Katie Woods, Marian University

2 minutes, 47 seconds. That’s how long it took to change Marian University history forever. In the final stretch of the 1000-meter final, our guest today ran her team straight onto the top of the podium for the first Red Banner in program history. Welcome back to another episode of the Red Banner Race Report, highlighting the achievements and inspiring stories in NAIA cross country and track and field. I'm your host, Meran, and today’s episode is a historic one.A few weeks ago, in Gainesville, Florida, we didn't just see a championship; we saw a shift in the landscape of the sport. For the first time in program history, the women of Marian University captured that elusive Red Banner, joining their men’s team in a dual-national title sweep.And if you’re looking for the catalyst behind that victory, look no further than our guest today, Katie Woods of Marian University. She was named the Most Outstanding Individual of the National Meet after a staggering 28-point performance.Woods won the 1000m individual national title, anchored the National Champion DMR squad, and took home a runner-up finish in the mile—all within a span of 48 hours. She’s the owner of school records in the 800, 1000, and the mile, and she’s a four-time consecutive Crossroads League Athlete of the Week during the indoor season alone, and she’s not done yet.  The senior standout chats with us about her dramatic progression as a freshman struggling to race to an All-American National champion, and what’s next on the horizon for her outdoor season.Thank you so much for tuning into The Red Banner Race Report.  I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the NAIA…stay tuned because it might just be YOU!  If you enjoyed today’s podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review.  You can find The Red Banner Race Report Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players.  You can also ask Alexa to play the podcast.  If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you’d like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the show notes or reach out on Instagram.Send us a messageFollow RBRR on Instagram @redbannerracereport