"Brave means not giving up on the things that make you feel alive." - Gabe Grunewald

On Sept. 7, 2026, Huntington University’s Abigail Gentz was named the Crossroads League Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week; then, a day later, the USTFCCCA NAIA Women's National Athlete of the Week - the first such honor awarded in the 2026 cross country season.

At Indiana Wesleyan’s Twilight Invite on Labor Day weekend, Abbey navigated a 5k field of 184 runners to claim the individual title with a time of 18:25 - pulling away from the competition by an extraordinary 40 seconds. The margin of victory is impressive, especially since she outpaced runners from five nationally ranked programs.

The national recognition is the exclamation point on a weekend that served as Abbey’s first cross country race since 2024 and reminded the NAIA what she's capable of. After missing all of last season and not racing for a year and a half, the victory at IWU became another page in her redemption story.

Abbey suffered from epileptic seizures, a brain aneurysm, and other critical health events that required a life flight, intubation, medically induced coma, and multiple hospital stays. She had to learn to start over at absolute zero through inpatient rehab, relearning how to walk, eat, speak, and endure months of physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

As Abbey said, "Self-reliance fails in the face of crisis", and being patient and waiting for a breakthrough in trials can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. Her story and unshakeable faith will leave you feeling grateful, inspired, and hopefully remind you that the ability to run is an amazing privilege.

“Honestly, lining up for a college cross country meet after a year and a half away is something I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to do again. So many people told me that running was off the table for good. But God had other plans. He taught me patience with every painful step and reminded me that as long as I’m here, my purpose isn’t finished. Day by day, he gave me the strength to keep pushing…It wasn’t about the clock or where I placed; every stride was a win. I took in every second, living out the exact prayer I had been living for so long: just to be back doing what I love with my teammates. Lacing up and putting one foot in front of the other is a complete miracle, and I’m never taking it for granted again.”

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