Wilmore, KY - College of the Ozarks closed the NCCAA Outdoor National Championships with two national champions and top-11 team finishes on both sides, as the Bobcat women placed eighth with 40 points and the men finished 11th with 27 points in the three-day meet in Wilmore, Kentucky.

The headline performances came from Morgan Wood and Tanner Bailey. Wood captured the women’s heptathlon national title with 4,065 points, giving the Bobcats a major boost in the team standings and delivering one of the meet’s top all-around efforts. Bailey added a national championship in the men’s 10,000-meter run, crossing first in 30:49.66 to secure another title for College of the Ozarks against a deep distance field.

Wood’s victory stood out as one of the meet’s most important results for the women’s squad. Her 4,065-point total finished ahead of Grace’s Makayla Neal, who scored 3,831, and Columbia International’s Michaela Oglesby, who posted 3,616. The Bobcats also picked up additional women’s points in the field and distance events. Joelle Barker placed second in the javelin with a throw of 37.94 meters, and Emilie Zylstra finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 12:07.19.

On the men’s side, Bailey’s win in the 10,000 gave the Bobcats their second individual national championship of the meet. He finished ahead of Campbellsville’s Martin Batel, who was second in 30:58.11, and Lancaster Bible’s David Helms, who took third in 31:30.86. Jacob Burton added another strong result for the men by placing second in the triple jump with a mark of 13.59 meters, trailing only Sterling’s Charles Jones, who won the event at 14.00 meters.

The championships featured standout performances across the field, including Bethel (Ind.) titles in both the women’s and men’s 4x100-meter relays, Malone wins in the women’s 4x400 and men’s 4x800 relays, and Wayland Baptist’s victory in the men’s 4x400 relay. Individual event champions included Lamarr Williams of Bethel (Ind.) in both the 100 and 200, Brady Hunsberger of Grace in the men’s 800 and 1,500, and Morgan Wood and Tanner Bailey for College of the Ozarks in the heptathlon and men’s 10,000, respectively.

For the Bobcats, the meet was defined by front-line production at the national level. Wood delivered a national championship in the heptathlon, Bailey controlled the men’s 10,000, and College of the Ozarks added valuable scoring performances from Barker, Burton and Zylstra to leave Wilmore with two titles and a strong showing against the NCCAA field. Morgan Wood capped off the Bobcat success as she was selected as the NCCAA National Wome's Co-Athlete of the year in Track and Field.

The Bobcats and Lady Cats represented well and have much to be proud of as they conclude the NCCAA season.