Columbia Claims Third-Straight AMC Women's Cross Country Championship
ELSAH, Ill. – (Results) For the third-straight year, the Columbia Cougars finished atop the team leaderboard at the AMC Women's Cross Country Championships. The 2019 event was hosted by William Woods University.
Columbia Cougars claimed its fourth overall team title, to move into a tie with Park for second-most in AMC Women's Cross Country.
Brianna Haller of Columbia took home Runner of the Year honors for the second-straight year after finishing first in a time of 18:56.88. Haller was joined on the All-Conference team by teammates Naomi Payne (19:10.18), Mikayla Sehlmeyer (19:10.62) and Grace Brinkmann (19:25.69), who finished 5th, 6th and 10th respectively.
Brinkmann was AMC Freshman of the Year for her 10th-place finish.
Hannibal-LaGrange finished second as a team, as Sierra St. Aubyn led the Trojans across the finish line with a second-place finish in a time of 19:04.70. Teammates Shelby Kallem and Lauren Sisco finished close behind in third-place and second-place.
Allison Gibson of Park finished 16th in a time of 19:57.41 earning AMC Newcomer of the Year.
Columbia earns an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships, which takes place on Nov. 22 in Vancouver, Wash. The AMC will also be sending four individual qualifiers, which would be St. Aubyn, Kallem, Sisco and Emily Bayer of Missouri Baptist, but that could chance with the next NAIA Coaches' Poll that is released on Nov. 11.
2019 AMC Women's Cross Country Awards:
Champions: Columbia
Coaching Staff of the Year: Columbia
Runner of the Year: Brianna Haller, Columbia
Freshman of the Year: Grace Brinkmann, Columbia
Newcomer of the Year: Allison Gibson, Park