KANSAS CITY, MO – Missouri Southern State University’s cross country coaching staff has been named the MIAA Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2026 women’s cross country season. It’s the first MIAA history that Southern’s cross country coaching staff of Jamie Burnham and Bryan Schiding have received the Staff of the Year honor on the women’s side, the first fifth time overall the duo has been tabbed an MIAA Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Missouri Southern’s women’s cross country program was crowned the MIAA Champion for the eighth time in program history after taking home the team title at the 2026 MIAA Women’s Cross Country Championship, hosted on November 7 at the Griffon Cross Country Course in St. Joseph, Missouri. It was the first time since 2014 the Lions took home the title.
 
The Lions are led by their 27th-year Head Cross Country Coach Jamie Burnham, and 18th-year Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Bryan Schiding. Burnham and Schiding have helped mentor what has become one of the most dominant dynasties of distance programs in MIAA and Division II history. Southern has won four MIAA Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors and has been on staff for all 13 of the Lions' MIAA Men's Cross Country Titles. 

Ruth Chemutai led the way for the Lions, winning the individual six-kilometer championship with an MIAA-record-breaking time of 20:32.0. Chemutai recorded a personal record and earned All-MIAA First Team honors with the victory. She became the first Missouri Southern women's runner to win the individual MIAA championship since Kimi Shank-Reed in 2009. Shank captured the 6K individual title with a time of 21:01.07.

Viola Johanson followed in 11th place with a personal-best time of 21:44.8, while Lilah Genel finished 12th in 21:46.3. Kyla Weems placed 16th in 22:01.1, and Abbey Brackenbury rounded out the scoring five in 20th place with a time of 22:19.2. All four Lions earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition.
 
Missouri Southern women enter the 2026 NCAA Division II Regional Championship meet as the No. 9-ranked team in the nation and the top-ranked team in the Central Region.
 
The women’s 6k Central Region Championship race is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. The top three teams from each of the eight Division II regions will automatically advance to the 2026 NCAA Division II National Championship meet. Ten additional teams and a minimum of 24 additional individuals can also be selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process.
 
For more information about the 2026 NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country Championships, visit NCAA.com.