LUBBOCK, Texas (Nov. 14, 2020) – Given a second chance against some Lone Star Conference runners who beat her two weeks ago, Oklahoma Christian's Kenya Bailey shined on Saturday during the Division II XC National Invitational.

Bailey finished 11th overall – and third among LSC competitors – in the race at Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course to earn All-Invitational honors and set herself up for what could be a strong 2021 season as a result.

The junior from Ponca City, Okla., was one of three Eagles to compete in the 6,000-meter women's race, joining Caroline Schwab and Payton Duesing. The meet was organized not long after the NCAA announced it would cancel its fall-sports championships but would allow the 23 Division II conferences to compete this season if they so chose.

Eight conferences did so and four of them – the Lone Star, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and Gulf South Conference – were represented Saturday, although several national powers from the RMAC (Division II's top cross country conference) bypassed the race.

Bailey finished seventh in the LSC Championship race in San Angelo, Texas, on Halloween, but she turned the tables on several of those competitors on Saturday. She posted a time of 22:59.00 and finished ahead of Emily Mackel, Leslie Filorio and Marissa Insinna of Dallas Baptist (Texas) and Abril Escamilla of Texas A&M International, who all had beaten her two weeks earlier.

The only two LSC runners who finished ahead of Bailey were the winner and runner-up – Florance Uwajeneza of West Texas A&M and Madison Brown of DBU, respectively.

"Kenya ran a phenomenal race! She really put herself in position early on and maintained it throughout," OC coach Wade Miller said. "Kenya, Carol and Payton all ran really tough races despite the wind being a major factor. They really finished the season out strong and got some really valuable experience. I'm really proud of the way that they have carried themselves all season and I'm looking forward to them continuing to progress."

As Miller noted, strong west winds – which stirred up a haboob not long after the race ended – affected the runners on the course, a former golf course converted to a cross country venue.

Schwab, a junior from Andover, Kan., finished 61st in 24:58.39. Duesing, a junior from Lantana, Texas, was slated to run in an open race that was scheduled for Saturday morning but instead was wrapped into the primary race. She didn't finish with an official time or place, but was about seven seconds and three spots behind Schwab.

Uwajeneza's winning time was 21:38.92, more than 35 seconds ahead of Brown. But Dallas Baptist did win the title in the 10-team event with a score of 51 points, 16 better than Westminster (Utah) of the RMAC.

OC runners finish the race: https://youtu.be/DvDn07u0264