The Colby Community College men’s and women’s cross country teams held intrasquad time trials and are ready to open the season Friday with a home meet on campus.

In the trials, newcomers led both teams on the 3,000 meter rolling hills course. Sophomore Abel Ketema (Addis Adaba, Ethiopia) came through the line first on the men’s side, with freshmen Isaac Sanchez (Clint, Texas) and Oscar Leyva (Sherman, Texas) on his heels. The top five runners concluded with freshman Orion LaMotte (Walthill, Neb.) and sophomore track and field All-American Claudius Russell (Nassau, Bahamas). Rounding out the pool were freshmen Cole Hiigel (Lamar, Colo.), Ricardo Richardson (Nassau, Bahamas), Takoda Turner (Brewster) and Alex McLaughlin (Palco).

Freshman Jessenia Ixta (Omaha, Neb.) pulled away from a pack of nine other women harriers for first place. Finishing second and third were last year’s two-time national track and field qualifier Winnie Kibet (Eldoret, Kenya) and transfer sophomore Vibian Chemeli (Kapsabet, Kenya). Sarah Myers (Anton, Colo.), Colby’s lone returner from last year’s NJCAA National Academic Team of the Year finished 4th overall. A group of freshmen soon followed that included Sharon Kimutai (Eldoret, Kenya), Alane McWilliams (Veribest, Texas), Jayden Wren (Scott City), Breanna Pratt (New Providence, Bahamas), Peyton Zimmerman (Overton, Neb.) and Lindsey Geeseka (Goodland).

The home meet Friday begins with the women competing at 5 p.m. and the men following at 5:45 p.m. The Trojans will run against four other teams, Hastings College, Garden City Community College, Northwest Technical College, and Fort Hays State.