DES MOINES, Iowa - Competing in the Viking Classic, hosted by Grand View University on a cold Friday with an overcast, William Woods University's Anna Hart set a new school record, surpassing the NAIA "B" Standard to qualify for next month's NAIA Outdoor National Championships in the 5,000-meter race walk.

Hart won the 5k race walk with her historic time of 29 minutes and 33.56 seconds, easily besting the Owls' previous school record of 35:30.28, set by Richelle Perkins in 2013. 

"I am so proud of Anna," William Woods track and field assistant Gregory A. Keeler said. "When we first started talking about her trying the race walk back in February, it felt like she had all the tools to be a racewalker, but what she has accomplished in such a short time is amazing!"

That wasn't the only outstanding showing from The Woods in its final regular season competition, as Rylie Bales ran a personal record 1:05.75 to take third out of eight runners in the 400 dash. In her first collegiate season, Bales set a new PR each of the three times she competed in the 400, her newest being a 0.99-second improvement over her previous top time.

Last but not least, Jesse Gresham notched a pair of top-10 showings for the Owls, placing sixth out of 15 in the 200 dash at 27.69 and ninth out of 22 in the 100 at 13.25.

William Woods will give it all it's got when it travels to Edwardsville, Illinois, for the American Midwest Conference Championships from Wednesday to Thursday at one of the Midwest's premier track and field facilities, Ralph Korte Stadium.