O'FALLON, Mo. - The WWU Owls earned a bid to the NAIA national championships for the first time since 2007 by taking second place at the American Midwest Conference championships Friday.
Senior Kaleb Wilson secured all-AMC honors by taking fifth place in 26 minutes, 29.63 seconds as William Woods University accumulated 64 points, holding off third-place Park University with 66. The Owls will now move on to the NAIA national meet Nov. 19 at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.
Columbia College collected the AMC team title with 39 points.
Also receiving all-conference recognition for William Woods were sophomore Alex Thompson (sixth, 26:34.18) and junior Kyle Gabrielson (ninth, 27:01.03). Sophomore Austin Bestgen came in 20th for the Owls in 28:29.22, freshman Matt Fringer was 24th in 28:40.84 and sophomore Jamie Porter finished 27th in 28:50.03.
In the women's division Friday, William Woods took seventh place with 168 points. Missouri Baptist University wrapped up the AMC team championship with 69 points.
Sophomore Alessandra Moss - named the conference's newcomer of the year after the meet - paced the Lady Owls by coming in 12th in 21:06.21. Freshman Ryan Esterline was 17th in 21:21.41.
Sophomore Catherine Henning also placed 37th for William Woods in 23:03.57 and junior Megan Wilson finished 50th in 24:33.10. Megan Van Horn came in 52nd in 24:34.00 and Jordan Barnhart took 53rd in 24:41.33.