VANCOUVER, Wash.- The Ave Maria University cross country teams had four runners compete in the NAIA Championships for the second year in a row Friday morning, as national championships were decided at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course in Vancouver, Washington. Lily Burke, Felicity Foxhoven, and Sofia Torres represented the Gyrenes in the women's race, while Samuel Paga made his nationals debut in the men's race.

Lily Burke was Ave Maria's top overall finisher in Vancouver, running the championship 8k course in 24:20.7 in her second trip to the national championships. Felicity Foxhoven, who was also in her second trip to nationals, also broke the 25-minute mark with a time of 24:44.4. AMU's lone nationals rookie on the women's side, Sofia Torres, finished her nationals debut with a time of 25:09.7.

College of Idaho finished with 68 points to win the team national championship, topping The Master's (Calif.), which finished with 92. Addy Wiley of Huntington (Ind.) was the 2023 NAIA Women's Cross Country Individual Champion. The sophomore completed her championship race with a time of 21:04.2, finishing almost 12 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Ave Maria's lone representative on the men's side was sophomore Samuel Paga, who made his first appearance on the nationals stage. The Michigan native completed the 8k course at Fort Vancouver in a time of 27:54.0.

Milligan (Tenn.) edged Saint Mary (Kan.) by a matter of five points to capture its second NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship. The Buffs finished with 93 points, five ahead of the Spires to claim the red banner. Jackson Wilson of Rocky Mountain (Mont.) was the 2023 NAIA Men's Cross Country Individual Champion, as the senior completed his championship race with a time of 24:31.8.

The national championships end a successful 2023 season for the Ave Maria cross country programs. Both Ave Maria teams finished as conference runner-up, with seven Gyrenes earning All-Conference honors and four punching their tickets to the NAIA National Championships. Additionally, head coach Alan Webb was named the conference's Men's Coach of the Year, and Lillian Brodeur was honored as the women's Champion of Character.