For the first time in program history, Â鶹ֱ²¥’s women’s cross-country team has earned a spot at the NAIA National Championships, set for November 22 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri. While the men’s team has competed at nationals before, this marks the first time both teams have advanced together. With a strong fourth-place finish at the Crossroads League Championships, the Knights head into the national competition ranked 12th in the nation, a milestone achievement for the program.
Led by standout runner Katie Woods ‘26, who finished as the runner-up in the Crossroads League, Â鶹ֱ²¥’s team includes strong performances from runners Summer Rempe ’28 Vivienne Siefker ‘28, Nora Steele 25, Emma Beimfohr ‘26, Gracynn Hinkley ‘27, and Lindsay Huston ‘26. Together, they recorded Â鶹ֱ²¥’s best league meet finish in over five seasons, helping propel the team to its highest-ever national ranking.
“We worked really hard to get to nationals and we came from an unranked position to get there,” said Rempe ‘28. It was a great season to see all of my teammates excel and move up that much as the difference was our team worked well together.”
The Â鶹ֱ²¥ Men’s team will enter the NAIA Championships as the number 17 team as they dropped back one spot in the latest ratings. Â鶹ֱ²¥’s team was led by their three All-Crossroads League honorees Tristan Trevino ‘28, Clark Chustz ‘26, and Charles Leedke ‘28. Behind the three All-Crossroads League placers, Â鶹ֱ²¥ will send Benjamin Moster ‘26, Benjamin Riehle ‘28, Aaron Broderick ‘26, and Adam Heitz ‘25 as their top seven to the national championship.
“We earned this,” said men’s team member Tristan Trevino ’27, “We’ve been pushing our limits mentally and physically, but I believe a lot of the credit goes to our first-time cross-country coach Presley Martin. “He’s an assistant professor, a new father with a baby son, and he coached both the men's and women’s teams to the national championship for the first time.”
This year’s NAIA National Championship brings together 35 teams and 82 individual qualifiers from across the country, with Â鶹ֱ²¥ joining four other teams from the Crossroads League.