BABSON PARK, Fla. (April 6, 2021) – Webber International University senior women's cross country runner Kendal Clark is headed to nationals for the second year in a row. The 41st Annual Women's Cross Country National Championship will take place later this week on Friday, April 9, at the Seminole Valley Cross Country Course in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The 5k race for the national meet, hosted by Mount Mercy University, is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. EST / 10:30 a.m. CST. This is the second year that the championship will be hosted in Cedar Rapids.

In all, Clark will be one of 98 individual qualifiers competing alongside 36 teams in the final race of the season.  To view the official NAIA announcement of the women's national championship field, CLICK HERE.

The race will be broadcasted for the first time this year on the NAIA Network. To access the live video stream and purchase a pass, CLICK HERE.

In addition to Clark, also representing The Sun Conference at nationals will be Alexa Lashley from the University of South Carolina Beaufort, Chanaiya Richards from Keiser University, Mary Goetz from Ave Maria University, and the No. 18-ranked Southeastern cross country team.

At the 2020 Sun Conference Championships last Fall (Saturday, November 7), Clark finished in sixth place out of 54 runners with a time of 20:05.3.

Clark's other 5k times throughout the 2020 season were 21:20.43 at the FLRunners.com Invitational (Sept. 25), 22:11.4 at the Ave Maria Invitational (Oct. 3), 20:16.93 at the Sand Shark Invitational (Oct. 17), and 19:50.99 at the NAIA Southern States Challenge (Oct. 24). Clark finished in 11th place or better at five of Webber's six races in the Fall.

This year, Clark earned First-Team All-Sun Conference after earning second-team all-conference honors as a junior in 2019, the first time she qualified for nationals. At last year's national championships, Clark finished 282nd overall with a time of 21:01.8, and became the first Lady Warrior to compete at nationals since Juline Brice went during back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010.

Head Coach James Simpson said, "I'm very excited for Kendal to qualify for nationals for the second straight year. Kendal has been a tremendous athlete both in the classroom and out on the course. During Kendals' time here at Webber, she has been such a consistent selfless leader. With Kendal's graduation upon her, the program will be losing a fearless leader who has played an enormous role in the success of Webber women's cross country. We are looking to make some fantastic memories and finish off her collegiate career on a good note come nationals weekend. Thank you, Kendal, for being an unbelievable leader and constant student of the sport. She will be missed in this program and from the university as a whole. I've always treated my athletes like they are my own, so I have to say as a father and as a coach, 'Kendal, I love you like my daughter, and you will always have a place in my heart and here at Webber International'."