Welcome to the Red Banner Race Report podcast, where we take a deeper dive into the amazing achievements and athletes in NAIA cross country and track and field. Today’s guest is Tyrone Summerall of Central Methodist University.

It took two years, but Tyrone is finally back to running the 400-meter hurdles.

A school record and the current top time in the NAIA made it worth the wait as he clocked 51.57 to win the Central Methodist Invitational by nearly a full second. His previous best of 53.60 came during his senior year of high school when he placed third in the Florida State Championships.

As mentioned, Tyrone’s time leads the NAIA this season in the hurdles, and he followed with an anchor leg in the 4×400 as the Eagles’ 3:11.21 puts them No. 2 on the seasonal NAIA list in that event.

For his impressive achievements, Summerall was named the Male NAIA USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week. This is the first time that a male or female athlete from Central Methodist has been named National Athlete of the Week during the outdoor season. He was also named the Heart Conference Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.

In this episode, we will get a glimpse into what drives this dedicated and focused athlete, the injuries and setbacks he’s had to overcome with patience and determination, and what’s on the horizon as NAIA Nationals loom closer.

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Welcome back to the Red Banner Race Report, where we dive into the achievements of the incredible cross country and track and field athletes in the NAIA. I’m your host, Meran, and today, we have a guest who has quite literally rewritten the history books of the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

Joining us is Milligan University senior Ellen-Mary Kearney. During the indoor season, she won the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships in the 1000, mile, 3000, and DMR and is the back-to-back NAIA national champion in the 3000, winning in 2025 and again this year in 2026. She’s the only female athlete currently qualified at the outdoor A-standard for the 1500, running 4:23 at the Raleigh Relays, which is close to five full seconds faster than the standard of 4:28. She set a division cross country record in November, running 19:59 at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championships to become the first woman to ever run a sub-20 6K in the NAIA. We’ll talk to Ellen-Mary about her training, goals for the outdoor season, life in her native country of England, and what’s next after graduation for this Milligan star.

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.

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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 message

Follow RBRR on Instagram @redbannerracereport