West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's cross country teams concluded their 2021 season at the NCAA Regional Championship in Iowa City. The event, hosted by the University of Iowa, presented challenging weather conditions with cold temperatures, strong winds, and snow.

Head coach Trey Brokaw expressed optimism about the future despite the team's current lack of depth. "As a program, we don't quite have the depth yet that we need but that will change in the next year or two," he stated. He believes that new recruits and development of current athletes could elevate them to a top-15 regional standing.

On the men's side, Habibu Moise led Western Illinois consistently throughout the season. Coach Brokaw remarked on Moise's performance: "He's been so consistent this year for us, and I do believe he has a lot of room for personal growth still." Logan Lommel also performed well in his first race of the season after transitioning from soccer.

The women's team faced its own challenges but showed individual promise. Paulina Wuestefeld led her teammates with what Brokaw described as another excellent race. Mackenzie Goldring was noted for her consistency throughout the year, while freshmen Maleigha Huston and Madison Trevena showed potential for future success.

In their final race, Moise finished 157th overall with an average mile time of 5:23.6 over a 10k course. Lommel placed 169th overall with a mile time averaging 5:27.9. For the women, Wuestefeld achieved a mile pace of 6:06.7 to place 137th overall in her event.

Looking ahead to track and field season, Coach Brokaw is enthusiastic about his team's prospects: "In nine weeks, our track & field teams will be back up at the University of Iowa for their season opening competition," he said.

The focus now shifts to preparing sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and middle-distance runners for upcoming competitions starting January 15th at the University of Iowa.