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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Sweep Region XC Titles

Trailblazers Sweep Region XC Titles
Photos Results
October 24, 2025

PETERSBURG, Ind. – The Vincennes University Cross Country teams took full advantage of their home-course familiarity Friday at Prides Creek Park, capturing both the men's and women's NJCAA Division I Region 24 Championships as the only Division I program in a meet otherwise stacked with Division II opponents. Despite racing against a large DII field, the Trailblazers proved they belonged at the top, earning team and individual titles on one of the most demanding courses in the region. The VU women entered ranked No. 15 nationally, while the men were No. 25 in the latest NJCAA Division I National Coaches' Poll.

Trailblazer Men Cruise to Region 24 Title

The Vincennes men claimed the NJCAA Division I Region 24 Championship with a perfect team score of 15 points, posting a total time of 2:22:12 for an average of 28:26 per runner in the combined 8000-meter race. Sophomore Anis Abdaoui took command of the race midway through and never looked back, racing to the individual title and a first-place overall finish in 26:39.0. Sophomore Lane Connaway followed close behind in 27:33.0, good for fourth overall, while freshman Evan Dailey turned in a massive 25-second personal best at 28:43.0 to place seventh overall and third among VU scorers.

Sophomore Malachi Black placed 18th (29:33.0) and freshman Henry Dybsetter was 19th (29:44.0) to complete the scoring five. Freshman Seth Weaver turned in perhaps the breakout performance of the day with a 40-second PR, crossing in 29:55.0, while freshman Brody Wilson closed out the lineup at 31:22.0

Head Coach Tyler Steigenga was pleased with how the team executed its race plan and adapted to the challenging course. "The plan was for Anis and Lane to work together early, and then have Anis take off and get the win," Steigenga said. "They stuck to that plan well. Evan had a great PR, Henry shaved some time off his best, and Seth ran an awesome race on a tough course. It's been a rough season for him, so it was great to see him put it all together today. Hopefully this gives him a confidence boost heading into Nationals."

Women Capture Individual Crown, First Among All Region 24 Teams

The No. 15-ranked Trailblazer women continued their dominant fall with a commanding performance over the 5,000-meter course, finishing first overall among all Region 24 teams and claiming the NJCAA Division I title with a total team time of 1:42:10 (20:26 average). Freshman Ikram Dorai made a triumphant return to form, earning the individual Region 24 title in 18:36.0 after missing several weeks and the previous meet due to an ankle sprain. Sophomore Sarra Belgacem finished fourth overall (20:05.0), with sophomore Alexis Hale close behind in fifth (20:10.0) to complete the top three scorers for VU.

Freshman Madison Senne followed with a breakthrough race in 20:31.0, a massive two-minute PR compared to her previous 5K mark from high school, while sophomore Alexandria Black (22:48.0), freshman Allie Knepp (23:09.1), and freshman Josie Lade (23:19.0) rounded out the scoring lineup. Freshman Rorri Bottum (23:19.1) also finished strong despite taking a fall with about a mile to go.

Steigenga noted that both groups showed competitive maturity, particularly with the women maintaining control despite early challenges. "Ikram and Sara took off a bit fast at the start, but Ikram held strong and got the win easily," he said. "It was great to see her back after taking 10 or 11 days off to recover from her ankle. Madison had a huge day — a major PR — and really showed how much potential she has. That gives us a big boost in our fourth spot heading into Nationals."

Steigenga added that the demanding layout at Prides Creek served as ideal preparation for the championship stretch. "Overall, I thought we did really well today," Steigenga said. "It was a really difficult course with all the hills, sharp turns, and changing terrain — but that's cross country. I like having a course like this before Nationals; it makes everything else feel easier from here on out. Hopefully that gives them some confidence. I think both teams have been a little underrated in the polls lately, but regardless of ranking, we'll show up at Fort Dodge ready to compete."

Vincennes now turns its attention to the NJCAA Division I National Championships, hosted at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The Cross Country National Championships will take place on November 8, followed by the Half Marathon National Championships on November 10, as the Trailblazers look to close out the 2025 season on a high note.

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As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Cross Country squad all year long through a number of ways:

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