JOPLIN, Mo. – Junior
Amy Morefield punched her ticket to the NCAA National Championship race with an NCAA All-Central Region fifth-place finish this morning at the NCAA Central Region Championship held at Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.
The No. 18 Rogers State women's cross country team finished sixth out of 35 teams with a score of 168. Winona State, who were the favorites heading into the regional race, claimed the regional championship title. Also collecting automatic bids to nationals are Pittsburg State and Nebraska-Kearney.
"The women battled today," commented head coach
Matt Kennedy on their performance. "This was not the result we had hoped for. Our goal was to finish in the top three, and sixth is not where we wanted to be. We often discuss how pressure can be a privilege, accompanied by high expectations.
Morefield set a new school record in the women's 6K with a time of 21:08.27. Joining her as All-Region performers were
Kaylee Nay, who finished 18th with a personal best of 21:41.34, and
Brooklyn Garafola, who placed 19th with a personal best of 21:42.29. All three Hillcats accomplished the feat for the first time in their careers.
"
Amy Morefield was phenomenal," Kennedy said following the race. "She set the school record and earned her spot at the NCAA National Championship as an individual qualifier. Kennedy added, "
Brooklyn Garafola and
Kaylee Nay also had exceptional races, both putting themselves firmly inside our program's all-time top 10 list. Having three All-Region performers is something our team should take a lot of pride in."
Also in the women's race,
Emily Cruz finished 59th, while
Cadence Cordova placed 67th.
Brooke Martin recorded a personal best time of 23:00.08, finishing 94th, and
Jordan Wallace rounded out the team in 95th.
Fort Hays State's Emily McCullough won the race with a time of 20:32.59. Paige Mullen from Pittsburg State finished second, followed by Sophia Taarud of Winona State in third and Hannah Gibson of Pittsburg State in fourth.
On the men's side, Rogers State placed 11
th with a score of 358. Northwest Missouri State won the regional with a score of 72. Washburn (second) and East Central (third) also secured their spots at nationals.
"I couldn't be more pleased with the men," stated Kennedy about the men's performance. "This group has really come together over the last month, and today they raced with toughness and maturity." He added, "Finishing 11th in the Central Region is a strong step forward for our program, and this is our highest regional finish since 2017. I'm proud of their progress and excited about where this group is headed."
Nathaneal Gibson led the Hillcats, finishing 49th with a time of 32:11.21.
Cade McCall took 57th with a personal best of 32:29.25, followed by
Blake Feron in 78th and
Cohen McIntosh in 82nd.
Jack Morgan finished 87th,
Lee Davis placed 98th and
Tanner Jenks rounded out the Hillcat finishers in 113th. All three runners competed in their first 10K race for the Hillcats.
Aziz Mohammed of Northwest Missouri State won the race for the Bearcats with a time of 29:53.48. His teammate, Drew Atkins, finished second. Donald Kibet of Washburn, Nathan Hinrichs of Pittsburg State and Dylan Sprecker of Pittsburg State rounded out the top five.
The Hillcat women will await news on whether they receive an at-large bid to the national race next. Morefield is guaranteed to represent RSU in the NCAA Division II National Championships on Nov. 22 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course. The women's 6K race is scheduled for 10 a.m. For updates, follow along at
Women's Cross Country - Rogers State University Athletics/
WOMEN'S 6K RESULTS | 6th of 35
Amy Morefield
5
th - 21:08.27
(All-Region | NCAA Qualifier | School Record | Personal Best)
Kaylee Nay
18
th – 21:41.34
(All-Region | Personal Best)
Brooklyn Garafola
19
th – 21:42.29
(All-Region | Personal Best)
Emily Cruz
59
th – 22:28.18
Cadence Cordova
67
th – 22:36.02
Brooke Martin
94
th – 23:00.08
(Personal Best)
Jordan Wallace
95
th – 23:00.20
MEN'S 10K RESULTS | 11th of 30
Nathaneal Gibson
49
th - 32:11.21
Cade McCall
57
th – 32:29.25 (Personal Best)
Blake Feron
78
th – 32:55.39
Cohen McIntosh
82
nd – 33:05.36
Jack Morgan
87
th – 33:08.51
Lee Davis
98
th – 33:23.75
Tanner Jenks
113
th - 33:39.61
