ASHLAND, Neb. - Mekayla Gibson wasn't satisfied with setting just one school record time, so she did it twice in as many meets, clocking in with her second (RV) William Woods University women's 6k record time of 21:59.23 to take sixth out of 303 runners in the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic Saturday at Mahoney State Park.

Two weeks, one meet, after she ran an Owls' women's 5k record of 18:04.76 in the Brian T. Simpson Invite at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Gibson bettered her previous WWU 6k women's record by 2.37 seconds. But unlike her first 6k school record, 22:01.6 time set in last year's AMC Championships at Frank E. Peters Golf Course in Nevada, Mo., Gibson accomplished her second 6k record on a course she hadn't competed on before.

"Women raced well, and it was good to see a solid day for our first 6k of the year," William Woods women's cross country coach Dan Schwab said. "Mekayla Gibson shattered the previous all-time XC 6k record, and the team has shown solid progress in previous weeks. Excited to see what they can do at the AMC Championships on Nov. 8."

Not only did Gibson make history, but she also posted the quickest time for a runner not on one of the top two teams, first-place, No. 3 University of St. Mary and second-place, No. 5 The College of Idaho. The last of six runners to register a sub-22-minute time, Gibson was 27.82 seconds away from the winning time, 21:31.41, notched by USM's Reagan Hiebert.

With a fast course and a number of top teams from the Midwest and the nation, the Blazing Tiger Classic had a nationals environment with a fast start and tight groups at Mahoney State Park, which was a 2k looped course with some slight inclines/declines. Under those conditions, William Woods did place in the top half of the team leaderboard, taking 13th out of 27 teams with 366 points (1:59:36 top-five total time/23:55 top-five average). The Spires took home yet another team championship, second straight and fourth overall this season, with 30 points (1:49:48 top-five total time/21:57 top-five average).

Along with Gibson, the Owls had PRs from Crystal Ruden at 23:01.14 (prev. 23:24.5), good enough for 34th place, Hailey Gerard at 24:14.4 (prev. 25:14.5), Sarah Kirby at 24:45.43 (prev. 32:08) and Kyah Weirich at 27:08.21 (prev. 27:36.8).

William Woods turns its attention to the postseason, returning to the course for the AMC Championships at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8 at Hannibal-LaGrange University's cross country course in Hannibal. Gibson is the reigning AMC individual champion, and the Owls are going for their second AMC team title in three years, with their most recent in 2022.

Meet Results

6 (6) Mekayla Gibson - 21:59.23 (School record/PR, prev. [both] 22:01.6)
34 (32) Crystal Ruden - 23:01.15 (PR, prev. 23:24.5)
97 (85) Hailey Gerard - 24:14.4 (PR, prev. 25:14.5)
131 (107) Sarah Kirby - 24:45.44 (PR, prev. 32:08)
178 (136) Christian Steuck - 25:36.08 (First collegiate 6k)
210 (153) Sydney Grubb - 26:05.17 (First collegiate 6k)
233 (164) Amy Schreck - 26:31.22 (First collegiate 6k)
255 Kyah Weirich - 27:08.21 (PR, prev. 27:36.8)
267 Carlee Moss - 27:51.56 (First collegiate 6k)
279 Anna Hart - 28:20.77 (First collegiate 6k)
297 Olivia Holman - 31:20.46 (First collegiate 6k)

Team Scores

1 - No. 3 St. Mary (Kan.) | 30 pts - 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, (16), (18)
Total time: 1:49:48/21:57

2 - No. 5 College of Idaho | 66 pts - 2, 7, 9, 14, 34, (36), (53)
Total time: 1:51:22/22:16

3 - No. 7 Dordt | 100 pts - 4, 19, 20, 28, 29, (33), (39)
Total time: 1:53:12/22:38

4 - No. 17 Kansas Wesleyan | 153 pts - 17, 24, 25, 38, 49, (51), (84)
Total time: 1:54:58/22:59

5 - No. 15 Lewis-Clark | 206 pts - 13, 22, 47, 60, 64, (111), (114)
Total time: 1:56:25/23:17

6 - Benedictine (Kan.) | 213 pts - 21, 27, 46, 56, 63, (67), (68)
Total time: 1:56:44/23:20

7 - No. 19 Mount Mercy | 271 pts - 15, 35, 70, 74, 77, (102), (106)
Total time: 1:57:46/23:33

8 - Evangel | 276 pts - 30, 45, 55, 58, 88, (127), (139)
Total time: 1:58:06/23:37

9 - Doane | 294 pts - 23, 52, 54, 78, 87, (100), (132)
Total time: 1:58:31/23:42

10 -  St. Mary (Neb.) | 307 pts - 44, 48, 57, 69, 89, (128), (134)
Total time: 1:58:52/23:46

11 - Dakota State | 308 pts - 37, 59, 65, 71, 76, (108), (151)
Total time: 1:58:48/23:45

12 - Concordia (Neb.) | 362 pts - 50, 61, 75, 82, 94, (112), (113)
Total time: 2:00:02/24:00

13 - William Woods | 366 pts - 6, 32, 85, 107, 136, (153), (164)
Total time:  1:59:36/23:55 (Spread 1-5 3:36) (Spread 1-7 4:31)

14 - St. Ambrose | 380 pts - 31, 42, 72, 95, 140, (142), (181)
Total time: 2:00:22/24:04

15 - Jamestown | 443 pts - 66, 73, 83, 131, (135)
Total time: 2:01:56/24:23

16 - Central Methodist | 476 pts - 40, 93, 99, 103, 141
Total time: 2:02:36/24:31

17 - St. Xavier | 483 pts - 26, 41, 123, 145, 148, (175)
Total time: 2:02:58/24:35

18 - Tabor College | 487 pts - 79, 81, 92, 109, 126, (147), (159)
Total time: 2:02:52/24:34

19 - John Brown | 497 pts - 62, 80, 115, 119, 121, (137), (143)
Total time: 2:03:10/24:38

20 - Cottey College | 500 pts - 8, 86, 105, 149, 152, (154), (167)
Total time:2:03:02/24:36

21 - Morningside University | 538 pts - 12, 98, 129, 138, 161, (163), (169)
Total time: 2:04:21/24:52

22 - Columbia (Mo.) | 590 pts - 97, 117, 122, 124, 130, (162), (171)
Total time: 2:05:22/25:04

23 - Bethel (Ind.) | 607 pts - 43, 118, 120, 156, 170, (172), (177)
Total time: 2:06:42/25:20

24 - Dickinson St. | 628 pts - 91, 110, 125, 144, 158, (174)
Total time: 2:06:34/25:18

25 - Hastings | 634 pts - 96, 104, 133, 146, 155, (160), (165)
Total time: 2:06:42/25:20

26 - Friends | 708 pts - 101, 116, 157, 166, (173), (176)
Total time: 2:09:16/25:51

27 - William Penn | 869 pts - 150, 178, 179, 180, 182
Total time: 2:31:51/30:22