Iowa Western Women's Track & Field Wins Second-Ever National Title
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Iowa Western Women's Track & Field captured their second-ever team title at the NJCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships last weekend, emerging victorious in a tight contest by scoring 98 points to edge out Barton (Kan.), who finished with 90 points.
The Reivers secured four outright event victories and placed in the top three in six additional events to help them claim their first title since 2022. Leading the way was Juliana Sakat, who earned First Team All-American honors and claimed three individual national titles: the 1500 Meter Run (4:25.78), the 5000 Meter Run (16:43.47), and the 10,000 Meter Run, where her dominant time of 34:46.49 also set a new NJCAA meet record.
Joining her on the First Team was Mercy Honesty, who repeated as Triple Jump champion with a 13.21-meter leap—0.9 meters ahead of the second-place finisher—and added a third-place finish in the Long Jump with a 5.75-meter effort.
The Reivers also had a Second Team All-American in Sarai Simpson, who threw a personal-best 15.30 meters in the Shot Put.
Seven others earned Honorable Mention All-American honors: Elizabeth Ewusie ran 11:02.69 in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase; Rasheeda Samuels cleared a personal-best 1.68 meters in the High Jump; Sakina Umar leapt 12.13 meters in the Triple Jump; Chin-Loy Raymond recorded a 15.14-meter performance in the Shot Put; and the 4x800 Relay team of Sakat, Ewusie, Angeline Estrada, and Alyssa Kulesa clocked in at 9:10.66. Representing
Indian Hills, Dymonde Nave also earned All-American honors with a personal-best 13.57 in the 100 Meter Hurdles, securing a third-place finish.
Team Scores:
1. Iowa Western – 98
3. IowaCentral – 10.50
5. Indian Hills – 6
100 Meter Hurdles
3. Dymonde Nave, Indian Hills - 13.57
1500 Meter Run
1. Juliana Sakat, Iowa Western - 4:25.78 (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
5000 Meter Run
1. Juliana Sakat, Iowa Western - 16:43.47 (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
10,000 Meter Run
1. Juliana Sakat, Iowa Western - 34:46.49 (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
3000 Meter Steeplechase
3. Elizabeth Ewusie, Iowa Western - 11:02.69
4x800 Meter Relay
3. Iowa Western - 9:10.66
High Jump
3. Rasheda Samuels, Iowa Western - 1.68M
Long Jump
3. Mercy Honesty, Iowa Western - 5.75M
Triple Jump
1. Mercy Honesty, Iowa Western - 13.21M (NATIONAL CHAMPION)
Shot Put
2. Sarai Simpson, Iowa Western - 15.30M
3. Chin-Loy Raymond, Iowa Western - 15.14M