Storm Lake, IA – In perhaps the most anticipated postseason competition in program history, the Indian Hills Men's and Women's Track & Field squads are set to compete for a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Indoor Championship this week at Buena Vista University.
Head coach Brent Ewing has both of his programs in the conversation as potential national champions at the upcoming NJCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championship in March, but the focus currently resides on capturing what would be both program's first regional title.
"We're going into the regional meet with more momentum than we have ever had going into postseason. Our goal is to walk away with as many All-Region performances as possible. We have a few more individuals and relay events that we would like to get qualified for the national meet as well."
The Warrior men head into this weekend's action as the No. 3 ranked team in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Rating Index and the No. 3 ranked team in the Midwest Regional Rating Index. The Warrior women head into the weekend ranked No. 8 nationally and No. 3 in the regional rankings.
MEN'S NOTES
On the men's side, the Warriors have continued to ascend towards the top of the national rankings all season long. Indian Hills currently owns the top average mark in two separate events – the 200-meter dash and the 1000-meter run. The Warriors rank inside the top-five nationally in six separate events.
A number of individuals enter this weekend's regional championship with the top marks in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC). Sophomore Damoy Allen owns the top 60-meter dash time at 6.71 and Woyn Chatman, this week's ICCAC DI Athlete of the Week, owns the top 400-meter time at 47.47. Rivaldo Marshall owns a pair of top individual marks in both the 600-meter and 1000-meter run.
Five different Warriors have been named the ICCAC Athlete of the Week over the course of the last five weeks, showcasing the program's versatility heading into championship weekend.
WOMEN'S NOTES
The tandem of Aliyah Simmons and Kahliyah Anderson have highlighted an impressive year for the Warrior women. Simmons is a two-time ICCAC and one-time NJCAA Athlete of the Week while Anderson has earned both the ICCAC and USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honor.
The Warrior women enter the weekend with four top-10 average marks nationally, including the team's 200-meter squad which ranks second powered by Anderson's school record 24.65. Anderson also leads the Warriors with a school record time of 55.94 in the 400-meter dash, the top mark of all competitors competing this weekend.
Simmons enters the week as the conference leader in both the 600-meter run and 800-meter run, both school records for the Warriors.
Both Anderson and Simmons, along with Aimaya Drummond and Temira Goods enter the weekend with the top 4x400-meter relay squad after eclipsing their own school record at the Gorilla Classic with a time of 3:48.68.
WHAT'S ON THE LINE
Both squads will vie for the program's first-ever regional title as the Warriors prepare for the upcoming NJCAA Indoor National Championships in Pittsburg, KS on March 4-5.
The region meet will serve as a final opportunity for a number of student-athletes to hit the qualifying mark to compete at the national championship, hosted at the Robert W. Plaster Complex.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Live results will be available throughout the duration of the two-day meet and can be viewed here: 2022 NJCAA REGION XI INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE RESULTS
To view a schedule of events, visit: 2022 NJCAA REGION XI INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE.