SANFORD - The Central Carolina Community College women's cross country program has been recognized by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The CCCC team won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Region X championship - and participated in the Division III national championship meet.
Bersai Perez (Lee County H.S., Sanford) has been recognized as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III East Region Athlete of the Year.
"Bersai winning the East Region Women's Runner of the Year is very humbling. This is a young lady who does everything asked of her and more," said CCCC Women's Cross Country Coach Richard Briggs. "Up until this past cross country season, Bersai had never participated in athletics. To see her come out for the team and blossom the way she has is magical. I'm so happy she decided to come out and be such a big part of this amazing season."
Perez said she first became interested in cross country during the summer of 2021. "Before this, I liked running for fun and to be stress free as well as to lose weight and I really wanted to join a sport that required running. That is when I heard about cross country and decided to give it a try," she said.
In addition, Coach Briggs has been named as the NJCAA Division III East Region Women's Coach of the Year.
"Receiving Women's Coach of the Year for the East Region is a great honor," said Coach Briggs. "Winning this award is a great accomplishment and is a reflection of how our ladies came together as a team with a focused goal in mind."
CCCC Athletic Director Jonathan Hockaday notes that Coach Briggs has done a tremendous job with the cross country program. "He is continuously raising the bar and pushing his team to be the best that they can. He was able to lead both teams to our first Region Championships in cross country and is very deserving of this award," said Hockaday.
For more information on Central Carolina Community College - which is dedicated to providing pathways to achievable dreams, visit www.cccc.edu.
Coach Richard Briggs (left) has been recognized as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III East Region Women's Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Coach Briggs is pictured with CCCC Athletic Director Jonathan Hockaday (right).
Bersai Perez (Lee County H.S., Sanford) has been recognized as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III East Region Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.