Men's Track & Field

TCHANBI NAMED TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

TCHANBI NAMED TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Posted: Feb 24, 2022

Ottumwa, IA – Following a record-breaking year for the nationally ranked Indian Hills Men's Track & Field squad, sophomore Aurel Tchanbi (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire/College Heleis) was voted as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Male Track Athlete of the Year. Tchanbi was one of 13 Warriors to earn postseason recognition.

After a dominant freshman season at Indian Hills, Tchanbi returned for his sophomore campaign where the sprinter upped his efforts. Tchanbi posted personal best marks in both the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Indoor Championship to win the individual region titles in each event for the second consecutive season. Tchanbi claimed the 60-meter dash title with a time of 6.74 and the 200-meter dash in a time of 21.15.

Tchanbi ranks inside the top-10 in the nation in each event for the Warriors. The sophomore has twice been named the ICCAC DI Male Athlete of the Week for his efforts throughout the indoor season for the Warriors. For his first-place finishes in each event, Tchanbi was named to the NJCAA All-Region XI First-Team.

Tchanbi becomes the third Indian Hills student-athlete to be recognized as the ICCAC Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, joining Jackson Burnett in 2020-21 and Kenny Bednarek in 2018-19. The Warriors have also earned a pair of ICCAC Outdoor Track Athletes of the Year in DAmoy Allen in 2020-21 and Bednarek in 2018-19.

The sophomore helped guide the Warriors to a third-place team finish at the NJCAA Region XI Indoor Championship and will head off to the NJCAA Indoor National Championships March 4-5 in Pittsburg, KS at the Robert W. Plaster Center. Tchanbi recently competed at the championship facility in Pittsburg where the sprinter placed fourth at the Gorilla Classic in the 200-meter dash.