(Fort Dodge, IA.) – On November 8, five Waubonsee Community College runners competed at the 2025 NJCAA Division II National Cross-Country Championship Meet. Along with the 600-plus other competitors from colleges across the country, the Chiefs were greeted with an early winter surprise when they arrived at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The previous day most of the runners took part in practice runs and preparations under partly sunny skies and 60-degree temperatures. But the weather took a major turn overnight, catching many runners off guard, creating a unique setting and conditions on race day. The course was covered with nearly four inches of snow, while more snow fell throughout the day as all six races for the three levels of junior college competition were held.   

Coach Eric Baron's trio of male runners were led by freshman Marcos Corral who placed 175^th out of 301 participants. Sandwich graduate Luis Baez sloshed his way to 225^th with a time of 31:28, while teammate Russell Abner crossed the finish line six seconds after him in 230^th place. Sauk Valley (IL) Community College's Charles Link was the top runner from NJCAA Region 4 as he finished 82^nd overall. On the women's side Alexandra Lemke turned in perhaps the best performance of her Chiefs' career on the way to placing 202^nd overall among 321 runners. The sophomore from Plano made substantial strides forward since the beginning of the season and finished in a time of 24:01. Chiefs' teammate Jade Unzueta, a freshman from Kaneland High School, came in 217^th with a time of 24:25. Moraine Valley (IL) Community College's Eva Zimmerman was the top finisher among Region 4 female participants, placing 39^th overall.

Lansing (MI) Community College won its third straight Men's Division II Cross Country title and tenth championship overall. The Stars finished with 32 points and were the only team with less than 100 points. Des Moines Area (IA) Community College finished in second place as a team for the second straight year, and Paradise Valley (AZ) Community College finished third. Cowley (KS) College's Esteban Boisseau ran a dominant race and outpaced the field by nearly 13 seconds to earn the top spot. After a slow start in the slippery conditions, the sophomore worked his way to the front by passing 114 runners to take home the win with a mark of 26:15. Lansing freshman Nate Carmody placed second with his teammate Lucas Hopkins rounding out the top three.

In the women's race Mesa (AZ) Community College out-paced the field to capture the Thunderbirds' second NJCAA Division II Women's Cross-Country title. Mesa had five runners earn All-American honors by finish in the top-25 on the way to winning the title by 33 points. Paradise Valley (AZ) Community College's Arianna Mason won the individual title with a time of 18:43 overall. The freshman surged into the lead with two kilometers left to pull away from the field and then held on down the stretch. Roane State (TN) Community College's Savannah Rivera made a valiant push at the end and crossed the finish line just three seconds behind Mason for second place. Paradise Valley's Audrey Encinas was third with a time of 18:52.