William Woods Claims AMC Cross Country Championship Title
November 8, 2024
Hannibal, Mo. - {Championship Page} The William Woods University Owls won their American Midwest Conference record eighth women's cross country Championship on Friday at the Hannibal Cross Country Course. The Owls became the fourth team to win the title by two or fewer points, edging runner-up Missouri Baptist University, 40-42. Columbia College finished third with 64 points followed by Cottey College with 68 points.
William Woods senior Mekayla Gibson won her second straight individual title in 22:03.60, becoming the fourth runner to win back-to-back conference championships. Gibson outpaced Cottey's Madalenn Fee (22:25.67), teammate Crystal Ruden (22:44.18) and the Missouri Baptist duo of Mia Duncan (23:06.71) and Adrienne Rockette (24:00.45) who rounded out the top-5 finishers.
With the title, William Woods receives the AMC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, the fifth time the Owls have qualified as a team. Columbia will also participate in the National Championship as a team with the host bid as the Cougars are serving as host of the 2024 NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 at Gans Creek in Columbia, Mo.
In addition to the team qualifiers, 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, Fee, Duncan, Rockette and Missouri Baptist's Julia Whorton 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. Wiliam Woods' Hailey Gerard, Columbia teammates Nataly Gutierrez and Lauren Berhorst, and Missouri Baptist's Camrin Watkins join the six aforementioned runners on the All-Conference Team.
Gibson and Duncan became the 10th and 11th runners in Conference history to have four career All-Conference finishes. Ruden becomes a three-time All-Conference runner, while Fee and Rockette both repeated as All-Conference performers.
Whorton's seventh place finish earned her Freshman of the Year honors, and William Woods' Sarah Kirby was named Newcomer of the Year behind an 11th-place finish.
The William Woods University coaching staff led by head coach Dan Schwab and assistants Greg Keeler, Jaryl Bernard and Austin Bestgen 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
William Woods senior Mekayla Gibson won her second straight individual title in 22:03.60, becoming the fourth runner to win back-to-back conference championships. Gibson outpaced Cottey's Madalenn Fee (22:25.67), teammate Crystal Ruden (22:44.18) and the Missouri Baptist duo of Mia Duncan (23:06.71) and Adrienne Rockette (24:00.45) who rounded out the top-5 finishers.
With the title, William Woods receives the AMC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, the fifth time the Owls have qualified as a team. Columbia will also participate in the National Championship as a team with the host bid as the Cougars are serving as host of the 2024 NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 at Gans Creek in Columbia, Mo.
In addition to the team qualifiers, 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, Fee, Duncan, Rockette and Missouri Baptist's Julia Whorton 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. Wiliam Woods' Hailey Gerard, Columbia teammates Nataly Gutierrez and Lauren Berhorst, and Missouri Baptist's Camrin Watkins join the six aforementioned runners on the All-Conference Team.
Gibson and Duncan became the 10th and 11th runners in Conference history to have four career All-Conference finishes. Ruden becomes a three-time All-Conference runner, while Fee and Rockette both repeated as All-Conference performers.
Whorton's seventh place finish earned her Freshman of the Year honors, and William Woods' Sarah Kirby was named Newcomer of the Year behind an 11th-place finish.
The William Woods University coaching staff led by head coach Dan Schwab and assistants Greg Keeler, Jaryl Bernard and Austin Bestgen 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 | William Woods | 40 |
| 2nd | Missouri Baptist | 42 |
| 3rd | Columbia | 64 |
| 4th | Cottey | 68 |
| 5th | Hannibal-LaGrange | 167 |
| 6th | Health Sciences & Pharmacy | 182 |
| 7th | Williams Baptist | 210 |
| 8th | Central Baptist | 222 |
Top-10 Individuals (All-Conference)
| Place | Runner, School | Time |
| 1st | Mekayla Gibson, William Woods | 22:03.60 |
| 2nd | Madalenn Fee, Cottey | 22:25.67 |
| 3rd | Crystal Ruden, William Woods | 22:44.18 |
| 4th | Mia Duncan, Missouri Baptist | 23:06.71 |
| 5th | Adrienne Rockette, Missouri Baptist | 24:00.65 |
| 6th | Hailey Gerard, William Woods | 24:19.40 |
| 7th | Julia Whorton, Missouri Baptist | 24:24.30 |
| 8th | Nataly Gutierrez, Columbia | 24:31.59 |
| 9th | Lauren Berhorst, Columbia | 24:35.31 |
| 10th | Camrin Watkins, Missouri Baptist | 24:42.88 |
Champions of Character Team
| School | Name |
| Central Baptist | Bay Davis |
| Columbia | Lauren Berhorst |
| Cottey | Avery Morris |
| Crowley's Ridge | Sami Tonkery |
| Hannibal-LaGrange | Lydia Sones |
| Health Sciences & Pharmacy | Abby Baxter |
| Missouri Baptist | Lillian Harris |
| William Woods | Kyah Weirich |
| Williams Baptist | Aletta Jonker |
Academic All-Conference Team
| Name | School |
| Lindsey Risner | Central Baptist |
| Baylie Combs | Columbia |
| Xavia Cullers | Columbia |
| Landry Johnson | Columbia |
| Kierstin Maddox | Columbia |
| Paige Thielen | Columbia |
| Taylor Yoder | Columbia |
| Mikaela Fabey | Cottey |
| Taylor Rechenmacher | Cottey |
| Madalenn Fee | Cottey |
| Joliette Johnson | Cottey |
| Hannah Hayduk | Cottey |
| Kyndal Soukup | Cottey |
| Kate Soukup | Cottey |
| Avery Morris | Cottey |
| Austin Monks | Crowley's Ridge |
| Laura Combs | Crowley's Ridge |
| Tia Cupp | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Breanne Haines | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Layla Horn | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Aubree Jones | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Lydia Sones | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Rylee Young | Hannibal-LaGrange |
| Baxter, Abby | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Dunajcik, Charlotte | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Eastham, Sophie Nichole | Health Sciences & Pharmacy |
| Mia (Reed) Duncan | Missouri Baptist |
| Lillian Harris | Missouri Baptist |
| Mattie Noyes | Missouri Baptist |
| Myra Baker | William Woods |
| Emma Clifford | William Woods |
| Hailey Gerard | William Woods |
| Mekayla Gibson | William Woods |
| Crystal Ruden | William Woods |
| Kyah Weirich | William Woods |
| Elizabeth Fowler | Williams Baptist |
| Calista Christian | Williams Baptist |