LA CROSSE, Wis.— Franciscan University runner Bill Jones became the first athlete in FUS history to achieve All-American status when he placed sixth in the 10K at the Division III outdoor track and field National Championships with a time of 30:08.76.

Beginning the race with the goal to "go out fast," Jones ran his his first mile split in 4:37, approximately 3-8 seconds faster than his usual 10k pace.

"I did not want to sit behind," Jones said. "I wanted it to be fast, I wanted the guys to work, and I wanted it to be a gutsy race. It ended up being just that."

Jones maintained the lead for the first twenty laps of the twenty-five lap race and was only overtaken by the top five competitors within the last mile and a half. His sixth place finish is a nine-place and nearly two-minute improvement over his performance at last year's National Championships, where he placed 15th with a time of 31:54.46.

"This is the first nationals where I'm not thinking, 'Oh man, I really kind of blew it,'" Jones said, referring to his frustration after last year's race and the past two cross country National Championships where he placed 115th and 77th. "This time I prepared to the best of my ability, better than I have for any other national competition, and I wasn't disappointed."

Head track and field coach Vince Oliver said it was thanks to ideal pre-race mental and physical preparation that Jones ran the race he wanted to run, despite the pressure of holding the lead throughout.

"I told him before the race that the guy who leads most of the race doesn't generally win in a tight competition like this, but he [Jones] stuck with his strategy," Oliver said. "If he was going to get beat, they were going to have to work hard to beat him."

Oliver added that as the sixth place runner in the nation, the second fastest time 10k time holder in Division III history, and the first All-American for Franciscan University, Jones is a rare breed of champion.

"It's more than just being number one," Oliver said. "It's more than just winning the race. It's being a person as well-rounded as he is. Bill is a champion every single day, even before he gets on the track."

This attitude is rooted in what Jones says is his reason for running: to give glory to God. Jones and several other 10k runners demonstrated this belief when they gathered for a post-race prayer. The FUS athlete said the knowledge that he shared a common goal with his competitors was uplifting.

"I was inspired by the amount of respect and charity all those guys were showing towards each other before and after the race," Jones said. "It just goes to show that we all want each other to do well. Some were also making it known that they were running for the glory of God. We need more athletes like that."

Overall, Jones said he was pleased to have given everything he had to this race but is still looking forward to competing in the 5k championships on Saturday, an event that currently ninth in the nation in.

"It's not over yet by any means," Oliver added. "Two-time all American is in our sights. We really feel like we've got a strategy where he can get out there, win it, and bring gold home. Saturday's coming and we've got to be ready for it."

With one successful national championship performance under his belt, the Jones said he plans to keep pace with the leaders and see how things play out

"I'm just going to run my race," Jones said.

Jones will compete in the 5k on Saturday, May 24 at 6:55 pm eastern time.