KANSAS CITY, MO – Following their seventh consecutive Mid-South Conference Championship, the University of the Cumberlands women's cross country team holds the No. 16 spot in the final NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Rating, announced Tuesday. The Patriots collected 211 points as they prepare for the NAIA National Championships.

Cumberlands enters the national championship following another dominant performance at the MSC Championships last Friday at Phil Moore Park in Bowling Green, KY. The Patriots captured their seventh straight conference title and 18th in program history, finishing first in the seven-team field with 22 points.

Lea Kunstmann led the way for UC, capturing the individual 6K title in 22:19.7 to earn MSC Women's Runner of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Freshman Jule Krauss followed in second with a time of 23:03.7, earning MSC Women's Freshman of the Year recognition.

Heather Durrant added a fourth-place finish, while Tigist Bergman placed seventh in 23:51.32 to give the Patriots four First Team All-Conference selections. Brianna Hillock finished eighth in 23:58.41, followed by Anslee Crosby in ninth at 24:07.14 and Rylee Schaffner in 11th at 24:12.62. Gracie Reed rounded out the Patriots' All-Conference honorees with a 12th-place finish in 24:16.06.

In the final national rating, Dordt (Iowa) remained No. 1 with 465 points and 15 first-place votes, while College of Idaho followed in second with 451 points and the remaining first-place vote. Milligan (Tenn.) held third with 428 points, followed by Cornerstone (Mich.) in fourth with 425 and St. Francis (Ill.) in fifth with 408.

Cumberlands remained at No. 16 after sharing the position with Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) in the previous rating. The Patriots are the highest-ranked Mid-South Conference women's team in the final poll.

With their seventh consecutive conference championship secured, the Patriots now turn their attention to the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championship on Friday, November 20, in Vancouver, WA. Cumberlands will look to carry its championship momentum into the final race of the season against the nation's top programs.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter/X at @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday and Instagram at @UCPatriots.