AVE MARIA, Fla.- – Ave Maria University cross country runner Mary Goetz has been named this year's Sun Conference Women's Cross Country Champion of Character, as announced by the conference office on Friday afternoon. Warner's Joel Zalia was the men's honoree. The Champions of Character were selected by a vote of the conference's eight head coaches.

The junior is the fourth Champion of Character to come from Ave Maria in program history. Two of the previous three - Corinne Zay in 2017 and Clare Eckard in 2015 - came from the women's roster, while John Gargano represented the men's team in 2016.

Goetz is a three-year member of the AMU cross country team, and a two-time First-Team All-Sun Conference member, and NAIA National Championship Qualifier. Goetz has earned a 3.92 GPA as a double major in politics and theology. She has been a member of the Dean's List in all four semesters on campus. She serves as a resident assistant in a women's residence hall and is an active member of the Daughters of God household. The Desoto, Kansas native has participated in several service initiatives on campus including hosting a drive for Locks of Love.

On the course, Goetz has been one of Ave Maria's top female runners in school history, and will look for her third consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championships this Saturday. Goetz has been AMU's top runner in every single event of her three-year career, and is in possession of ten of the top fiftee 5k times in school history. This season, she has been among the top Sun Conference runners in each of her appearances. 

The 2020 Men's and Women's Cross Country Championship is set for Saturday, November 7. From North Park on the campus of Ave Maria University, the men's 8K will begin at 7:30 a.m. followed by the women's 5K at 8:15 a.m.