2024 Fort Scott High School graduate Mesa Casper will compete with her collegiate team, the Spires of the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Vancouver, Washington, on Friday, November 20th. The team clinched its national qualification with a close runner-up finish at the KCAC Championships on November 7th, hosted by Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.
Casper finished 8th at the KCAC Championships in a field of 102 runners, earning First Team All-Conference honors, a distinction reserved for the top ten finishers in the conference meet. This will be her second consecutive appearance in a national championship race — the Lady Spires placed 9th at NAIA Nationals in Tallahassee, Florida, in November 2025.
Casper is a senior at the University of Saint Mary, where she majors in nursing and competes on the cross country and track teams. As a Tiger runner at Fort Scott High School, she was a six-time 4A state qualifier in cross country and track.
