Greenville, SC – The NCCAA is pleased to honor Ruth Brueckner of Crown College as the 2026 Dr. Ray Bullock Award Recipient for Division II Women’s Cross Country.?

Senior Ruth Brueckner’s impact extends well beyond athletics at Crown due to her strong faith in and love of in Jesus Christ. In addition to leading her teammates in cross country, Brueckner serves in her church nursery, is on her church and Crown’s worship team, leads a women’s Bible study, is a ministry leader for SALT Twin Cities Campus Ministry, serves in Vacation Bible School, volunteers at a nursing home, is a church youth leader, and serves as a Somali Children’s tutor. Brueckner’s desire is to bring a positive attitude and encouragement to everyone she can, regardless of the circumstances.
 
In cross country, Brueckner gives 110% of what she has. She is a two-time NCCAA Cross Country All-American and has been instrumental in leading Crown to back-to-back NCCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Championships. Brueckner has earned NCCAA All-Region honors three times as well, along with a multitude of NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) honors. Brueckner currently holds a career best 5,000-meter time of 19:34 recorded in 2025 and has a season best mark of 20:36, earning top five individual finishes in each of the last two NCCAA National Championship races. 
 
Academically, Brueckner holds a perfect 4.0 GPA as a sport coaching and administration major. She is a four-time Dean’s List student and has earned academic honors such as a Showcase of Excellence Judges Award and People’s Choice award. 
 
“Ruth Brueckner demonstrates strong leadership qualities both as a teammate and as a Christian leader in her everyday life,” stated Crown Head Cross Country Coach Abbe Dufault. “She leads by example through her positive attitude, encouragement of teammates and coworkers, and strong work ethic. She is committed not only to improving as an athlete, but also to growing in her relationship with the Lord. Through her compassion for others, humility, and dedication to serving those around her, Ruth is an athlete who is well deserving of this honor.”
 
Other Finalists
Carlie Blevins, Faith Baptist Bible College

Award Description
For many years, Dr. Ray Bullock dedicated himself to the development of cross country as a sport in general, but also as a ministry within the NCCAA. The NCCAA Hall of Famer (1999) led his teams to over 10 total NCCAA and NAIA national championships and coached dozens of All-Americans. Bullock has impacted the lives of countless student-athletes and coaches through his mentoring and sacrifice.