NJCAA Alumni on the International Stage: September 2025
Charlotte, NC – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) was represented across the world in September at the World Athletics Championships and the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup. The World Athletics Championships saw eight NJCAA alumni receive medals while three former NJCAA student-athletes competed in the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup.
World Athletics Championships
The 2025 World Athletics Championships, the highest level of senior international outdoor track and field competition, took place in Tokyo, Japan, on September 13-21. Over 2,000 athletes representing 193 countries competed, including eight NJCAA alumni who recorded podium finishes.
Kenny Bednarek | USA | Indian Hills (IA)
Kenny Bednarek took home a gold medal in the Men's 4x100m relay as well as a silver medal in the Men's 200m. Bednarek attended Indian Hills Community College as a freshman in 2019, where he was the national champion in both the 200m and the 400m.
Courtney Lindsey | USA | Iowa Central
Courtney Lindsey earned a gold medal in the Men's 4x100m relay, competing for the United States in Tokyo. At Iowa Central Community College from 2017 to 2019, Lindsey broke school records in the 4x100m relay, 100m and 200m races.
Lee Eppie | Botswana | Iowa Central
In his first World Championships appearance, Lee Eppie earned a gold medal in the Men's 4x400m relay. The former Iowa Central Triton helped Botswana become the first African country in history (men or women) to win a 4x400m world championship title. This gold medal in Tokyo was the first of Eppie's professional career.
Andre De Grasse | Canada | Coffeyville (KS)
Andre De Grasse added a silver medal to his decorated career at the World Championships in the Men's 4x100m relay. De Grasse is a seven-time Olympic medalist, with two golds, two silvers, and three bronze medals. De Grasse competed for Coffeyville Community College from 2013 to 2014 where he was a five-time NJCAA national champion.
Vernon Norwood | USA | South Plains (TX)
Vernon Norwood earned a silver medal in the Men's 4x400m relay in Tokyo. The decorated Olympian attended South Plains College from 2011 to 2013. At South Plains, Norwood was a six-time All-America honoree and still holds the NJCAA indoor record for the 4x400m relay.
Dorcus Ewoi | Kenya | South Plains (TX)
Dorcus Ewoi took home a silver medal in the Women's 1500m with a personal best time of 3:54.92. Ewoi attended South Plains College from 2018 to 2020, becoming a national champion in 2019 in both the mile run as well as the 1500m outdoor.
Khaleb McRae | USA | South Plains (TX)
Khaleb McRae earned a silver medal in the Men's 4x400m relay in Tokyo, making his World Championships debut. McRae attended South Plains College in 2019 where he was the NJCAA national champion in the 600m indoor, 400m outdoor, and 4x400m outdoor relay.
Nickisha Pryce | Jamaica | Iowa Western
Nickisha Pryce earned a silver medal in the Women's 4x400m relay representing Jamaica. Pryce competed for Iowa Western Community College, graduating in 2022 as a two-time national champion in the indoor 400m.
FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup
The sixth edition of the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup took place on September 17-21 in Xiong'an, China. The competition featured 20 countries each in the men's and women's tournaments, initially divided into four pools, vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Marko Malekinušić | Croatia | Colby (KS)
Marko Malekinušić competed in the 2025 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup representing the Croatian men's team. Malekinušić spent the 2023-2024 season at Colby Community College, averaging 11.4 points per game along with 6.2 rebounds per game. Croatia recorded a fourth-place finish after an overtime loss in the third place game.
Valentina Ojeda | Chile | Independence (KS)
Valentina Ojeda represented Chile in the 2025 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup. Ojeda spent two seasons at Independence Community College where she averaged 19.4 points per game and was named to the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference First Team. Chile went 2-2 in pool play.
Ivy Brown | New Zealand | Florida SouthWestern
Ivy Brown represented New Zealand in the 2025 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup. Brown spent two seasons at Florida SouthWestern State College, scoring in double figures on average in both years. As a sophomore, Brown led the Bucs in field goal percentage en route to an appearance at the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship. New Zealand finished 2-2 in pool play.