After having only run one other race this season with a full, healthy squad, the Cyclones pulled off a big upset at the NJCAA Region IV and Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championships held at Kishwaukee College, crowned champs for both.
Coming into the race, several Cyclones had been battling injuries all season, but if they were going to run a race with everything they had left, this was it. They were up against the nationally ranked Sandburg College squad and defeated them by one point for the region title, which punched their ticket to the national tournament. Not only that, but every Cyclone runner earned a personal best on a perfect running day – cloudy and cool.
Natalia Wrobel led her team, finishing in second place by one second in 20:13, followed closely by Isabelle Vaccaro in fourth in 20:35. Both now are the top 10 fastest 5K runners in Cyclone history with Wrobel at fourth and Vaccaro at eighth place. Maria Thurman crossed the line overall in eighth place in 21:51, and Jasmeene Guido finished in 11th in 22:19. Those four each earned All-Conference and All-Region honors. Stephanie Tuscher crossed in 33rd place in 27:45 to round out the scoring.
The last time the Cyclones won a Skyway championship was in 2019 and a region championship in 2015.
"This team has been fortunate to see its fair share of championships over the years, but for me, the region title they won is the sweetest of them all because it was so unexpected. Our women had been putting in the work, but there were so many inuries throught the season, and this was only the second meet where we could run all five of them. Natalia ran bravely. Isabelle ran a tough race to split up the Sandburg runners. We were hoping for a top 10 region finish from Maria, and she surpassed that goal. Stephanie wasn't healthy going into the race but fought her way through. The performance of the year goes to Jasmeene. Finishing 20th would have been a good day, but she grabbed an All-Region spot, making the biggest impact on that race," said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas. "Now, they look toward nationals for one final team performance, where I have no doubt they'll represent the Cyclones proudly."
The Cyclones head to the national tournament with five qualifiers from the men's team in Richmond, Virginia, on Nov. 13.