When it mattered most, Cyclones women's cross country ran their fastest race of the season, besting nationally ranked favorites Carl Sandburg College by one point for the NJCAA Region 4 Championship at Lockport High School.

The last time the Cyclones won regionals was 2021 when they had the exact same outcome over Sandburg.

"Heading into the race it looked like second place was ours with an outside shot at finishing first," said Head Coach Dimitri Dimizas. "Carl Sandburg College ran well, but our women stepped up to the challenge and ran even better with all six women earning a PR."

Mia Villa and Desiree Mendoza worked together the whole way through putting themselves in good position early and holding on to the end. They crossed the finish line in third place in 20:09.2 and fourth place in 20:28.5, respectively, over the 5K course. "They were a fantastic duo," Dimizas said.

Next for the Cyclones in quick succession were Mariah Karamagianis (21:54.5, 12th place), Annabel Lipkie (21:54.5, 13th place) and Rylee Milenkovic (21:58.2, 15th place). "Mariah, Annabel and Rylee once again were together in a pack, alternating leads, sometimes spreading apart, but never letting each other get too far ahead of the other," Dimizas noted.

Villa, Mendoza, Karamagianis, Lipkie and Milenkovic each earned All-Region honors for finishing in the top 15.

Hannah Raimbault (23:27.2, 19th place) was the final finisher for the Cyclones and a key player in this win. "She was our all-important runner. She needed to keep Sandburg's fifth runner behind her, and she got it done. There would be no victory without her," Dimizas explained.

"We had a goal of getting five in the top 15 because we knew if we didn't win, then at least we'd still qualify as a team. About halfway way through the race, we had Mariah, Annabel and Rylee just outside of the top 15, but they picked people off and earned their All-Region spots," Dimizas said. "I said this after the first meet and it's held true - all of the women are racers. They have answered every challenge thrown at them both personally and collectively. They've been given one more opportunity to run together as a team, and I'm really excited to see what they'll do.

With four runners from the men's team, the women's team will head to the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Nov. 9, in Richmond, Virginia.

"I've been fortunate to be a part of many different championship teams as an assistant and a head coach. I think this one is the most special because it was the most unexpected. We've been the favorites going into races and won, and we've won a few championships when we weren't favorites. This one was such a big mountain to climb not because of the competition itself but because of everything the women had to go through to get here," Dimizas said. "That's the beauty of sports. It's why we toe the line and put ourselves out there. You never know what will happen."

For a complete list of results, visit here.