EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - William Woods University's women's 5,000-meter run GOAT, Mekayla Gibson, added a first to her name on the third and final time of asking, winning her first American Midwest Conference outdoor title in the 5k in the AMC Outdoor Championships, which took place Wednesday and Thursday at Ralph Korte Stadium. On the team leaderboard, the Owls were the AMC runner-up, scoring 142½ points, 68½ behind conference champion Columbia College.

"Coming in second place is tough for the last ever AMC conference meet ever," William Woods track and field coach Anthony Stockton said. "I am so proud of our women, from Crystal, who was thrown adversity throughout the meet, Mekayla, who did everything she can for her team and Allison in the throws who scored points for us. I am so proud of each of them. I wish I could have given them the championship. We will take over the Heart!"

No matter the season, William Woods knows how to succeed in the 5k, and it did to the greatest extent possible this time by sweeping all three All-AMC positions. Gibson reached the finish line first at 18 minutes and 53.87 seconds, Hailey Gerard, the 2024 AMC champion, placed second at 18:54.43 and Crystal Ruden took third at 19:05.6. 

Tacking on a second track All-AMC laurel and a personal best time to their names: Ruden placed second in the 10,000 run at 42:40.39, a 1:17.31 improvement from her first collegiate time just over a month ago, and Gerard took third at 4:47.74 in the 1,500, her first below 4:50 time this season. Gibson was two positions away from Gerard in the 1,500, finishing fifth at a PR of 4:52.53, her second straight sub-5:00 time. Christian Steuck also cracked the top five on the track, registering a fifth-place 14:24.48 in the 3,000 steeplechase.

On the field side, the Owls earned two of the three All-AMC honors in two events. In the triple jump, Heidi Baranauskas placed second at 10.64 meters (34 feet and 11 inches) and Jesse Gresham third at 10.5m (34-5½); De'Prisha Chatman also made the top five, taking fourth at 10.49m (34-5). And, in the pole vault, Esther (El) Reagan recorded a second-place clearance of 3m (9-10) and Ashley Strode third at 2.85m (9-4¼). Other standouts on the field, Allison Kenneavy, placed fourth in the discus at 33.82m (110-12) and Lexi Clifford fifth in the javelin at 31.67m (103-11). 

The Woods excelled all around as it had two All-AMC displays in relays: The Owls' 4x800-meter relay team of Emma Clifford, Amy Schreck, Sydney Grubb and Myra Baker placed second at 10:10.46, and their 4x100 squad of Madison Dixon, Rylie Bales, Chatman and Gresham took third at 51.7. 

Relay runner Dixon joined Gresham in adding an individual All-AMC accolade to their name, placing third in the 100 dash finals at 12.92 - she also finished third in the prelims with an even better result, a personal record 12.75, her first sub-13-second time. Two spots away from a third All-AMC award, Dixon finished fifth in the 200 at 26.74, 0.44 off from achieving All-AMC.

Dixon also came close to another All-AMC honor in an additional relay, the third runner in WWU's 4x400 relay team of Clifford, Bales and Baker that placed fourth at 4:16.5. They were just 5.34 seconds from All-AMC. Anchor Baker added an individual top five to her two in relays, taking fifth in the 800 run at 2:28.42.


Making the most of its last AMC Championships, William Woods totaled eight individual and two relay All-AMC honors. The Owls posted 15 individual and three relay top-five performances.

Two Owls, Gibson and Anna Hart, compete against the nation's best in the 44th Annual NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University from May 21-23 at Wildcat Stadium in Marion, Ind. Hart will take part in the 5k race walk prelims at 11:30 a.m. CST May 21 - the final will be at 3:25 p.m. May 22 - and Gibson in the 10k final at 7:20 p.m. May 21.

2025 AMC Outdoor Track and Field Championships Final Standings
1. Columbia 211
2. William Woods 142½ 
3. Missouri Baptist 123½ 
4. UHSP 99
5. Hannibal-LaGrange 67
6. Cottey 63
7. Williams Baptist 47
8. Harris-Stowe 30
NTS Central Baptist 0

WWU's Individual Results

100-Meter Dash Prelims
3rd: Madison Dixon 12.75 (PR, prev. 13.03)
8th: Jesse Gresham 13.4

100-Meter Dash Final
3rd (All-AMC): Madison Dixon 12.92
8th: Jesse Gresham 13.49

200-Meter Dash Prelims
5th: Madison Dixon 26.67
7th: Jesse Gresham 27.11 (PR, prev. 27.21)
14th: Rylie Bales 28.85 (PR, prev. 29.25)

200-Meter Dash Final
5th: Madison Dixon 26.74
8th: Jesse Gresham 27.32

400-Meter Dash
7th: Rylie Bales 1:05.45 (PR, prev. 1:05.75)

800-Meter Run
5th: Myra Baker 2:28.42
12th: Christian Steuck 2:49.58 (PR, prev. 2:58.75)

1,500-Meter Run
3rd (All-AMC): Hailey Gerard 4:47.74 (PR, prev. 4:49.45)
5th: Mekayla Gibson 4:52.53 (PR, prev. 4:54.16)
6th: Crystal Ruden 5:09.69
10th: Amy Schreck 5:23.38 (PR, prev. 5:26.91)
12th: Sarah Kirby 5:29.27
14th: Tara Lowe 5:46.8

5,000-Meter Run
1st (AMC Champion!): Mekayla Gibson 18:53.87
2nd (All-AMC): Hailey Gerard 18:54.43
3rd (All-AMC): Crystal Ruden 19:05.6
13th: Sydney Grubb 21:28.35
14th: Sarah Kirby 21:47.14
16th: Amy Schreck 22:54.27

10,000-Meter Run
2nd (All-AMC): Crystal Ruden 42:40.39 (PR, prev. 43:57.7)

400-Meter Hurdles
6th: Emma Clifford 1:16.9

3,000-Meter Steeplechase
5th: Christian Steuck 14:24.48

4x100-Meter Relay
3rd (All-AMC): Madison Dixon, Rylie Bales, De'Prisha Chatman and Jesse Gresham 51.7

4x400-Meter Relay
4th: Emma Clifford, Rylie Bales, Madison Dixon and Myra Baker 4:16.5

4x800-Meter Relay
2nd (All-AMC): Emma Clifford, Amy Schreck, Sydney Grubb and Myra Baker 10:10.46

High Jump
7th: Esther (El) Reagan 1.4m (4-7) (First Collegiate Mark)

Pole Vault
2nd (All-AMC): Esther (El) Reagan 3m (9-10)
3rd (All-AMC): Ashley Strode 2.85m (9-4¼) (Matched her PR, originally set April 11)

Long Jump
6th: Heidi Baranauskas 4.91m (16-1½) 
7th: Jesse Gresham 4.68m (15-4¼)
13th: De'Prisha Chatman 4.16m (13-7¾)

Triple Jump
2nd (All-AMC): Heidi Baranauskas 10.64m (34-11) (PR, prev. 10.5m [34-5½]) 
3rd (All-AMC): Jesse Gresham 10.5m (34-5½) (PR, prev. 10.05m [32-11¾]) 
4th: De'Prisha Chatman 10.49m (34-5)
 

Shot Put
6th: Allison Kenneavy 10.61m (34-9¾)

Discus
4th: Allison Kenneavy 33.82m (110-11)

Hammer
12th: Allison Kenneavy 35.12m (115-3)

Javelin
5th: Lexi Clifford 31.67m (103-11)
7th: Christian Steuck 29.34m (96-3) (PR, prev. 28.22m [92-7])