RIO GRANDE, OH – Phoebe Dowty etched her name in IU Columbus history on Saturday, shattering the school record in the 6k at the River States Conference Championships with a time of 23:43, earning 2nd Team All-Conference honors and potentially becoming the first national qualifier in any sport in IUC history.
The RSC selection committee will announce at-large bids for the NAIA National Championships on Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 4:30 PM, and Dowty's 11th-place finish has positioned her as a potential qualifier for the historic honor.
The Crimson Pride women placed seventh out of nine teams in a competitive conference championship field, but the day was filled with individual achievements and personal milestones.
Dowty led the way with her record-breaking performance, becoming just the second Crimson Pride runner to earn All-Conference honors with her top-15 finish. Her 23:43 clocking erased the previous school mark and established a new benchmark for the program.
Senior Erin Jones closed out her collegiate career with a 48th-place finish in 26:34, providing veteran leadership in her final race in a Crimson Pride uniform.
The day belonged to personal bests for several IUC runners. Tori Gauck placed 68th with a PR of 28:40, while Alexandria Saavedra (79th, 31:48) and Grace Barkes (84th, 34:46) both set new personal records in the championship environment.
The Crimson Pride men finished ninth out of 10 teams, but the race was marked by gutsy performances and personal achievements.
Emiliano Rosales-Lopez paced IU Columbus with a 55th-place finish in 28:30, followed by Jackson Neibert in 65th place at 29:07.
Henry Fleetwood continued his late-season surge with a personal-record time of 29:40, good for 76th place, while Chance Knapp placed 90th in 30:46.
The most inspiring performance of the day came from Luke Neibert, who suffered an injury mid-race but displayed remarkable toughness to finish 103rd in 31:54 despite the setback. Bryaun Manuel rounded out the scoring five with a 101st-place finish in 31:48.
Senior Joey Martinez brought his collegiate cross country career to a close with a 119th-place finish in 39:04, ending his time as a member of the Crimson Pride on his own terms.
All eyes now turn to Tuesday afternoon's announcement. If Dowty receives an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships, she would become the first student-athlete in any sport to qualify for nationals in IU Columbus history—a watershed moment for the young program.
Her 2nd Team All-Conference selection already represents a significant achievement, but the possibility of competing on the national stage would elevate both her legacy and the profile of IU Columbus athletics.
The River States Conference Championships brought the curtain down on a season of growth for both programs. With multiple personal records set at the conference meet and Dowty's emergence as an elite runner, the foundation has been laid for continued progress.
For seniors Jones and Martinez, their careers ended with the satisfaction of having helped build something special at IU Columbus, while younger runners gained valuable championship experience that will serve them in seasons to come.
The Crimson Pride community will wait anxiously until 4:30 PM on Tuesday to learn if Dowty's historic season will continue on the national stage.
