Five Inducted into NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association HOF

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Charlotte, NC – The NJCAA has announced five honorees to be inducted into the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Three coaches and two student-athletes have been selected to join the 2025 class. Read below for more on David Barney, Faith Linga Chepengat, James Macnider, Patrick Savage, and AG Bradford. 

David Barney | Coach | Paradise Valley (AZ) 

David Barney is in his 30th season as the head coach for men’s and women’s cross country at Paradise Valley Community College. He started the program in 1995 and introduced the Track & Field programs in 1999, of which he became the first-ever head coach. Under Barney’s leadership, Paradise Valley cross country has won 21 Regional Championships, eight Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Championships, and has had 67 NJCAA All-America honorees.  

Barney is a six-time NJCAA Cross Country Coach of the Year (1997, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2018), 2002 Indoor Track & Field NJCAA Coach of the Year, 2022 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Cross Country Coach of the Year, and a 2025 Inaugural NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award Recipient.  

In 2012, Barney was honored as an inductee at the Arizona Runners Hall of Fame and in 2018, was inducted into the ACCAC Hall of Fame. He also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials four times and twice represented Team USA in the World Championships. 

Faith Linga Chepengat | Student-Athlete | Iowa Western  

Faith Linga Chepengat is a former student-athlete for the Iowa Western Community College cross country team. In her two years, Chepengat won nine NJCAA titles and was a three-time USTFCCCA National Junior College Athlete of the Year. 

Chepengat is a two-time NJCAA champion in cross country, two-time champion in the 3000m and 5K and in 2021, was the 10K champion for outdoor track and the Mile champion in indoor track. Chepengat is also an eleven-time USTFCCCA All-America, six-time Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) champion, and a two-time Cross Country Region XI Athlete of the Year. 

Chepengat holds numerous Iowa Western records, including cross country; indoor 5K, 3000m, mile, and distance medley relay; and outdoor 1500m, 5K and 10K, which she broke by more than seven minutes. 

James Macnider | Coach | Harper (IL) 

James Macnider has been the head coach of the Harper College cross country programs since 2011 and track & field programs since 2018. During his 15 years as the cross country head coach, Macnider guided multiple student-athletes to win the National Championship and earn All-America status. Macnider led the Hawks to their first ever NJCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Championship. The men went on to win eight straight titles from 2011-2018 and won their ninth in 2023, as the women won five NJCAA Division III Women’s Cross Country Championships, including three consecutive titles. 

A former runner for Harper, Macnider was the Skyway Conference Cross Country Champion in 1969 and 1970 and was the NJCAA Region IV mile and two-mile Champion in 1971. Macnider returned as an assistant coach, helping guide both teams to NJCAA DIII championships in 2011. Since becoming head coach, he has won numerous USTFCCCA Coach of the Year Awards, was a recipient of the 2025 NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award for Men’s Cross Country, received the Harper College Distinguished Alum Award in 2025 and was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame (ITCCCA) in 1995. 

Patrick Savage | Coach | Oakton (IL) 

Patrick Savage was the head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country, track & field, and half marathon teams at Oakton College for 32 years. During Savage’s tenure, he coached 39 NJCAA All American recipients, four NJCAA individual national champions, and 19 Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference MVP Runners. 

Oakton won eight NJCAA Region IV Championships, eight Illinois State Community College Championships (Men’s and Women’s Track and Cross Country), 18 top-two finishes in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Championships and the 2002 NJCAA Marathon Championship. Savage played an instrumental role in Oakton hosting the NJCAA Marathon Championship from 1988-1995. 

Savage was awarded the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award and was inducted into the NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame, the Skyway Conference Hall of Fame, Depaul University Athletics Hall of Fame, Illinois High School Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Niles West Hall of Fame. Savage was also President of the Chicago Area Runners Association, which is the third largest in the United States, from 1992-1994. Savage has endowed two athletic scholarships, one at Oakton College, and one at Depaul University Athletics.  

AG Bradford | Student-Athlete | Iowa Central 

AG Bradford is a former student-athlete for Iowa Central. Bradford competed at Iowa Central from 2008 to 2010 in which her career was decorated with numerous school records and awards. Bradford competed in both Cross Country events as well as Track & Field events each year. In her time at Iowa Central, Bradford was a combined seven-time individual National Champion in the Pentathlon, High Jump, and Long Jump events both indoor and outdoor.  

In addition to her individual awards, her cross country team was crowned National Champions in 2008. In 2009, she was named Most Valuable Track Athlete along with multiple Athlete of the Meet honors during her career. In her two seasons, Bradford set four school records and five Region 11 records. In 2009, she was named the Most Valuable Athlete for Region 11 in both indoor and outdoor competitions. Bradford’s career was highly decorated, bringing much success to the Iowa Central program.