AMC Cross Country Championship Preview

November 1, 2023

Nevada, Mo. - (Men's Championships Page | Women's Championships Page) The 20^th Annual American Midwest Conference (AMC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships are set to take place on Friday, Nov. 3 at Frank E. Peters Golf Course in Nevada, Mo.

Championship Notes:

2023 marks the first year the Championships will be held at Frank E. Peters Golf Course in Nevada, Mo. Four AMC schools competed at the Cottey Invitational on this course in September (Columbia, Cottey, Missouri Baptist and William Woods)
The women's 6K race begins at 10:30 AM, while the men's 8K will follow around 11:30 AM. This is the first year the women's race is a 6K.
After the Championship, the AMC will hold an awards ceremony near the finish line. The conference will announce the All-Conference Team, Coaching Staff of the Year, Runner of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and the Champions of Character Team.

Women's Notes

William Woods ended Columbia's five-year championship run last year and looks to win their AMC-record eighth title.
William Woods has been ranked or "received votes" in each of the five NAIA Coaches' Ratings this year.
Only three AMC schools have run a 6K meet this season - Columbia (Blazing Tiger), Cottey (Blazing Tiger & Haskell Invitational), and William Woods (Gans Creek Invitational)
Top 6K times for those schools - Columbia: Bailey Combs (25:19.2), Cottey: Madaleen Fee (23:00.2 at Haskell) and William Woods: Mekayla Gibson (22:58.7)
Five of last year's top-10 finishers return this year - Ellie Dimond, William Woods (2^nd), Mia Reed, Missouri Baptist (3^rd), Crystal Ruden, William Woods (6^th), Mekayla Gibson, William Woods (7^th), and Mary Grover, William Woods (10^th).
Reed, Dimond and Gibson are looking to join 12 other runners in Conference history to have three All-Conference finishes in their career.

Men's Notes

Since the first championship in 2004, there have been five repeat team champions five times. Missouri Baptist looks to become just the third team to win three straight titles (MBU 2004-06, Columbia 2014-20).
Columbia leads all AMC teams with eight team titles. Missouri Baptist is second with five and William Woods has three.
Donovan Denslow of Missouri Baptist, last year's Championship runner-up and a four-time AMC Runner of the Week in 2023, ran a 25:09.5 race at the Cottey Invitational, the top-8K time in the Conference this year. That meet was on the Championship course.
Seven of last year's top-10 finishers return this year - Donovan Denslow, Missouri Baptist (2^nd), Wyatt Elliott, Missouri Baptist (4^th), Jensen Starr, William Woods (5^th), Will Cherrington, Columbia (6^th), David Fletcher, Missouri Baptist (7^th), Landon Dunlap, William Woods (8^th), Cameron Deatherage, Hannibal-LaGrange (9^th).
Elliott and Dunlap look to join the list of 13 other four-time All-Conference runners. Denslow looks to become the 10^th three-time All-Conference runner.