Richmond, VA – The Indian Hills Women's Cross Country team put together its best national championship finish in program history on Saturday, finishing 15^th overall at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Cross Country Championship at Pole Green Park.

The 14^th ranked Warriors finished the national meet as the third best team from the state of Iowa with an average time of 21:28 on the 5k course. The team's previous best finish came in 2016 when the Warriors placed 20^th overall at the national championship.

Freshmen Emily Casterline (Pella, IA/Belvidere) and Morgan Klaus (Bloomfield, IA/Davis County) anchored the Warriors by finishing back-to-back. Casterline posted a time of 21:08.4 to place 78^th overall while Klaus crossed the finish line in a time of 21:10.6 in the field of 157 runners.

Monse Chapula, (Ottumwa, IA/Ottumwa) the lone Warrior to bring national championship experience from a year ago, ran exceptionally well on Saturday for the Warriors with a time of 21:24.2 to place 87^th and finish third overall for Indian Hills. Freshman Isabelle Mellin placed 93^rd with a time of 21:43.1 and Lizeth Flores (Harvard, IL/Harvard) rounded out the scoring with a time of 21:53.9.

Alexia McClure (Eldon, IA/Cardinal) and Katie Donaldson (Osceola, IA/Clarke Community) competed for the Warriors on Saturday and placed 106^th and 114^th, respectively, to keep the Warrior pack tight.

The College of Southern Idaho took home first-place at the meet. Iowa Western Community College and Iowa Central Community College placed 5^th and 6^th, respectively.

BEST FINISH IN PROGRAM HISTORY!

The No. 14 @IHCCrunning women dashed to a 15th place finish at the @NJCAAXCTF National Championship to secure the best finish in program history on Saturday.#WeAreHills #WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/4XwPXmSE3c

— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) November 13, 2021