Ottumwa, IA – After two impressive showings in the program's previous meet, the Indian Hills Men's and Women's Cross Country programs appeared in the national rankings once again, announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) on Wednesday.
The men's program moved up to No. 10 in the national rankings after a second-place finish at the Grand View Invitational on Sept. 25. The Warriors climbed four spots from its previous ranking and crack the top-10 for the second time this season. Indian Hills is one of three Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) programs ranked inside the top-10 along with No. 1 Iowa Central Community College and No. 6 Iowa Western Community College.
The Warriors have been led by sophomore Nick O'Connor (Tiffin, IA/Clear Creek Amana) in each of the team's three meets this season. O'Connor placed fifth overall at the Grand View Invitational with a personal best time of 25:55.
The Warrior women also put together a strong showing at the Grand View Invitational and maintained its No. 17 national ranking in this week's poll. The Warriors finished second on the women's side at the Grand View meet, led by freshman Emily Casterline (Pella, IA/Belvidere).
The women are also just one of three Iowa teams to appear in the national rankings as Iowa Western and Iowa Central sit at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
Both performances at the Grand View Invitational for the Warriors was the best top-five average in program history.
After a week off, the Warriors return to action at the Trent Smith Invitational in Mason City, IA on Friday.
Men ranked 10th, women 17th in the nation! https://t.co/jpgNCuIcEv
— Indian Hills XC/TF (@IHCCrunning) October 7, 2021