Joplin, MO - On Saturday, the College of the Ozarks Bobcats and Lady Cats competed in the Missouri Southern Stampede at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO. The meet featured competitive teams from various institutions including Hutchinson CC, Pittsburg St., and Missouri Southern among others. The Lady Cats secured the 15th position out of 22 teams, and the Bobcats placed 16th out of 26 teams in a very competitive field.

In the women’s 5k race, Keena Goze, a junior Lady Cat, delivered a standout performance by finishing 22nd overall with a personal record time of 18:31.02, setting a PR for the second consecutive week. Goze was the top NAIA runner in the field. Sophomores Emilie Zylstra and Tia Bethards also turned in strong times, finishing at 20:28.98 and 20:39.21 respectively. Gracie Zurbriggen (Gatton) recorded a time of 21:33.2, Gracie Vestal turned in a time of 22:14.6, Abigail Horton crossed the line in 22:37.6, Reagan Hull finished in 22:41.4, and Aryssa Speights recorded a time of 22:51.1.

The Bobcats competed in the 8k race and turned in a solid showing as well.

The Bobcats finished 16th out of the 26 teams participating. Tanner Bailey significantly stood out by setting a personal record for the second consecutive week, finishing the race in 13th place with an impressive time of 24:15.2. Bailey now holds the third fastest time in the NAIA according to the times listed on Athletic.net. Other notable performances included Nolyn Corder who completed the race in 26:07.71, and Jack Lawson who clocked in at 28:01.31. The team's effort was further supported by Ethan Howard with a time of 28:22.66, Alex Frizzell at 29:05.45, Drew Rose finishing in 29:34.92, and Eric Burns who crossed the line at 29:47.11. Elijah Struik, Gabe Whitman, and Brady Rose also contributed with times of 29:49.34, 30:03.74, and 33:33.48 respectively.

Looking ahead, the Bobcats and Lady Cats are set to compete in the highly competitive Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR on October 4. The teams hope to build on their experience and results from the recent event as they prepare for the upcoming challenge.