Ryanna Begay and Janelle Stone were CCC’s 4th and 5th runners in times of 29:54 and 30:26 respectively. Here’s what Head Coach Craig Hunt had to say about the race, “We came out to Riverside to get out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. A race this size, with over 20 teams and 200 individuals, is just what we needed to help simulate our national championships and gain more experience in tough races, and I believe we did exactly that. Performance wise we had 2 school records set, one on the men’s side and another on the women’s side, so hopefully the athletes are leaving with some extra confidence.” Both the Men’s and Women’s cross country teams will compete next at the NJCAA Region 1 Championships at Heroes Regional Park in Glendale, Arizona on October 28th, hosted by Glendale Community College.

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Hatch Breaks Men’s 8k School Record

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Riverside, Calif. – Coconino Community College’s Ryan Hatch broke his own 8k school record at the Highlander Invitational hosted by the University of California Riverside. The comets hit the road and competed at the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, California, where they met a competitive field with over 20 teams consisting of NCAA division I , division II, division III, NAIA, and NJCAA teams. Hatch took no mercy on his own school record as he ran 25:29 over the 8k distance to smash his previous time of 26:27. Tanner Dugi ran a time of 27:03, Kevin Pawesiema Jr. 27:29, Kyler Williams 27:41, Taylor Taliman 28:44, Jehovan Flores 30:56, and Hayden Williams 31:43, all of which were lifetime personal bests. Ladainian Morris, 29:48, also competed and ran his second fastest 8k time ever. Here’s what Head Coach Craig Hunt had to say about the race, “We came out to Riverside to get out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. A race this size, with over 20 teams and 200 individuals, is just what we needed to help simulate our national championships and gain more experience in tough races, and I believe we did exactly that. Performance wise we had 2 school records set, one on the men’s side and another on the women’s side, so hopefully the athletes are leaving with some extra confidence.” Both the Men’s and Women’s cross country teams will compete next at the NJCAA Region 1 Championships at Heroes Regional Park in Glendale, Arizona on October 28th, hosted by Glendale Community College.

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Biggambler Earns All ACCAC Honors

Women's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Coolidge, Ariz – Breana Biggambler finished 7th at the 2023 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships, and helped the Comets to a 5th place team finish. Bettering her 11th place finish from last year, Biggambler finished 7th overall in a 5k time of 20:21. Her 7th place finish earned her All-ACCAC honors, recognition she earned last year as well. Sierra Manygoats was Coconino Community College’s second runner finishing in 21st place with a time of 21:38. Amber Woody placed 24th in a time of 21:42, followed by teammate Talya Yazzie in 36th place with a time of 25:27. Ryanna Begay was the fifth scorer for the Comets in 40th place in 27:51. Paradise Valley Community College won as a team with 35 total points. The CCC women’s cross country team will next race at the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, California on October 14th.

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4 Men Run Under School Record at ACCAC Championships

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Coolidge, Ariz – An unprecedented four individual comet’s dipped under the previous 8k school record at the 2023 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Championships. Ryan Hatch rewrote the record book as he ran a time of 26:27 over 8k to surpass former teammate Damien Clarks school record of 28:17 by over 1 minute. Three other comets dipped under Clarks previous school record. Tanner Dugi finished in 27:15, Kevin Pawesiema Jr. ran 27:28, and Kyler Williams narrowly bettered Clark by running 28:16. Nationally ranked #3 Mesa Community College took the victory with 35 points over Central Arizona College, and #1 Paradise Valley Community College. Coconino Community College is currently ranks #18 nationally and placed 5th at the ACCAC Championships. Men’s cross country will compete next at the Highlander Invitational in Riverside, California on October 14th, hosted by University of California Riverside.

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CCC's women's cross country team huddles up with their arms around each other.

Biggambler Finishes Top Ten at AZ Invite

Women's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Prescott, Ariz – The Coconino Community College women’s cross country team competed at the Embry-Riddle AZ Invitational on a hilly and challenging course. Despite the challenging course and competition from 4 year universities CCC’s Breana Biggambler mixed it up at the front of the race early on and ultimately finished 9th in a time of 22:07 over 5k. Sierra Manygoats and Amber Woody worked together throughout the race to move up steadily to finish 15th and 16th. Ryanna Begay and Janelle Stone also worked together to finish in a respectable 22nd and 23rd place. Despite being directed off course, Talya Yazzie completed the race placing 27th and running further than 5k. On September 30th the CCC women will compete at the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Championships on the campus of Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona.

