Halterman Crowned NAIA Individual Champion in Runner-Up Finish for No. 1 Taylor at National Championships

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 1-ranked Taylor (113-2) competed at the 45th Annual NAIA Women's Cross Country Championship Friday, and freshman Jaynie Halterman capped her perfect collegiate season by becoming the program's first NAIA Individual Champion in a runner-up, team-time program-record finish for the Trojans.

TU finished with a team score of 93, agonizingly one point behind No. 4 The Master's in the tightest women's cross country championship in NAIA history. The Purple and Grey bested No. 3 Saint Mary and No. 2 Milligan by 32 and 36 points, respectively, in a 35-team field.

All five of the Trojans' contributors to the team score set personal records in the 6k, which led to a final program-record team time of 1:46:30, or over two minutes better than its previous time set on Nov. 8 at the Crossroads League Championships. Notably, that time was also the fastest run on Friday, beating out the team champion, The Master's, by 16 seconds.

Halterman blazed to the top of the podium by completing the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in an NAIA-course-record time of 20:24.7. That time doubles as TU's new program record, and it is the second fastest 6k time run at any course in the entire NAIA in 2024.

The freshman's victory paced her nearly 21 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Hannah Fredericks of The Master's, as Halterman's 20:24.7 is the new top 6k time in NAIA Women's Cross Country Championship history.

Ahna Neideck was next in line for the Trojans, as she put a bow on her stellar five-season career by collecting her third NAIA All-American honor with a sixth-place finish. Neideck's time of 21:06.6 crushed her PR by over 23 seconds.

Noel VanderWall was right behind, crossing in 21:06.9 in seventh place for her PR and third All-American honor as well.

Sam Patterson was one spot shy of an All-American finish, taking 41st out of 326 individuals with a personal record by nearly 30 seconds at 21:50.9.

Kaitlin Burden rounded out the team score by taking 45th individually and crossing in 22:01.9, which also is her personal best by nearly 30 seconds.

Abby Mays raced to 70th overall with a PR of 22:25.0, and Audrey Brinkruff placed 89th by coming in at 22:38.9.

No. 1 TU closes its 2024 campaign under head coach Quinn White the program's fifth straight top-five finish and seventh straight top-six finish at the NAIA National Championships.