WARRIORS REPEAT AS REGION RUNNERS-UP
October 30, 2026
Ottumwa, IA – For the second consecutive year, the Indian Hills Women’s Cross Country squad placed second overall at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 11 Championship. All five individuals cracked the top-15 finishers for the Warriors.
Freshman Aniqah Bailey (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago/Advance Learning TT) led the pack for the Warriors, placing eighth overall with a time of 18:25.8, the second-fastest time in school history and just 13 seconds shy of a school record that has stood since 2007.
The next four placers for the Warriors all boasted personal-best marks as Indian Hills tallied 58 team points to beat out third-place Iowa Central Community College by three points.
Freshman Sophie Robertson-Dover (Pocklington, England/York) crossed the finish line with a time of 19:00.01 to place 11th overall while fellow rookie Tierney Carter (Oskaloosa, IA/Oskaloosa) placed 15th overall with a personal-best mark of 19:17.2.
Sophomore Serene Thompson (Albia, IA/Albia) and freshman Florence Nafamba (Mandeville, Jamaica/Holmwood Technical) were the next two individuals to cross the finish line, finishing in 16th and 17th place, respectively. Thompson, a member of last year’s runner-up squad, posted a personal-best mark of 19:21.6 while Nafamba added a new season-best 19:57.6.
Prior to last season, the Warriors had never placed higher than third at the NJCAA Region 11 Championship.
For their efforts, all five individuals racked up postseason honors.
Aniqah Bailey | 2nd Team All-Region | 2nd Team All-Conference
Sophie Robertson-Dover | Honorable Mention All-Region | 2nd Team All-Conference
Tierney Carter | Honorable Mention All-Conference
Serene Thompson | Honorable Mention All-Conference
Florence Nafamba | Honorable Mention All-Conference
Indian Hills will now focus on the upcoming NJCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Championship in Huntsville, AL on November 14.
