Joplin Mo. – College of the Ozarks turned in an impressive showing at the 2026 NCCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships on Friday, Nov. 13, as both the Bobcats and Lady Cats earned third-place team finishes at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. Highlighted by strong individual performances and several top-10 finishes, both teams capped their NCCAA championship competition with outstanding results.

The Lady Cats finished third among eight scoring teams in the women's 5-kilometer race, totaling 73 points, while the Bobcats secured third place among nine scoring teams in the men's 8-kilometer race with 118 points. The championship featured 68 finishers in the women's race and 87 in the men's competition.

Lady Cats Claim Third Behind Three Top-11 Finishes

Senior Keena Goze led the Lady Cats with an impressive eighth-place finish, completing the 5-kilometer course in 18:58.1. Goze's performance set the pace for Ozarks, as the Lady Cats placed three runners among the top 11 overall finishers.

Juniors Tia Bethards and Emilie Zylstra followed closely behind, finishing 10th and 11th with times of 19:09.6 and 19:09.8, respectively. Separated by just two-tenths of a second, the duo helped give the Lady Cats a strong presence near the front of the field. Goze, Bethards and Zylstra earned seventh, ninth and 10th in team scoring.

Freshmen Khloe Clemence and Ella Howard rounded out the Lady Cats' scoring five. Clemence finished 25th overall in 20:14.3, while Howard crossed the line in 29th with a time of 20:25.3. Their performances helped secure the team's third-place finish, with just 1:27.2 separating Ozarks' first and fifth runners.

The Lady Cats' five scorers combined for a time of 1:37:57, averaging 19:36 per runner.

Freshman Emma Dixon finished 49th in 21:20.1, followed closely by senior Gracie Vestal in 50th at 21:21.3. Junior Aryssa Speights placed 57th in 21:53.2, while freshman Acacia Sorenson completed the Lady Cats' lineup in 58th at 21:53.5.

Malone University captured the women's national championship with 50 points, followed by Northwestern (Minn.) with 60. The Lady Cats finished eight points ahead of fourth-place Azusa Pacific, which totaled 81 points. Northwestern's Natalie Van De Riet claimed the individual national title in 18:23.6.

Bobcats Secure Third Behind Corder and Knight's Top-10 Performances

On the men's side, sophomore Nolyn Corder delivered an outstanding performance, finishing third overall in the 8-kilometer championship race with a time of 24:57.8. Corder finished just 4.6 seconds behind individual national champion Abdulsalam Farah of Mid-America Christian, averaging an impressive 5:01.4 per mile.

Junior Carson Knight added another strong performance for the Bobcats, placing ninth overall in 25:21.7. Together, Corder and Knight gave Ozarks two top-10 finishers and helped position the Bobcats for a third-place team finish.

Freshman Cody Henderson was the next Bobcat across the line, placing 39th overall in 27:17.6. Fellow freshman Landon Jones followed in 43rd with a time of 27:25.6, while sophomore Ethan Howard completed the scoring five in 47th at 27:43.3.

The trio of Henderson, Jones and Howard finished within 25.7 seconds of one another, providing valuable depth in a tightly contested battle for third place.

Freshmen Nate Van Foeken and Michael Kincaid followed, finishing 54th and 56th with times of 28:17.0 and 28:40.6, respectively. Freshman Trayden Bailey placed 64th in 29:05.7, while junior Brady Rose rounded out the Bobcats' nine-runner lineup in 83rd with a time of 30:39.6.

The Bobcats' top five runners combined for an official scoring time of 2:12:46, averaging 26:34 per runner.

Mid-America Christian claimed the men's national championship with 19 points, followed by Malone with 54. The Bobcats secured third place with 118 points, edging fourth-place Southwestern Christian by just four points.

With both teams earning third-place finishes, College of the Ozarks concluded the NCCAA National Championships with a strong showing on the national stage. The Bobcats and Lady Cats combined for four top-10 individual finishes, highlighted by Corder's third-place performance and Goze's eighth-place finish.

For full results visit: National Christian College Athletic Association