COLBY — Wesley Banguria of Colby Community College capped his historic cross country season by earning the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Male Athlete of the Year award. Twice during the season, he was the USTFCCA national athlete of the week.

Banguria, a sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, won the individual title at the NJCAA Division I Championships Nov. 9 in Albuquerque, N.M. He turned in his most dominant performance of the year, clocking 22:55 for the 8K course to win by more than a minute. His time made him just the fourth runner in NJCAA Division I history to finish under 23 minutes at the national championships.

He won all five races he started during the season, including the Region VI Championships, Fort Hays State Tiger Open, Emporia State Invitational and Colorado College Invitational.

— CCC