Three area runners helped lead the Heartland Cross Country team to a first-place finish in the NJCAA Region 24 finals Saturday in Charleston.

Brock Loftus of Ohio placed third overall, second for the team, with a time of 27:34, earning 2023 NJCAA All Region 24 honors.

Also for Heartland, freshmen Elijah House (Bureau Valley) was eighth (28:43) and Kyler McNinch (Amboy) was ninth (28:58).

At Batavia, Princeton graduate Christian Yepsen led the IVCC men with a time of 35:24 in the NJCAA Region IV Meet Saturday at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course. IVCC finished sixth.

In the women’s race, Sauk Valley’s Lexi Bohms (Princeton) finished fourth in 22:29, earning All-Region IV honors. Teammate Jillian Hulsing (Bureau Valley) was 11th in 24:21 while Hall grad Yovanna Reyes led IVCC with a time of 26:28, placing 18th.

Both the Sauk men’s and women’s teams placed second to qualify for Nationals in Huntsville Ala. on Nov. 11 along with Heartland.

“They are a great group of kids that have jelled really well all season long. We are looking forward to seeing how well they can run at Nationals,” Sauk coach Nick Hartz said.

Loftus, House and Bohms are all former BCR Runners of the Year.