The Cyclones dominated the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championship and made history, earning a rare three-peat crown and several individual honors, including having the top two fastest runners.
Running the 8K course around campus on a warm and windy day, the Cyclones took first place with 28 points with Waubonsee Community College coming in a distant second with 60 points and Oakton Community College in third with 72.
"The men did what they were expected to do by winning conference. They are now a part of a historic three-peat for our program. The times may not have been fast, but in championship races, it's all about what place you finish," said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas, who earned Skyway Coach of the Year.
As he has all season, David Olmos controlled the race from the start and never let go. He finished first in 27:01 for Skyway Runner of the Year. This also is the third consecutive year a Cyclone has earned the honor.
Brandon Armendarez crossed the line in second place in 27:35, making it the second time in school history where the Cyclones went 1-2 at conference (the first time was in 2020).
Jack Kajmowicz and Gavin Hampton worked together again and also were able to earn All-Conference honors by finishing in sixth (29:41) and eighth place (29:58). Only the top 10 earn conference honors.
Ryan O'Connor was next in 11th place in 31:07 followed by Thomas Diaz in 12th in 32:13 and Efrain Alvarez in 16th in 35:11. "They held their own throughout the race and should be proud of their efforts," Dimizas said. "Efrain has been doing a lot of cross training due to injury, but he ran about five minutes faster than last week, and that should give him confidence for the future."
The women's team also earned a Skyway championship and had a Skyway Runner of the Year. Next, the Cyclones are preparing for the NJCAA Region IV Championships on Oct. 29 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Our eyes are set on the region meet, where the men go in as underdogs against a Carl Sandburg team that has been nationally ranked above us almost all year," Dimizas explained. "If they want to extend their season and advance to nationals, it'll take a full team effort to win the region."
Complete results can be found here.