Elizabeth Ilanda of Odessa (Texas) was named the 2024 NJCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year. Ilanda, who hails from Tanzania and owns a cumulative GPA of 3.77, won the individual title at the 2024 NJCAA DI Cross Country Championships in Mechanicsville, Virginia. This is the first time that an athlete from Odessa has been named Women’s Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year.