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CCC's men's cross country team huddled up with their arms around eachother.

CCC Takes on Tough Course at AZ Invite

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Prescott, Ariz. – In their second race of the season the Coconino Community College men’s cross country team competed at the AZ Invitational hosted by Embry-Riddle University. Rolling hills and high temperatures made for a strategic race. CCC’s Ryan Hatch ran with the leaders and was able to secure a 7th place finish to lead the comets. Tanner Dugi narrowly missed the top ten by finishing 11th. Kevin Pawesiema Jr. placed 14th, while Kyler Williams took 21st, followed closely by Taylor Taliman in 22nd to close out CCC’s scoring five runners. Overall the comets placed 3rd. The home team, Embry-Riddle University took home the title, and Arizona Christian University placed second. CCC’s men’s cross country team will race next at the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Championships on September 30th in Coolidge, Arizona, on the campus of Central Arizona College.

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Three female runners race each other down a dirt path.

Women’s Cross Country Completes Season Opener at Buffalo Park

Women's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Flagstaff, Ariz – The Coconino Community College women’s cross country team opened up the 2023 season at the George Kyte Classic at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Arizona hosted by Northern Arizona University. Racing over 2.5 miles the comet women were led by sophomore Breana Biggambler with her 17th place finish in the open division. Biggambler finished in a time of 17:44, over one and half minutes faster then she ran here last season. The next five finishers for CCC were all newcomers with Sierra Manygoats, Amber Woody, Talya Yazzie, Ryanna Begay, and Janelle Stone making their collegiate debuts. The Comets took on deep competition including NAU, University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, and several other schools. Embry-Riddle Arizona took the team victory in the open division, while host NAU won the NCAA Division I race. The Comets will next race in Prescott, Arizona at Embry-Riddle University in the AZ Invitational on September 9th.

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CCC athlete running down a dirt path during a cross country meet.

Men’s Cross Country Open Up Season at George Kyte Classic

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Flagstaff, Ariz – The Coconino Community College men’s cross country team opened up their 2023 campaign at the George Kyte Classic hosted by Northern Arizona University. Racing on “home” turf at Buffalo Park, the comets were led by freshman Ryan Hatch over the 4.5 mile distance. Hatch crossed the finish line in a time of 25:17. Hatch was followed closely by teammate Tanner Dugi in a time of 25:20. Kevin Pawesiema Jr. was CCC’s third runner, followed by Taylor Taliman, and Ladainian Morris rounding out CCC’s scoring runners. Freshman Kyler Williams, and Hayden Williams also competed for the comets. “It’s exciting to have the team open up their season right here in Flagstaff in front of some many of our fans, friends, and family. We have a lot of freshmen on our roster this season so it’s always nice to have them make their collegiate debuts on a familiar race course. From here we can focus on training and continue to build towards our ultimate goal of nationals on November 11th.” said Head Coach Craig Hunt A team of NAU Alumni took the win in the open division with 17 points, and the reigning NCAA Champions NAU took the victory in the NCAA Division I race with a perfect score of 15. The CCC men’s and women’s cross country teams will compete next at the AZ Invitational hosted by Embry-Riddle University in Prescott, Arizona.

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CCC's men's and women's cross country teams posing together in formal wear.

