KEARNEY, Neb. – The Griffon women’s cross country team saved its best for the most important event of its inaugural season. Every scoring Griffon posted a personal record and the team posted its best time of the season at the NCAA Central Region Cross Country Championships at the Kearney Country Club.

The team finished 14th with Kaitlyn Shoemaker finishing 13th individually. Missouri Western finished sixth among MIAA schools in the regional event. A new system to determine qualification for the NCAA Division II National Championships means Shoemaker will have to wait until Monday, Nov. 6 to learn if she will compete in the national event on Nov. 18 in Evansville, Indiana.

Shoemaker posted a 21:57 in the 6k race, her first sub-22:00 minute race. Megan Gillen (23:18), Kelsey Cox (23:21), Allison Goos (23:53) and Claire Reedy (24:24) rounded out the scoring for the Griffons.

The men’s team finished in 24th place in their first-ever 10k race. Alex Bautista (34:14) led the men, followed by Christian Arbuthnot (34:54), Ross Baumer (35:28), Jackson Rush (36:30) and Chris Dunn (36:43). Four of seven Griffon men racers posted personal records through the first 8k of the race.

— MWSU Athletics —