FULTON, Mo. - After competing in the American Midwest Conference for the program's first 20 years and winning nine conference team titles, seven AMC Runner of the Year, six AMC Coach of the Year and two AMC Coaching Staff of the Year awards in that time, William Woods University takes the starting line for a new chapter in the program's successful history, as 2025 will be its first campaign in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
"I'm really excited about getting a chance to work with really outstanding young women," Owls head cross country coach Gregory A. Keeler, entering his first season in charge after spending last season as the assistant, said. "They've got a strong tradition, and honestly, going into the Heart, they're probably in one of the best positions of all the programs. They only lost two off last year's championship team. Crystal Ruden coming back, she of all returners from the Heart of America on the women's side, she was the highest finisher at nationals last year."
Coming off a 2024 season in which it swept the AMC team and individual championships, William Woods will be posed with a more formidable challenge in the Heart of America, with two teams receiving votes in the 2025 NAIA Preseason Coaches' Top 25, Benedictine College (79) and Mount Mercy University (77; host of this year's Heart Championships), compared to the AMC's none. In the 2024 NAIA Cross Country Championships, Benedictine (24th, 645 points) and Mount Mercy (27th, 714 points) were the only two Heart teams to place ahead of William Woods (28th, 715 points).
"The Heart of America is a strong conference," Keeler said. "When we went head-to-head last year against teams from the Heart, our women won more times than they lost. It's cross country, a little bit different because of how the individual, you can't always. But that makes you think we got a real shot moving forward. I think that the women's team, if last year's freshmen, the sophomores develop, continue to develop the way they are, and the freshmen, I really feel like we've got a shot at certainly being in the top three in the Heart.
"I think that several of our women have legitimate shots at qualifying for nationals individually. Obviously, Crystal Ruden, she's a multiple national qualifier and finished the best last year at nationals of all the women returners in the Heart of America. That definitely tells you where she is. Sarah Kirby and Tara Lowe, they're both excited for this season. I think obviously it's a step up, not going to lie about that, but I think our women have a real shot at being competitive, and not just competitive, but making some noise and gaining confidence."
Retaining 10 runners (six upperclassmen) from a season ago, Keeler believes having a group that knows collegiate cross country will help the Owls excel this year.
"Their experience," Keeler explained. "When you bring back, of your returners, five of them have competed at nationals at least once, and your entire marathon team comes back, you gotta respect that experience there. They've been there, and they've done that. Their eyes are not wide open. They know exactly what they're doing, and they're focused, they've got legitimate, strong goals individually, which the nice thing about cross country is that if someone meets their individual goals, that tends to be stronger means that the team is going to be stronger."
Having that experience, Keeler shared what his goals are for WWU in 2025.
"Still a little bit early, I'll have a much better idea of where we sit after our first meet," Keeler said. "But I'll tell you, I definitely think that we have multiple women that have a shot at all-conference honors. Multiple women have a shot at qualifying for nationals individually. If our younger runners, returners, develop and continue to develop, and our freshmen have a good season, I think being one of the top two in the conference and going to nationals, it certainly is something that it's certainly a goal they have a shot at hitting."
Leading the Owls on the course this season will be Crystal Ruden, who is a three-time All-AMC honoree and national qualifier (2022-24), the highest Heart of America returning runner from the 2024 NAIA XC National Championships (73rd, 22:28.30) and a 2024 NAIA Marathon Classic and Boston Marathon qualifier. Her 5k PR is 18:59.5, and her 6k is 22:28.30.
"Crystal, you can't overstate her leadership ability," Keeler said. "When she thinks about her goal and how that translates to the team, is always a part of it. Almost every conversation we've ever had is with what she is going to do, track, cross country, whatever it is, and how it positively affects the team. I think Crystal, her leadership, and her enthusiasm are her strongest attributes. Work ethic. She's a great athlete. She has earned the right of being our No. 1 runner this year. She has a real shot at continuing what she's been doing."
