St. Joseph, Mo. – The Southwest Baptist University women's cross-country team continued its strong 2026 campaign Saturday morning at the Griffon Open, finishing second overall with 54 points. The Bearcats were led by junior Natalie Gerdes, who captured the individual title in the women's 5K race.

Gerdes dominated the field, crossing the finish line in 17:10.6 to claim first place overall, nearly 40 seconds ahead of the next best runner. Senior Kiersten Potter joined her near the front of the pack, finishing third overall with a time of 18:04.6, giving SBU two runners inside the top three.

Sophomore Gracie Troester was the third Bearcat across the line, placing 11th overall in 18:40.1. Senior Riley Arnold followed in 20th with a time of 18:53.4, while fellow senior Lily Hunsucker rounded out SBU's scoring five in 23rd at 18:54.3.

Freshmen Lina Schitz and Audrey Richter continued to contribute to the Bearcats' depth, finishing 28th and 35th with times of 19:00.2 and 19:08.4, respectively. Junior Kadence Wallace also turned in a strong performance, placing 38th in 19:11.9.

The Bearcats finished second overall with 54 points, highlighted by Gerdes' individual victory and Potter's third-place finish. With five runners finishing inside the top 23, SBU put together another impressive performance as the team continues building momentum towards the GLVC Championship in two weeks' time. This Championship will take place near home in Springfield, Missouri.