(Dixon, IL.) - Waubonsee Community College's women's Cross Country team finished fourth as a team at the Sauk Valley Community College Invite on Saturday, October 5. The Chiefs tallied 76 points, just behind third place Beloit College's tally of 74 points. Meghan Johnson and Anna Green led the way for the Chiefs placing eighth and ninth, respectively. Leliarosa Bonilla crossed the finish line in 17th place followed closely by teammate Alexandra Lemke in 18th place. Crystal Torres finished 24th and Katherine Ball was 27th for Waubonsee. Grand Rapids Community College's Elicia Land won the women's 5K race by just two seconds overteammate Anna Tubbergen in leading the Raiders to the team title with a score of just 25 points. Fellow NJCAA Region 4 member Carl Sandburg College was second with a team score of 59.

On the men's side Waubonsee's David Valkanov literally ran away from the competition. The freshman from Kaneland High School won the men's 8K race by more than a minute and a half as he crossed the finish line in a time of 28:23. Valkanov, along with Dayton Beatty and Luis Baez, helped the Chiefs finish second as a team with 56 points, while the host school took the team title with 27 points. Beatty placed fifth overall in a time of 31:40 and Baez was ninth individually. Ricardo Duran came in 20th, Finn Gannon was 21st and Landon Godee was 25th to round out the Chiefs competitiors.

Coach Eric Baron's Chiefs are set to compete next in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) meet on Saturday, October 19. The ISCC meet, hosted by Waubonsee, will be held at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course in Geneva. The women's 5K race is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. with the men's 8K race to follow starting at 1:40 p.m.