The women’s cross country team picked up a second place finish, its best showing at the MIAA Conference Championship since winning the title in 1998.

Pittsburg State University won the race with 50 points, 12 less than Missouri Southern. Truman State University was third with 78 points. Finishing out the race were Central Missouri State University (86 points), Southwest Baptist University (116), University of Missouri-Rolla (161), Northwest Missouri State University (172) and Emporia State University (190).

Head Coach Patty Vavra said the team was disappointed with finishing second, but she told the team the greater goal was still ahead.

“They set some goals really early in the year,” Vavra said. “Truthfully, as disappointed as they were, the biggest goal is still in front of us, because we’ve not had a women’s team that’s qualified for the national championship.”

One goal the team set for itself was to finish higher in the conference meet. In 2002, the team placed third behind PSU and CMSU at conference. At the regional meet the Lions placed fourth behind PSU, CMSU and Abilene Christian University.

Another goal the Lions set was to win the regional meet. To go to the national meet, the team will have to place within the top two or place runners in the top five individually. If Southern does not place in the top two, but they do place runners in the top five, then the runners can go to the national meet instead of the team as a whole. The last runner that qualified for the national meet was Southern alum Sonia Eudy. In 1998, Eudy went to the NCAA Division II Championships. She placed second with a time of 21:48.3. Senior Rachel McGowan said the team is more relaxed after the conference race and is training like usual for the regional meet.

“We can’t wait to see what we can do,” McGowan said.

Vavra said the regional meet will be a challenge, but she is sure the team will be able to make the win. Three members of the team received All-MIAA honors for completing the conference meet in the top 10. The All-MIAA recipients were CMSU junior Kristin Anderson (22:20), UMR senior Kate Hamera (22:27), Southern senior Jen Noelken (22:28), PSU senior Abbey Oshel (22:37), Southern junior Ashley Caffey (22:51), PSU junior Megan Nelson (22:52), PSU senior Kyle Hutsey (23:13), TSU freshman Meagan Robertson (23:19), TSU junior Dani Rawlings (23:24) and Southern sophomore Megan Russell (23:26).