CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa- The William Woods University women's cross-country team continued to make strides this weekend, turning in a strong collective effort in the women's 6K at the Seminole Valley Stampede. Senior Crystal Ruden led the Owls with an impressive eighth-place finish, clocking a 22:29.6 to earn eight points and pace the field as one of the top senior runners at the meet. 

Ruden's leadership set the tone early, guiding a young lineup that continues to gain valuable experience. Behind her, Sarah Kirby crossed in 36th place with a time of 23:53.6, while freshman Devan Humphreys made her presence known with a solid 48th-place finish at 24:25.0, establishing herself as one of the next promising runners for The Woods. 

Sophomore Sydney Grubb and junior Tara Lowe rounded out the scoring five, finishing nearly stride-for-stride in 68th (25:22.0) and 69th (25:24.5) respectively, underscoring the team's depth and tight pack running. 

"I am so very proud of how the women are progressing in this season! Crystal Ruden placed 8th out of 100 runners, earning a top 20 award and recognition. On the women's side we had 3 women run personal bests!" added Anthony Stockton. "I want to give a special shout out to Graduate Assistant Coach, Mekeyla Gibson and Jenson Starr, the success we are enjoying is due to them and we are truly blessed to have them!" 

Freshmen Abbie Gibson (25:34.8) and Kaylee Johnson (26:48.8) also turned in commendable efforts in their collegiate 6K debuts, while sophomores Amy Schreck (26:31.3) and Anna Hart (27:07.2) continued to show steady improvement. Sophomore Christian Steuck (26:14.0) added another reliable performance to bolster the team's finish. 

Owls PR from the meet: 

Sarah Kirby: got a personal best of 23:53.6; a 51 second PR! 

Sydney Grubb: got a personal best of 25:22.0; a 43 second PR! 

Anna Hart: got a personal best of 27:07.2; 1 min and 13 second PR! 

The Owls continue their season on October 25, at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classice hosted by Doane University.