October 15, 2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bellevue University freshman Grace Steinmetz (Council Bluffs, Iowa) has been named the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Runner of the Week, capping an extraordinary stretch that saw her earn three major honors in the past week.

Earlier, Steinmetz was selected as both the Frontier Conference Runner of the Week and the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA National Runner of the Week.

Her latest accolade comes on the heels of a commanding performance at the Dordt Holiday Inn Express Classic in Sioux Center, Iowa, where she claimed the individual title in a 246-runner field that included NCAA Division I, II, and NAIA athletes. Steinmetz's 6-kilometer time of 20:40.4 not only broke her own school record of 21:33.7 (set two weeks earlier) but also shattered the Dordt Prairie Course record by more than a minute.

Steinmetz currently ranks second nationally in the NAIA for the 6K, trailing only Taylor University's Jaynie Halterman (20:04.7). The two are the only NAIA runners to break the 21-minute barrier this season.

The Bruins return to action on Oct. 25 at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic, hosted by Doane University and the College of Saint Mary at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb. The women's race begins at 10:00 a.m.