Men Finish 23rd at NJCAA Nationals

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Tallahassee, Fla. – In only their second season ever the Coconino Community College men’s cross country team capped off by an impressive season with a 23rd place team finish at the NJCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Championships. On a hot and humid day at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida the comets took on a field of 29 teams. Heading into the championships CCC was nationally ranked 23rd by the USATFCCCA Coaches poll and successfully matched that ranking by scoring a total of 584 points. The comets dropped down from 7,000 ft of elevation to nearly sea level to toe the line of their biggest race this season. The team’s pre-meet course preview was met with hurricane force winds and rain caused by hurricane Nicole. Fortunately by Saturday, race day, the storm had dissipated and left behind nothing but sunshine and humidity. Apalachee Regional Park has famously hosted races such as the USATF Cross Country National Championships, Florida High School State Championships, and the 2021 NCAA Division I National Championships. The 8k race course consisted of mostly grass, crushed shell trail, and rolling hills. The spectator friendly course hosted over 1,000 fans cheering with anticipation throughout all the races. Coconino’s top runner was Kevin Pawesiema Jr. cracked the top 100 individuals placing 95th place. Teammate Alisseo Honanhi ran strong with a 116th place finish, followed by Tristen Hatch and Damon Attakai in 144th and 145th place respectively. Rounding out the scoring for the comets was Damien Clark. This was the second time that the CCC men participated at the NJCAA National Championships, but the first they produced a scoring team. “This was the biggest race we have participated in all season with over 200 runners and the team handled it as well as any other program here. The heat definitely played a factor as we have been adjusting to cooler weather in Flagstaff, but it will make for a perfect afternoon on the beach later today. Best of all though we made history today by having CCC’s first scoring team at a National Championship and equaling our national ranking and that puts a huge smile on my face”, said Head Coach Craig Hunt with joy. The CCC men’s cross country team concluded their 2022 season and will kick off the next season at the George Kyte Classic at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff Arizona over labor day weekend in 2023. Paradise Valley Community College won the 2022 NJCAA DII Cross Country National Championships with a score of 68. Heartland Community College placed 2nd with 88 points, followed by Lansing Community College with 94 points.

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Coconino Community Colleges Hayley Burns with her hands up as she wins the 2022 Cross Country National Championships.

Burns Wins National Title, Team Finishes 4th

Women's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Tallahassee, Fla. – Coconino Community College freshman Hayley Burns convincingly wins the National Championships, and leads the team to a 4th place team finish. Coming off a sprint finish victory at the NJCAA Region 1 Championships Burns had the confidence needed to continue her win streak in Tallahassee. Throughout the season Burns often used her finishing kick to take the lead and secure the victory, but today Burns deployed a new race strategy. From the gun Burns dashed to the front with only Mesa Community Colleges Kate Brockman following. Brockman is the runner up from the 2021 NJCAA National Championships and the only NJCAA individual to defeat Burns throughout the regular season. Brockman, typically a front runner, battled with Burns for the lead over the first kilometer, but by 1 mile Burns had opened up an impressive lead. Covering the first mile in about 5:11, Burns was clear of her competition and would continue to extend her lead. Crossing 2 miles in under 11 minutes Burns had more than secured her National Championship title. She would maintain her lead and cross the finish line in a time of 18:22 for 5k. Her time would establish a new school record and more than 20 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. “Hayley and I had discussed a race plan ahead of time and she executed it perfectly. She’s worked incredibly hard throughout this whole season, and still has a lot of room to improve. I’m excited for the future she has in front of her. All our women raced phenomenal today and helped prove that CCC can be a national contender now and in the future”, said Head Coach Craig Hunt. Not far behind, freshman teammate Taylor Biggambler would cross the finish line in 10th place overall in a time of 19:41. A strong 1-2 punch from Burns and Biggambler would help significantly in the team results. Whitney James would be the third comet to cross the finish line in 34th place, followed by Nevaeh Scott in 39th, and Julia Clarke in 50th. With a final score of 124 CCC would finish 4th as a team in only their second cross country season ever, and only 4 points out from 3rd place. Their 4th place finish today betters their USTFCCCA coaches poll national ranking of 5th heading into the championships. “Today was a culmination of all the hard work these women have put in all summer and fall. We knew we were capable of something special today and these women truly came together as a team to prove that and came away with a 4th place team finish. I’d say that’s a pretty amazing accomplishment for a program only in their second season ever” Hunt added. Burns and Biggambler both earned All-American honors for their performances. Burns also took home West Region Athlete of the Year, and National Athlete of Year. Burns became the first national champion in CCC school history. Lansing Community College won the NJCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Championships with 57 points. Mesa Community College would finish second with 58 points. Heartland Community College would round out the podium with 120 points.

Burns Wins National Title, Team Finishes 4th Read More »