MVC Release
ST LOUIS – Celebrating 25 years of women's sports in the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State women's cross country alumnae Casey Owens and Terry Phillips were named to the MVC Cross Country 25-Year Anniversary Team, announced by the league Thursday.

The first representative for Missouri State on the 25-Year Anniversary Team is Casey Owens, who was a standout for the Bears during the 2001-04 cross country seasons. A three-time NCAA All-Region selection, four-time all-conference and two-time MVC champion, Owens holds the second fastest 6K time in Missouri State history (20:46.77). She was also honored as a member of the MVC Track and Field All-Centennial Team. She is originally from Des Moines, Iowa.

The other Bear to make the Valley's elite list was Terry Phillips, a top notch distance runner for Missouri State during the 2007-10 seasons. Phillips is honored as a two-time NCAA All-Region, three-time all-conference and two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete recipient. She captured the MVC championship title in 2009 and holds the fifth fastest 6K in school history. Phillips is a native of Kansas City, Mo.

Selection for the women's cross country 25-Anniversary Team was determined by a 25-person committee. The team composition includes years in which league teams competed under the MVC umbrella during the past 25 years (1992-2017) and does not include competition from the current season. The voting panel determined a 'Top 10' from a list of 25 finalists.

The Missouri Valley Conference was founded in 1907 and is the nation's second oldest Division I athletics conference. Women's sports were incorporated into the MVC in 1992, having previously competed under the Gateway Conference banner from 1982-92.