Columbia, Mo. – The Southwest Baptist University women's cross-country team put together a strong performance Thursday morning at the Gans Creek Classic, finishing sixth out of 23 teams in the women's 6K Black race.
Junior Natalie Gerdes led the Bearcats with an impressive runner-up finish, completing the 6K course in 21:07.7. Senior Kiersten Potter gave SBU a second runner inside the top ten, placing seventh overall with a time of 21:36.2.
Freshman Lina Schitz continued her strong start to her collegiate career, finishing 45th overall in 22:49.0. Fellow freshman Audrey Richter was SBU's fourth finisher, crossing the line in 23:04.5, while senior Riley Arnold rounded out the scoring five with a time of 23:23.8.
The Bearcats finished with 167 points, just one point behind fifth-place Indiana Wesleyan and eight behind fourth-place Truman. SBU also finished ahead of NCAA Division I Missouri State, which placed seventh with 175 points. The Bearcats' scoring five combined for a time of 1:52:01.20, giving SBU an average time of 22:24.24—the second-fastest team average in the field.
SBU's combination of two top-seven finishers and a sixth-place team result highlighted another strong outing for the Bearcats as they continue through the 2026 season. They will now get a month of training before returning to competition on October 24th, at the Missouri Western Invite.
