Iowa Central Sweeps Top Awards for 2026 Indoor Season

Iowa Central cruised to a Region 11 Championship at the Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Tritons also swept the individual honors, claiming both Track and Field Athlete of the Year awards.

Taha Ouchene dominated the middle-distance events, winning three races to earn Track Athlete of the Year honors. He captured the 600 Meters (1:19.83) and 800 Meters (1:59.44), with his 600 time setting a meet record. He also helped the Tritons secure a third first place finish as part of the 4x800 Meter Relay team.

Ouchene is ranked No. 2 in the country in both the 800 & 1000 Meters and has set school records in both.

Hayden Stockdale was named Field Athlete of the Year after another outstanding performance in the Weight Throw. At the Region 11 Championship, he posted a mark of 19.22 meters — a throw that would have led the NJCAA this season had he not previously recorded a 19.34-meter toss earlier in the year. He is also top 10 in the Shot Put in the country.

Anne Cleary earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Tritons to nine event victories out of 20 and placing at least one athlete in the top three in all but two events.

The Tritons won the Region 11 Championship for the first time since 2023. 

As for All-Region, the top three finishes in each event at the regional championship determined First, Second and Honorable Mention honors.

Among Iowa Central's All-Region performers were distance runner Soufyane Laaziz and field standouts Lance Quiah, Amarion Bradley, and Robert Cooley.

Laaziz won the 3000 Meters, joining Ouchene with an individual running title. Quiah claimed the Triple Jump crown, Bradley topped the Pole Vault standings, and Cooley won the Heptathlon with 4,604 points — a mark that ranks fourth in the NJCAA this season. The Tritons also captured titles in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays.

Iowa Western claimed five individual championships and one relay title.

On the track, Keone John, Miguel Angel Lopez Carranaza, and Pierre Carlier earned All-Region honors. John edged the field in the 400 Meters by 0.07 seconds, finishing in 49.91. Carranaza won the 5000 Meters in 15:36.83, and Carlier captured the Mile title in 4:14.82.

The Reivers' Distance Medley team won in a tight race with a time of 10:41.55.

In the field events, the Reivers won both the High Jump and Shot Put. Wichieng Hosnyang cleared the top mark in the High Jump, while Rajay Hemming broke the meet record in the Shot Put with a throw of 18.06 meters.

Indian Hills swept the sprint hurdle events, as Joseph Cannon won the 60 Meters in 6.81 seconds and Femi Nilson edged the 60 Meter Hurdles by just 0.01 seconds to earn the regional title. Kohlby Newsom added another title for the Warriors, winning the 1000 Meters in 2:27.67.

For NIACC, Xavier Codling was their lone champion but made it count, winning two events. He claimed the 200 Meters in 22.11 and the Long Jump with a leap of 7.19 meters. Codling became the first Trojan to win an Indoor Region title since 2021 and the first to win two events since 2017.