William Woods Claims 2022 AMC Women's Cross Country Championship
November 4, 2022
Columbia, Mo. - (Championship Page | Final Results) For the seventh-time in program history, the William Woods Owls are champions of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Women's Cross Country Championships.
The Owls scored 26 points, which is tied for second for the lowest winning score in the history of the AMC Women's Cross Country Championships. Additionally, William Woods now owns seven team championships which is the most of all AMC schools.
Alicia Engelbrecht (William Woods) won the individual title, finishing the course in a time of 18:39.61. Engelbrecht was named AMC Runner of the Year after the Championships. Engelbrecht is the first Owl to win Runner of the Year since Kristi Palmer in 2011.
Newcomer of the Year honors went to Gracie Kopala of Missouri Baptist after placing 13th in a time of 20:09.72. This is the second-straight year that a Spartan was won AMC Women's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year.
Crystal Ruden of William Woods took home AMC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year honors after a 6th-place finish in a time of 19:16.85. Ruden becomes the first runner from William Woods since Amy Gangloff in 2009 to win the award.
The coaching staff of Dan Schwab, Ryan Bontz, Austin Bestgen, Trista Judd and Alexa Moss (William Woods) were named AMC Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year for the first-time since the award changed names in 2018.
Mia Reed (Missouri Baptist), Isabel Rinkenberger (Missouri Baptist), Jada O'Donnell (Columbia) and Emma Homfeldt (Columbia) are the AMC's individual qualifiers for the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships.
The top-10 individual finishers earned AMC All-Conference status.
Engelbrecht and Grace Brinkmann (Columbia) are now three-time All-Conference, Ellie Dimond (William Woods), Mia Reed (Missouri Baptist), O'Donnell, Mekayla Gibson (William Woods), and Homfeldt are two-time All-Conference, while Isabel Rinkenberger (Missouri Baptist), Ruden and Grover are All-Conference for the first-time.
Additionally, the AMC has announced the members of the AMC Women's Cross Country Academic All-Conference and Champions of Character Team.
The AMC Champions of Character Team is one representative from each of the participating school who best exemplifies the NAIA Five-Core Values.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference Team, student-athletes must be in their second semester at their AMC institution, have at least a 3.0 GPA and finish the year on the team. Fall sport freshman are not eligible for the award in their first season.
AMC Women's Cross Country Champions of Character Team:
2022 AMC Women's Cross Country Academic All-AMC
The Owls scored 26 points, which is tied for second for the lowest winning score in the history of the AMC Women's Cross Country Championships. Additionally, William Woods now owns seven team championships which is the most of all AMC schools.
Alicia Engelbrecht (William Woods) won the individual title, finishing the course in a time of 18:39.61. Engelbrecht was named AMC Runner of the Year after the Championships. Engelbrecht is the first Owl to win Runner of the Year since Kristi Palmer in 2011.
Newcomer of the Year honors went to Gracie Kopala of Missouri Baptist after placing 13th in a time of 20:09.72. This is the second-straight year that a Spartan was won AMC Women's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year.
Crystal Ruden of William Woods took home AMC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year honors after a 6th-place finish in a time of 19:16.85. Ruden becomes the first runner from William Woods since Amy Gangloff in 2009 to win the award.
The coaching staff of Dan Schwab, Ryan Bontz, Austin Bestgen, Trista Judd and Alexa Moss (William Woods) were named AMC Women's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year for the first-time since the award changed names in 2018.
Mia Reed (Missouri Baptist), Isabel Rinkenberger (Missouri Baptist), Jada O'Donnell (Columbia) and Emma Homfeldt (Columbia) are the AMC's individual qualifiers for the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships.
The top-10 individual finishers earned AMC All-Conference status.
Engelbrecht and Grace Brinkmann (Columbia) are now three-time All-Conference, Ellie Dimond (William Woods), Mia Reed (Missouri Baptist), O'Donnell, Mekayla Gibson (William Woods), and Homfeldt are two-time All-Conference, while Isabel Rinkenberger (Missouri Baptist), Ruden and Grover are All-Conference for the first-time.
Additionally, the AMC has announced the members of the AMC Women's Cross Country Academic All-Conference and Champions of Character Team.
The AMC Champions of Character Team is one representative from each of the participating school who best exemplifies the NAIA Five-Core Values.
To be eligible for the Academic All-Conference Team, student-athletes must be in their second semester at their AMC institution, have at least a 3.0 GPA and finish the year on the team. Fall sport freshman are not eligible for the award in their first season.
AMC Women's Cross Country Champions of Character Team:
| Name | School |
| Ashleigh Gross-Mitchell | Central Baptist |
| Emma Homfeldt | Columbia |
| Kiana Garcia | Cottey |
| Harlee Hughes | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Mikayla Sherrill | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Alexis Herman | Lyon |
| Maddie Sargent | Missouri Baptist |
| Emma Clifford | William Woods |
| Kyia Weisbrod | Williams Baptist |
2022 AMC Women's Cross Country Academic All-AMC
| School | Name |
| Columbia | Grace Brinkmann |
| Columbia | Emma Homfeldt |
| Columbia | Daylin Huebotter |
| Columbia | Jada O'donnell |
| Cottey | Taylor Rechenmacher |
| Cottey | Kiana Garcia |
| Hannibal-LaGrange | Tiah Cupp |
| Hannibal-LaGrange | Harlee Hughes |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Sophie Eastham |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Claudia LaBruyere |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Mikayla Sherrill |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Ajia Vigil |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Allison Wakeland |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Rebecca Wakeland |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Abbey Wallace |
| Lyon | Allison Boyd |
| Lyon | Haeley Pines |
| Lyon | Alexis Herman |
| Missouri Baptist | Nani Brewington |
| Missouri Baptist | Alyssa McCormack |
| Missouri Baptist | Lily Nix |
| Missouri Baptist | Mia Reed |
| Missouri Baptist | Isabel Rinkenberger |
| Missouri Baptist | Maddie Sargent |
| Missouri Baptist | Vanessa Waidmann |
| Missouri Baptist | Mikayla Ware |
| William Woods | Emma Clifford |
| William Woods | Ellie Dimond |
| William Woods | Alicia Engelbrecht |
| William Woods | Faith Gerling |
| William Woods | Mekayla Gibson |
| William Woods | Mary Grover |
| William Woods | Lauren Imler |
| Williams Baptist | Mikey Larson |
| Williams Baptist | Danielle Barstead |
| Williams Baptist | Emily Weiss |