The Ohio Wesleyan women’s cross country team captured its first-ever North Coast Athletic Conference title at Kenyon College’s course in Gambier, Ohio Saturday. The Bishops topped second-place John Carroll by just 1:05 of total team time. 

The top five OWU runners, who were scored for the meet, finished in the top 15. All seven runners competing for the Bishops were in the top 20. The women’s championship course was set at 6K.

Junior Zoe Ward, a Worthington Christian grad, was the individual winner with a time of 22:10.9, more than 16 seconds faster than the runner-up, senior Anna Brown of Kenyon. OWU junior Brianna Montgomery finished third.

Ward was named as the NCAC Runner of the Year, while Head Coach Ben Carlson and Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, Kris Boey, were also honored as the NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

Next up for the Bishops is a trip to Lexington, Kentucky on November 15 to compete in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional.