WSCC Cross Country teams win ACCC Championships

Hanceville, AL — Wallace State Community College’s Cross Country teams both earned their fifth consecutive Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) championships Friday at the ACCC Cross Country Championship held at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park. This is the men’s 10th ACCC Championship overall and the women’s fifth since the program’s inaugural season in 2017.   

Runners Aylin Vega of Fort Payne and Collin Mayfield of Geraldine were named the ACCC Runners of the Year. Vega, a sophomore, led the women’s cross country team to victory on Friday, finishing the 5,000-meter run with a time of 20:00.70. Mayfield, a freshman, led the men’s team to finish first in the 8,000-meter race with a time of 26:42.00.   

Head coach Stan Narewski was named the 2022 ACCC Coach of the Year in both men’s and women’s cross country, repeating awards he received in 2018, 2019, and 2021.   

Both teams dominated in their respective races.   

In the women’s race, all the top five finishers were Wallace State runners. Following Vega were Kendall Harbison of Vinemont (20:15.10), Danielle Akridge of Bremen (20:23.80), Jaycee Biffle of Florence (20:47.60), and Princess Watts of Alexandria (21:40.90). The women are ranked fifth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Poll.   

In the men’s race, eight of the top 10 runners were from Wallace State. Following Mayfield, Wallace State runners filled the slots for third through ninth place: Jonathan Collett of Bremen (27:20.60), Ryan Maudsley of Gadsden (27:50.70), Rodrigo Patino of Albertville (27:52.20), Jonathan Phillips of Carriere, Miss., (27:57.70), Andrew Wrenn of Grant (28:06.60), Luke Holcombe of Gadsden (28:15.70), and Mason Worrell of Northport (28:24.30). The men are ranked 11th in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Men’s Cross Country Coaches’ Poll.  

Both teams will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., next month to compete in the NJCAA Division II National Meet and Division II Half Marathon.