ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Washburn women's cross country team recorded a seventh-place finish at the 2026 MIAA Championships on Saturday at the Griffon Cross Country Course, led by an all-conference performance from Nelly Puente.
Puente paced the Ichabods over the 6-kilometer course, placing 14th overall with a time of 21:58.0 to earn Washburn's highest finish of the meet. The Ichabods scored 195 points in the team standings, finishing seventh in a competitive conference field that featured four teams scoring fewer than 100 points.

Senior Jolie Evans was the second Washburn runner across the finish line, placing 38th overall in 22:52.5. Riley Britton followed in 44th place with a time of 23:04.8, while Monika Panoutsou finished 51st in 23:15.6. Alexis Chadek rounded out the Ichabod scoring five with a 58th-place finish after crossing the line in 23:29.3.

Washburn also received strong efforts from the remainder of its lineup as Grace Collins placed 71st in 23:50.2, Mya Kafka finished 79th in 24:09.5, and Riley Ammons was 83rd in 24:18.6. Kenzie Ross turned in a time of 24:45.5 to place 95th, while Misti Schlabach completed the Ichabod contingent in 108th place with a time of 25:31.0.

Team champion Missouri Southern finished with 60 points, followed by Rogers State with 69 and Pittsburg State with 72. Washburn's seventh-place showing placed the Ichabods ahead of Central Missouri, Central Oklahoma, Missouri Western, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Newman and Emporia State in the final standings.

ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
1. Ruth Chemutai, Missouri Southern – 20:32.0
2. Katie Hughes, Newman – 20:43.5
3. Paige Mullen, Pittsburg State – 20:53.7
4. Lorna Rae Pierce, Pittsburg State – 20:59.1
5. Amy Morefield, Rogers State – 21:14.4
6. Abigail Burger, Nebraska Kearney – 21:14.8
7. Kassidy Stuckey, Nebraska Kearney – 21:20.2
8. Olivia Bakker, Northwest Missouri – 21:25.5
9. Hannah Gibson, Pittsburg State – 21:26.0
10. Brooklyn Garafola, Rogers State – 21:30.1
 
ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
11. Viola Johanson, Missouri Southern – 21:44.8
12. Lilah Genel, Missouri Southern – 21:46.3
13. Kaylee Nay, Rogers State – 21:56.7
14. Nelly Puente, Washburn – 21:58.0
15. Amaya Grant, Rogers State – 21:59.4
16. Kyla Weems, Missouri Southern – 22:01.1
17. Lily Brewer, Nebraska Kearney – 22:03.7
18. Emma Weiner, Fort Hays State – 22:05.1
19. Marianna Bizon, Central Missouri – 22:06.1
20. Abbey Brackenbury, Missouri Southern – 22:19.2