Columbia Wins AMC Cross Country Championship
November 8, 2024
Hannibal, Mo. - {Championship Page} The Columbia College Cougars won their American Midwest Conference record ninth men's cross country Championship on Friday at the Hannibal Cross Country Course. The Cougars scored 32 points behind three top-5 individual finishers to win by eight points over runner-up William Woods University and 18 points over third-place Missouri Baptist University.
Individually, Columbia sophomore Kalieb Redda finished the hilly and wet course in 25:32.54 to become the ninth Cougar to take home the individual title. William Woods senior Jenson Starr crossed the line second in 25:43.34. Rounding out the top-5 were Columbia's Will Cherrington (3rd, 26:24.93) and Oscar Curry (4th, 26:28.90) and William Woods' Ian Schwierjohn (5th, 26.29.72).
With the title, Columbia receives the AMC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which the Cougars are hosting on Nov. 22 at Gans Creek in Columbia, Mo. The Conference's top-4 individual finishers not on a qualifying team will also compete in the National Championship. Pending the selections of at-large teams to the national field, Starr, Schwierjohn, and Missouri Baptist's Grant Patten and Alvin Wible will represent the AMC in Columbia in two weeks.
Following the Championship race, the Conference honored the 2024 All-Conference runners and award recipients. The top-10 finishers are deemed All-Conference. Columbia's Gauge MacGregor, Missouri Baptist's Caedmon Cook and William Woods' Kyle Hagemeyer joined the seven aforementioned runners on the All-Conference Team. The All-Conference finish is the third in the careers of Starr and Cherrington. Redda, Curry and Schwierjohn all repeated as All-Conference runners.
MacGregor's seventh place finish earned him Freshman of the Year honors, and Missouri Baptist's Nick Fehr was named Newcomer of the Year behind a 21st-place finish.
The Columbia College coaching staff led by head coach Brennan Cape and assistants Mason McCaleb and Ryan Bontz was named Coaching Staff of the Year.
The AMC also recognized the Champions of Character Team which includes one individual from each team selected by his coach and teammates judged to best represent the Five Core Values of the NAIA Champions of Character Initiative - Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership. Individuals selected to the Champions of Character Team are below.
The Conference also released the 2024 men's cross country Academic All-Conference Team which includes individuals that have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and have completed at least one semester at their institution. The list of Academic All-Conference honorees is below.
Team Scores
Top-10 Individuals (All-Conference
Champions of Character Team
Academic All-Conference Team
Individually, Columbia sophomore Kalieb Redda finished the hilly and wet course in 25:32.54 to become the ninth Cougar to take home the individual title. William Woods senior Jenson Starr crossed the line second in 25:43.34. Rounding out the top-5 were Columbia's Will Cherrington (3rd, 26:24.93) and Oscar Curry (4th, 26:28.90) and William Woods' Ian Schwierjohn (5th, 26.29.72).
With the title, Columbia receives the AMC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which the Cougars are hosting on Nov. 22 at Gans Creek in Columbia, Mo. The Conference's top-4 individual finishers not on a qualifying team will also compete in the National Championship. Pending the selections of at-large teams to the national field, Starr, Schwierjohn, and Missouri Baptist's Grant Patten and Alvin Wible will represent the AMC in Columbia in two weeks.
Following the Championship race, the Conference honored the 2024 All-Conference runners and award recipients. The top-10 finishers are deemed All-Conference. Columbia's Gauge MacGregor, Missouri Baptist's Caedmon Cook and William Woods' Kyle Hagemeyer joined the seven aforementioned runners on the All-Conference Team. The All-Conference finish is the third in the careers of Starr and Cherrington. Redda, Curry and Schwierjohn all repeated as All-Conference runners.
MacGregor's seventh place finish earned him Freshman of the Year honors, and Missouri Baptist's Nick Fehr was named Newcomer of the Year behind a 21st-place finish.
The Columbia College coaching staff led by head coach Brennan Cape and assistants Mason McCaleb and Ryan Bontz was named Coaching Staff of the Year.
The AMC also recognized the Champions of Character Team which includes one individual from each team selected by his coach and teammates judged to best represent the Five Core Values of the NAIA Champions of Character Initiative - Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership. Individuals selected to the Champions of Character Team are below.
The Conference also released the 2024 men's cross country Academic All-Conference Team which includes individuals that have a minimum 3.0 grade point average and have completed at least one semester at their institution. The list of Academic All-Conference honorees is below.
Team Scores
| Place | School | Score |
| 1st | Columbia | 32 |
| 2nd | William Woods | 40 |
| 3rd | Missouri Baptist | 50 |
| 4th | Hannibal-LaGrange | 128 |
| 5th | Health Sciences & Pharmacy | 167 |
| 6th | Crowley's Ridge | 174 |
| 7th | Central Baptist | 177 |
Top-10 Individuals (All-Conference
| Place | Runner, School | Time |
| 1st | Kalieb Redda, Columbia | 25:32.54 |
| 2nd | Jensen Starr, William Woods | 25:43.34 |
| 3rd | Will Cherrington, Columbia | 26:24.93 |
| 4th | Oscar Curry, Columbia | 26:28.90 |
| 5th | Ian Schwierjohn, William Woods | 26:29.72 |
| 6th | Grant Patten, Missouri Baptist | 26:59.02 |
| 7th | Gauge MacGregor, Columbia | 27:09.76 |
| 8th | Alvin Wible, Missouri Baptist | 27:12.63 |
| 9th | Caedmon Cook, Missouri Baptist | 27:15.40 |
| 10th | Kyle Hagemeyer, William Wood | 27:18.89 |
Champions of Character Team
| School | Name |
| Central Baptist | Chris Palmer |
| Columbia | Noe Martin |
| Crowley's Ridge | Mark Eagleman |
| Hannibal-LaGrange | Jose Soto |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Jack Wolfe |
| Missouri Baptist | Josiah Heras |
| William Woods | Jenson Starr |
| Williams Baptist | Cody Carden |
Academic All-Conference Team
| Name | School |
| Josh Brown | Central Baptist |
| Grayson Knernschield | Columbia |
| Peter Files | Columbia |
| Nicholas Hunkins | Columbia |
| Conner Diaz | Columbia |
| Kalieb Redda | Columbia |
| Noah Bredenhoeft | Columbia |
| Will Cherrington | Columbia |
| Pedro Ferreira Melchert | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Ayman Kaouch | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| David Fletcher | Missouri Baptist |
| Zachary Klug | Missouri Baptist |
| Grant Patten | Missouri Baptist |
| Zachary Brasel | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Jared Morales | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Blaine Brodersen | William Woods |
| Chais Paul | William Woods |
| Ian Schwierjohn | William Woods |
| Jenson Starr | William Woods |
| James Tennyson | William Woods |
| Ethan Wilson | William Woods |
| Frederic Zheng | William Woods |