T-Birds (WXC) Finishes 2025 Season in 7th

The Thunderbirds ended the cross country season with a seventh-place finish at the NJCAA XC 5k Championships on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

The T-Birds competed through inhospitable weather which featured heavy snow during the entirety of the competition. The temperature on Saturday reached a high of 34°F. The thick snow on the ground coupled with the cold weather led to a slower pace out on the course.  

Odessa College won the women's national championship with a total score of 54 points, Iowa Western CC was second with 127 points, Hutchinson CC was third with 141 points, and the T-Birds were seventh with a total of 199 points.       

Mildred Rono of Hutchinson Community College won the individual title with a time of 17:11.10.

The T-Birds top performer at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course was Amal Kachouri. The sophomore finished in 16th place with a time of 19:06.30. The finish earned her USTFCCCA All-American honors for the second straight season. 

Yididiya Bifa had a tough day out in the snow and suffered her first head-to-head loss of the season finishing in 18th place. The sophomore crossed the line in 19:12.50 to pick up USTFCCCA All-American honors in back-to-back seasons. 

Lisel Ndlovu was the third runner to finish for NMJC. Ndlovu ended the afternoon in 46th place with a time of 20:11.20.

Sophomore Lindsey Lopes was not far behind Ndlovu as she came in 47th place with a time of 20:11.80. Elsa Gueret was the final runner counting toward the team score. The freshman registered a 20:51.00 in the 5k to finish 74th overall.

Freshman Alejandra Sierra finished 79th with a time of 20:51.00. Sophomore Hadil Chiha crossed the finish line in 92nd place with a time of 21:11.60.

The Thunderbirds close the 2025 cross country season but will compete in the NJCAA Half Marathon Championships Tuesday, Nov. 11 in Fort Dodge, IA at Lakeside Municipal GC starting at 10 a.m. CST.