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Four Owls Compete at Cross Country Nationals

(Kenosha, Wisc., Nov. 22)--Four members of the William Woods University cross country team competed in the NAIA Cross Country National Championships on Saturday at Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The women took the course at 10:30 am. Kristi Palmer finished 72nd out of 327 runners. Palmer finished with a time of 18:47.7. Palmer, a sophomore from Ste. Genevieve, Mo., competed in her second consecutive NAIA National Championship race.

Cheryl Held, a freshman from Wildwood, Mo., finished 111th. Held finished with a time of 19:08.5

Palmer and Held were members of the William Woods cross country team that won the 2008 American Midwest Conference Championship. Palmer was a member of the 2008 All-AMC team, and the 2008 Academic All-AMC team. Held was selected the 2008 AMC Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the All-AMC team.

The men took the course at 11:45 am. Brent Almand finished 29th out of 331 runners. Almand finished with a time of 25:15.8. Almand, a senior from The Woodlands, Tex., competed in his first NAIA Championship race.

Phil Guidry, a senior from Lafayette, La., finished 199th. Guidry finished with a time of 26:58.5. Guidry competed in his first NAIA Championship race.

Almand and Guidry were members of the William Woods cross country team that won the 2008 American Midwest Conference Championship. Almand won the 2008 AMC individual championship and was named the AMC Championship Outstanding Runner. He was also a member of the 2008 All-AMC team, and the 2008 Academic All-AMC team. Guidry was also selected to the 2008 All-AMC and Academic All-AMC squad.

NAIA National Championship Links:

Men's Cross Country National Championships

Women's Cross Country National Championships

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AMC Champions

(FOREST PARK, Mo., Nov. 7)--The William Woods University men's cross country team won the American Midwest Conference Cross Country Championships on Friday.  The men have now won back-to-back AMC Championships.

The Owls finished first in a field of seven teams.  The Owls placed four runners in the top ten.

Brent Almand was the top finisher for the Owls.  Almand finished first in a field of 57 runners.  He finished with a time of 26:02.  Phil Guidry finished 34 seconds behind Almand.  Guidry finished third individually.

Top Finishers for the Men’s Cross Country Team

Brent Almand (The Woodlands, Tex.)       1st        26:02

Phil Guidry (Lafayette, La.)                     3rd        26:36

Emmanuel Ramirez (Des Plaines, Ill.)      5th        26:56

Keith Jennings (Mexico, Mo.)                  9th        28:18

Award Winners

Brent Almand - AMC Championship Outstanding Runner Award

Phil Guidry and Brent Almand - Academic All-AMC.

Almand, Guidry, Ramirez, and Jennings - All-AMC

Brayce Forsha - AMC Men’s Coach of the Year.

Friday marked the first time an individual from William Woods has won the AMC race.  Almand and Guidry qualified for the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on November 22nd.  The team will find out if they will receive an at-large bid to the Championships on Tuesday, November 11th.