Comet Spotlight Archives

Male runner racing a cross country race.

Five Comets Set Personal Bests at Highlander Invitational

Full Results Flagstaff, Ariz. – Coconino Community College’s men’s cross country team competed at the Highlander Invitational, competing against NCAA Division 1 programs and fellow NJCAA junior colleges. The steep competition pushed five Comets to achieve personal best times, showcasing the program’s steady progression. Leading the charge for CCC was Luca Onyejiaka, who crossed the finish line with a personal best time of 25:51, setting the tone for the team. The team averaged a time of 28:37, reflecting both the individual improvements and the depth of the squad. “Our athletes showed tremendous growth today,” said Coach Craig Hunt. “Competing at this level pushes them to dig deep, and to see five personal bests in a single race shows all their hard work is paying off.” As CCC’s cross country team builds on this success, the focus shifts toward preparing for the regional championships, where the athletes hope to carry their momentum forward. The Region 1 Championships will take place this Friday, October 25, at Crossroads District Park in Gilbert, Arizona. The women’s 5k will start at 9 a.m., followed by the men’s 8k at 9:45a.m.

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Runners crossing the finish line of the 2023 NJCAA Cross Country National Championships.

Hatch 5th, Team 10th at NJCAA National Championships

Men's Cross Country / Craig Hunt

Full Results Huntsville, Ala. – The Coconino Community College Men’s Cross Country team finished 10th place at the 2023 DII NJCAA Cross Country National Championships hosted at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Their 10th place finish is the best team placement in program history. Additionally, CCC’s Ryan Hatch crossed the finish line 5th overall becoming CCC’s highest individual finisher ever. In the biggest race of the season, Freshman Ryan Hatch, rose to the occasion to finish as the top Freshman and 5th place overall at the National Championships. With his 5th place finish Hatch becomes CCC’s first male to earn All-American honors, becomes the highest individual finisher ever in school history, and lowers the 8k school record to 25:11. “Ryan (Hatch) ran out of his mind today. He put himself in a position to do something big and that’s exactly what happened. I’m excited to see what Ryan can do moving forward as I know this is just the beginning for him. He’s come a long way the last 10 months and this was the performance he needed to prove to himself he can compete with the best”, said Head Coach Craig Hunt. As a team, the CCC men placed 10th overall with a score of 273, their highest team finish in school history and 13 spots better than last year. In this one race, 4 men ran faster than last year’s 8k school record. The Comets entered the Championships ranked 15th nationally and were able to better that by 5 spots. Kevin Pawesiema Jr. finished as CCC’s second runner in 45th place, one spot off of All-American honors, in a time of 26:37. Freshman Tanner Dugi wasn’t far behind in 47th place in a time of 26:42. In 71st place was CCC’s Kyler Williams in a finishing time of 27:17 over the 8k distance. Rounding out the comet’s scoring runners was Taylor Taliman with a 134th place finish in 28:28. Jehovan Flores finished in 30:11 for 198th place, and Hayden Williams placed 246th in 32:28. “Overall, both the men’s and women’s teams had very impressive days. Of the 13 runners we had compete, 11 of them ran either a season best or lifetime best performance. It truly is a testament to the training we implement and the belief our athletes have knowing that when it matters most, they will be prepared to run their best. We’ll definitely celebrate our accomplishments today, but ultimately we’ll continue to look ahead at what’s to come as our program continues to grow,” stated Head Coach Craig Hunt. Lansing Community College won the National Championships with a score of 73 points. Heartland Community College placed 2nd with 78 points, and Daytona State College rounded out the podium with 102 points. In the men’s race, 38 teams and 291 individuals competed at the National Championships.

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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.

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