JOPLIN, MO- The Cougars headed to Missouri for the NCAA Championships on Saturday at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. The team saw some strong performances as they took 16th overall, led by Molly Miller who had a fantastic final 2 kilometers to score 40 points. 

Things got started in the morning with the 6k on a beautiful day for running in Joplin. On the scenic Tom Rutledge course, CCU got off and running quickly. Miller, the former soccer turned cross country star, was the top finisher for her team as she scored 40 points with a run of 20:51.5, picking off opponents as she passed many in the back half of the race. Paige Tack came next, posting 77 points with a time of 21:32.5, while Lucy Pidek scored 98 points with a run of 21:48.4. 

Alysia Wagner came next, scoring 110 points with a mark of 21:55.4., and Zanzie Demco posted 125 points as she finished with a time of 22:03.5. Callie Ketner closed out the race with a mark of 22:29.1. Shannon King was in All American position until the race conditions unfortunately overcame her with 400 meters left in the race. 

The team finished in 16th place overall with 450 points, securing a place in the top half of teams for the second consecutive year. Grand Valley State claimed the team title, followed by Adams State and Colorado School of Mines, showing the strength of the RMAC. 

Top-10: 1. Lindsay Cunningham (Winona State) 19:30.1; 2. Eleonora Curtabbi (WTAMU) 19:45.2; 3. Natalie Graber (GVSU) 19:50.3; 4. Brianna Robles (Adams State) 19:58.9; 5. Khot Juac (Sioux Falls) 20:00.0; 6. Sarah Koomson (WTAMU) 20:00.1; 7. Kaylee Beyer (Winona State) 20:06.3; 8. Klaudia O'Malley (GVSU) 20:07.6; 9. Anna Fauske (UCCS) 20:09.5; 10. Allison Beasley (Western Colorado) 20:10.3

Colorado Christian: 1. Molly Miller: 20:51.5; 2. Paige Tack: 21:32.5; 3. Lucy Pidek: 21:48.4; 4. Alysia Wagner: 21:55.4; 5. Zanzie Demco: 22:03.5; 6. Callie Ketner: 22:29.1

The 2023 cross country season now comes to a close, and the Cougars have a lot to be proud of. The team qualified for their third straight NCAA Championship and closed strong with a 16th place finish amongst the best teams in the nation. Colorado Christian cross country continues to grow in notoriety as they have become a mainstay at Nationals and a team that can compete with any team on any given day.