Mustangs Place Sixth at Seminole Valley Stampede

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Mount Mercy University women's cross country team secured a sixth-place team finish at the 2025 Seminole Valley Stampede on Saturday morning at Seminole Valley Park. The Mustangs placed three runners inside the top 40 of a competitive 6K field that featured NAIA and regional programs.

Kalin Rotzoll led Mount Mercy with a 10th-place finish, clocking 22:46.7 to pace the Mustang lineup. Rotzoll maintained consistent splits through all checkpoints, averaging 6:07 per mile, and earned her second top-10 placement of the season.

Following Rotzoll, Abby Knepper crossed as Mount Mercy's No. 2 finisher in 23:29.2, placing 22nd overall. Annabelle Neal was the third scorer for the Mustangs, running 23:36.0 for 27th place, followed by Kayla Overton, who finished 41st in 24:05.4. Maria Dudzik rounded out the scoring lineup, completing the 6K course in 24:06.2, good for 42nd place.

Mount Mercy compiled a team total of 138 points, finishing sixth out of 17 scoring teams. The Mustangs posted a 1-5 split of 2 minutes, 12 seconds, demonstrating strong pack running through the second and third miles of the race.

Also competing for the Mustangs, Emma Althoff finished 63rd overall (25:04.6), and Olivia Norrish placed 72nd (25:31.2), providing depth in the team's displacement positions.

Aquinas captured the team title at the Stampede with 63 points, followed by Kansas Wesleyan (70), St. Ambrose (105), Missouri Baptist (107), and Governors State (124) to round out the top five.

Mount Mercy averaged 23:59 per runner across its scoring five, marking the team's second-fastest performance of the season at the 6K distance. The Mustangs recorded a 51-second improvement in team average compared to the season opener, showing consistent progress in mid-race pacing and pack compression.

Mount Mercy will return to action on Oct. 25, traveling to the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic in Ashland, Nebraska, at the Mahoney State Park.