Season recap for the LCC Cross Country Teams
LCC Men’s Cross Country team pose for a team photo after winning the NJCAA Cross Country DII Championship. Photo courtesy of the Iowa Central Photography Program.
By Carson Lemon
Staff Reporter
On Nov. 8, 2025, the LCC Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams ran at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Division II National Cross Country Championship. The Championship was hosted at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The LCC Men’s team ran in the 8,000 Meter race, while the LCC Women’s team ran in the 5,000 Meter race. The LCC Men’s team took home the Division II national title for the third consecutive year, in total the ninth national title for the LCC Men’s Cross Country program.
The top-ranking runners on the LCC Men’s team were Nate Carmody, placing 2nd, Lucas Hopkins, placing 3rd, and Evan Suydam, placing 5th. Carmody ran with a time of 26:28.5, Hopkins ran with a time of 26:36.9, and Suydam ran with a time of 26:41.1. Out of the 46 competing teams, the LCC Men’s team placed first with a score of 32.
The top-ranking runners on the LCC Women’s team were Leah Shadduck, placing 36th, Faith Swenor, placing 78th, and Kaylee Hovey, placing 123rd. Shadduck ran with a time of 20:40.1, Swenor ran with a time of 21:46.6, and Hovey ran with a time of 22:24.0. Out of the 44 competing teams, the LCC Women’s team placed 14th with a score of 492.
LCC Cross Country Coach for the Men’s and Women’s teams, Jim Robinson, was extremely pleased with the success he saw in both teams this season. “In terms of this team's performance at nationals, it's the strongest win in over two decades.”
Both teams experienced adverse weather conditions during their races, with temperatures around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and light snow. "It would be easy to let that affect you and say, oh, gee, I guess I'm not going to do very well,” said Robinson. “But they were not deterred. They really were focused on what they were going to do. They looked at [the snow] as fun. They just saw it as a chance to show off their toughness. And they did.”
In closing, Robinson wants his runners to remember, “There's no secret to success. It involves showing up and putting in the hard work.”
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