TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (November 11, 2023) – For all the superlatives that could be levied, this day in Salt Lake Community College history will be known as this – victorious.

Saturday was a landmark for the institution's athletic department, with SLCC claiming its fourth NJCAA national title in school history as the No. 1 SLCC women's cross country team won the NJCAA championship in Alabama. The national title is SLCC's first-ever in a women's sport, with the other three national titles being won by men's basketball and men's soccer, respectively.

The SLCC women won with a total of 47 points, beating New Mexico Junior College's 93 points. Emerald Kehr took second place overall with a time of 17:35, then Carli Nelson ran in 17:44. Grace Tipton posted a time of 18:05 to finish in ninth place and Molly Jensen ran in 18:18. 

JaQuavious Harris made history for the SLCC men's cross country program also, winning the NJCAA individual title in the Men's 8K race. Harris ran in 23:18, leading Salt Lake to a runner-up finish with 78 points, just seven points behind Trinidad State (71). Talon Rodriguez posted a time of 24:21, while Wyatt Wingard ran in 24:40. Finn Anspach finished in 24:44. 

What makes Saturday's accomplishments even more impressive is this is only SLCC's second full season as a competitive program, with coach Isaac Wood leading the program from infancy to maturity at a rapid pace.

"Today is an incredible display of our institution," said Wood. "I'm so proud of the hard work put in by our student-athletes to get this point, creating a legacy that will be hard to match. We are proud to add to Utah's tradition of elite distance running."

The SLCC women's team was ranked as the No. 1 team in the country for most of the season in national polls, claiming the Region 18 championship earlier this season. The SLCC men entered the NJCAA race ranked as No. 2 in the national polls.