JUCO Women’s Cross Country: NIACC’s Bertry claims regional title

Sarah Bertry runs to regional title for NIACC
(photo via NIACC)

FORT DODGE – NIACC freshman Sarah Bertry claimed the NJCAA Region XI Division II individual championship on Sunday in a time of 19 minutes, 2 seconds.

Bertry is the first NIACC female to win an individual regional title since Anna Buenneke won the regional title in 2011.

Buenneke also claimed the regional title in 2010 and Elly Meyer was an individual title in 2005.

Bertry was selected as the ICCAC Division II female runner of the year. It was third race this season that Bertry has claimed the individual title.

Also for the Lady Trojans, sophomore Whitney Martin was seventh in a season-best time of 21:58, freshman Addy Witt was ninth in a personal-best 22:31 and sophomore Laura Kern was 10th in a personal-best 22:48.
“We had some unfortunate injuries to the women’s team this week,” NIACC coach Curtis Vais said, “that did not allow us to score as a team.
“The four women that ran competed great. All four ended up with all-region honors and Sarah was the individual champion.”

Bertry was a first-team all-region performer, Martin was a second-team all-region performer and Witt and Kern were both honorable mention all-region performers.

NIACC will compete in the NJCAA Division II national championships in Fort Dodge on Nov. 14.

“We will regroup and hopefully run a full, healthy squad at nationals,” Vais said.