BABSON PARK, Fla. (November 12, 2019) – Junior Kendal Clark of the Webber International University cross country team has been selected to compete in the 40th Annual NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships, which will be held on Friday, November 22, 2019, at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington.

Clark will be the first Lady Warrior to compete at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships since Juline Brice in 2010. Brice is the Warriors' lone NAIA Cross Country All-American on the women's side after doing so in 2009.

Head Coach James Simpson said, "As a coach, today was one of a coaches' two greatest accomplishments. The first being having one of your athletes walk across that stage and get their degree. The second, accomplishing goals that have been set and achieving them through hard work and determination. I'm very proud of our junior captain Kendal Clark for qualifying for nationals. This accomplishment is one that hasn't happened on the women's side at Webber since 2010, and it was only made possible by hard work that was put in over the summer."

Clark qualified for nationals after running a time of 19:30.3 and finishing in 14th place at the 2019 Sun Conference Championships (Nov. 9), where she was named Second-Team All-Sun Conference.

Clark's selection for the final meet of the season came after Southeastern University earned The Sun Conference's automatic bid to nationals while SCAD Savannah was selected as an at large team. She will be one of 89 individuals competing alongside 37 teams.

Three weeks before the conference championships but at the same course in Hardeeville, South Carolina, Clark ran a career-best time of 19:00.5 at the Sand Shark Invitational (Oct. 19).

"If anyone knows distance running, personal records don't happen overnight," said Simpson. "Kendal improved to a 5k time of 19:00 flat, which ranks second on the all-time list here at Webber."

Clark's other times throughout the 2019 season were 19:46.3 at the Florida State University Invitational (Oct. 11) and 20:41.64 at the ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic (Sept. 21).

Now, Clark's season will continue at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships, which will be held at the same site as the 2017 championship race in which Webber's Sean Trainor competed at two years ago. The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site also served as the site for the 2001 USA Men's and Women's National Championships/World Cross Country Trials.

"I look forward to watching Kendal make memories of a lifetime during this experience next week," concluded Simpson. "There is no doubt in my mind that she will leave it all out on the course and represent Webber International University to her upmost ability. This is a quote that I use a lot which applies to this situation: 'If it means something to you; you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.' I believe Ms. Clark found a way, and I am a very proud coach."

The women's 5K race at nationals will begin at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time with the post-race awards ceremony set to follow at approximately 1:30 p.m.

The NAIA Cross Country Championships will have a free live stream of the post-race awards ceremony. To access the live video stream of the ceremony, click HERE.

To view the official NAIA announcement of the women's national championship field, click HERE.