Sakat Named USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week

FROM: USTFCCCA

Juliana Sakat rose up in competition for the Black Championship race at the Gans Creek Classic – her first attempt at the 6k distance as she raced in a field made up of athletes from predominantly from four-year programs.

Sakat responded well, taking fourth in 20:21.5 – about a second/kilometer faster than the pace in her 5k harrier best of 17:02.1 from earlier this year

Sakat arrived on campus in January and won seven NJCAA individual track & field titles combining indoors and outdoors. She is undefeated in all distances against NJCAA competition.

This is the 15th time that a female athlete from Iowa Western has been named M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week in cross country. Sakat earned the honor earlier this year in joining Barbara Neiva (2024), Silvia Gradizzi (2023), Mercy Biwott (once in 2022, twice in 2021), Faith Linga (four times in 2020, three times in 2019) and Shanieke Watson (2016) in that regard.