Another notable returner for Woods is 2024 AMC Newcomer of the Year Sarah Kirby, who is the 19th-highest Heart of America returning runner from the 2024 NAIA XC National Championships (275th, 24:48.30). Kirby's PRs are 20:12 for 5k and 24:45 for 6k.
"She was able to finally get a full season in," Keeler said. "Sarah is going to be, if we can get to that top three in the conference, Sarah is probably going to be one of the keys. If she has a good season, and she takes the next step, the team's going to have a good season."
Rounding out the Owls' trio of top returners is Tara Lowe, who earned All-AMC honors in 2023, was a 2023 nationals qualifier, a two-time NAIA Marathon Classic competitor (2023-24) and a Boston Marathon qualifier. Lowe's 5k PR is 20:24.8, and 6k is 24:09.7.
"Tara is a bundle of energy," Keeler said. "Everything she does, the people around her are having fun. She's a type of person that I think, really, she's just excited about everything she does. Everything to her is about doing right and doing good. Just the people around her; it's about motivation with her. She's always someone that is just a positive energy, and it can be very contagious."
A few returners that Keeler thinks could have a breakout campaign are Sydney Grubb, Christian Steuck and Amy Schreck.
"Sydney Grubb, she definitely finished out the outdoor track season very strong," Keeler said. "She certainly knows the fact that she is a returning national qualifier, both in cross country and the marathon. Several of our sophomore women are in that same boat. I'm excited to see where she is, but it is going to take someone coming from that group to have a breakout year for us to be in that top three. Christian was probably our most consistent of last year's freshman class. Amy Schreck has really done very well this year."
Key newcomers for the Owls are Devan Humphreys, Abbie Gibson and Madelynn Sprengel. Humphreys' high school honors include Maryland Class A2 all-state in 2024 and a two-time state qualifier (2022-23); her 5k cross country PR is 20:40. Gibson was a MSHSAA Class 3 state qualifier, and the Owensville alumna's 5k cross country PR is 20:51.1. Another freshman from mid-Missouri, Sprengel, a graduate of Calvary Lutheran, earned MSHSAA Class 1 all-state twice (2022, '24), qualified for MSHSAA Class 1 state three straight seasons (2022-24) and has a 5k cross country PR of 21:18.
William Woods has a program great providing guidance as a graduate assistant to the team this season in Mekayla Gibson, the Owls' first-ever women's cross country All-American (back-to-back years, 2023-24) and their 5k (18:04.8) and 6k (21:48.2) record holder. Gibson shared what it'll be like serving in her new role this year.
"I wish I could be running those meets, obviously," Mekayla Gibson said. "Running with Crystal, or just all the girls, but I think, it's going to be really good for me to have this experience of coaching them, coaching at a collegiate level, too. I'm just excited for this season."
While Mekayla Gibson may no longer be leading William Woods as a competitor, she firmly believes that Ruden can fill that role in the team this year.
"Crystal, she's a great leader," Mekayla Gibson said. "She's already doing a great job leading them, and I think she's always so spunky and always positive. I believe that she can greatly impact the team, even just being around them all the time."
Outside of Ruden, Mekayla Gibson shared who she thinks will contribute to Woods' top five this season.
"Sarah Kirby, she's always very consistent with her times, so she's going to be right up there in the top five," Mekayla Gibson said. "I could see my sister Abbie, she's going to come in and probably be in that top five. I believe that she could probably run about 20:30, somewhere in there. I could see Sydney and Amy coming in and really impacting that top five. We just have a big middle group that I think that top five can be a toss up, like Kathryn Hirtz could come in and shake it up."
The Owls compete in their first competition of the season, the Spire Sunset Showdown, at 6:45 p.m. Friday at the University of Saint Mary's Cross Country Course in Leavenworth, Kan.
"I'm excited," Keeler said. "I think that they've had the least volatility. They're pretty much the same team that was here last year, losing someone of the caliber of Mekayla Gibson, that's always going to be a hit. But, I think we have a talented enough group that they'll make up for her in the aggregate."
