Missouri State

CASEY OWENS
Track and Cross Country, 2001-05
Inducted 2012

Casey Owens was one of the most productive and accomplished distance runners in Missouri State track and cross country history in her career with the Bears from 2001 to 2005 for coaches Ron Boyce, Houston Franks and Greg Hipp. Owens, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, captured the Missouri Valley Conference individual cross country title as a sophomore in 2002 and as a senior in 2004 with a runner-up finish in 2003, while leading MSU to four straight Valley team championships. She qualified for and ran in the NCAA national cross country meet her last two seasons, and she was a three-time all-region and four-time all-MVC honoree in cross country. She has the second best MSU career time at 6,000 meters and the third best at 5,000 meters. Owens twice won NCAA outdoor track All-America honors, finishing 11th in Division I in the 10,000-meter run in 2004 and 10th in that event in 2005. She also ran in the NCAA indoor 5,000-meter run and had a total of eight NCAA meet qualifying times in indoor and outdoor track. She was a four-time all-MVC selection in indoor and outdoor track, and was an 11-time MVC champion, winning the 3,000-meter run indoors as a sophomore, junior and senior, the 5,000-meter run indoors as a junior and senior, the indoor mile as a junior, the 10,000-meter run outdoors as a sophomore, junior and senior and the 5,000-meter outdoors as a junior and senior. She was a three-time MVC indoor track MVP, won the honor outdoors once, and was named to the MVC All-Centennial team in 2007 for both track and cross country. She still holds the MSU indoor records at 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters, has the second best time in the indoor mile, and owns the school outdoor marks at 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. She now lives back in her hometown and is employed at the Des Moines Airport.