Lakehawk Cross Country Crosses Finish Line at Nationals
FORT DODGE, Iowa (Cross Country) – The Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) cross country teams finished the 2025 season at the NJCAA DII Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships in Iowa. The race was hosted at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course by Iowa Central Community College.
This year's championship brought together over 1,400 student-athletes representing nearly 200 team across the country. These programs converged in Iowa for a day that captured the very essence of the sport of cross country – courage in the cold, teamwork through adversity, and pride in representing their colleges at the highest level of junior college competition.
Winter arrived suddenly in Fort Dodge; after weeks of mild fall weather, a fast-moving storm swept across central Iowa on the morning of the race dropping several inched of snow transforming the golf course into a sheet of white.
The earlier DIII and DI races left the course covered in mud and chewed up snows leaving the DII races at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. a mix of ruts and slick patches. The athletes fought freezing air, soggy ground, and uneven footing.
The men's championship brought 344 athletes to compete. The Lake-Sumter men finished 21st with a total team time of 2:29:26, an average of 29:53 per runner.
The Lakehawks finished third among six Florida teams: Daytona State (fourth) and Pasco-Hernando (13th) while finishing ahead of Eastern Florida (26th), Florida State College at Jacksonville (27th), and Florida Gateway (44th).
Elijah Palmer led the Lakehawks with a time of 28:57.5, finishing 88th overall after recovering from a fall early on in the race. Despite the setback, he maintained rhythm and composure, surging forward in the late stages to finish strong.
Thatcher Clarke was the second Lakehawk to cross the finish line, placing 113th in 29:23.7. Spencer Palmer came next in 122nd with a time of 29:29.1, racing well after a hard fall near the 7K mark.
Bryce Blalock finished in 30:11.2, delivering a patient and composed race. Cohen Hartley was the Lakehawks' fifth score with a time of 31:24.8, holding his form in the late stages of the race.
Issa Issaku crossed in 31:38.5 followed by Noah Kaegi in 32:17.9, the final Lakehawk finisher.
"Our men came into this championship with big goals – to race for all-American honors and to compete among the best in the country; but as the snow fell and the conditions changed, the focus shifted from chasing times to simply finishing for each other," said head coach Cristy Snellgroves.
"What impressed me the most was how they adapted – not one athlete gave in to the cold, the falls, or the fatigue. They fought for every step, every place, and every teammate."
"The Lake-Sumter men showed tremendous perserverance and focus to battle through the mud, snow, and slush, and their determination to finish, for the themselves, their teammates, and the program, was inspiring. I could not be prouder of how they represented Lake-Sumter and the spirit of what is means to be a Lakehawk."
By the time the women's race began at 3:30 p.m., the golf course was a mix of thick snow, slush, and mud after five previous races. Temperatures hovered near freezing, snow continued to fall, and the footing was unpredictable.
Facing a field of 44 teams, 321 finishers, the Lakehawks finished 29th with a total team time of 1:55:41 and an average of 23:08 per runner. The team placed fifth among Florida programs: Daytona State (third), Eastern Florida (16th), Gulf Coast State (19th), Pasco-Hernando (23rd) while finishing ahead of South Florida State (36th), Jacksonville (39th), Florida Gateway (40th), and Tallahassee (42nd).
Oksanna Smith led the Lakehawks in 21:34.2, placing 73rd overall – just 36 seconds from a personal best and marking the second fastest time of her career. Her strength and poise set the tone early for the Lakehawk pack behind her.
Lily Lewis crossed second for the team in 23:08.8 and Neelyanis Lugo Ramos close behind in 23:24.1.
Lewis ran with focus and patience, holding steady in the final kilometer to maintain a strong team position while Ramos' pacing kept the Lakehawk pack connected and moving forward.
Sade Lee crossed next in 23:41.6 followed by Maria Oliveira in 23:42.8 to round out the team's scoring five. Lewis, Ramos, Lee, and Oliveira ran nearly stride for stride the entire race, pushing one another through thick snow and wind.
Abigail Hersh finished in 25:12.6, keeping her rhythm and composure for the final half mile. Amaya Mitchell completed the team's race in 27:11.8.
"Our women came into this meet ready to compete for personal bests and all-American honors, but as conditions changed their goals had to shift from chasing times to finishing for one another."
"What stood out most was their composure. None of them had ever raced in thick snow before, yet they embraced the challenge and never stopped giving effort."
"Oksanna set the tone early and led with focus and determination, and the pack behind her showed the same drive – staying together and pushing all the way to the finish. The Lake-Sumter women showing incredible grit, teamwork, and courage from start to finish."
"I am proud of how they represented our program with toughness and pride. They did not just finish the race, they finished as a team," said Coach Snellgroves.
The teams will now shift into track and field mode for the spring. Training from now until January, the teams will kick off the indoor season late January, early February.
After indoor, they will transition to outdoor season in March in preparation for the outdoor track and field championships in May.
Stay tuned for more information regarding the teams and the spring schedule later this month.
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