ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Five Hillcats earned All-MIAA honors, as the women finished second and the men fifth at the 2026 MIAA Cross Country Championships, held at the Griffon Cross Country Course. Amy Morefield, Brooklyn Garafola and Thomas Kubala led the way with All-MIAA First Team performances.
 
The 20th-ranked women's cross country team secured a second-place finish for the third consecutive year at the conference championship, ending with 69 points. They trailed No. 9 Missouri Southern, which finished first with 60 points. No. 10 Pittsburg State followed in third with 72 points, while No. 24 Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State placed fourth and fifth with 98 and 133 points, respectively.

"I'm incredibly proud of how our women competed," Head coach Matt Kennedy commented. "We executed our assignments well, put four runners in the top 15 and seven in the top 30, and finished only nine points from the championship in an outstanding field of nationally ranked, highly respected programs. Three consecutive runner-up finishes demonstrate the consistency and championship standard this program has established, even though we are still pursuing that top step." Kennedy added, "Our season has been structured around being at our best at the regional championship in two weeks, and today showed that we are positioned to make the most of that opportunity."
 
Morefield recorded another impressive performance at the MIAA Championship, finishing in the top five and earning All-MIAA First Team honors for the second straight year with a time of 21:14.2. Garafola also made her mark, finishing 10th and becoming a two-time All-MIAA recipient with a personal best of 21:30.1.
 
Kaylee Nay achieved her second All-MIAA finish by placing 13th with a time of 21:56.7, earning honorable mention. Amaya Grant also earned honorable mention, finishing 15th in 21:59.4.
 
Emily Cruz claimed 26th place with a time of 22:29.6. Close behind, Darcy Vineyard finished 29th in 22:30.9, while Bianca Scott came in 30th at 22:33.1. Sisley Mitchell secured 50th place in 23:15.1, followed by Abigail Harding in 54th at 23:21.3 and Tehya Lang in 59th with a finishing time of 23:31.5.
 
The men's team put together their best finish in the MIAA era (2019-present), finishing fifth with a score of 148. No. 11 Washburn won the team title with a score of 48, followed by No. 7 Pittsburg State (51 points), No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney (84 points) and Missouri Southern (100 points).

"I'm proud of our men for accomplishing the objective we established for this meet," Kenndy remarked. "We wanted to finish in the top five, and when you secure fifth place by one point, it demonstrates that every runner, every position and every second mattered. Thomas gave us a first-team All-MIAA performance, and our lineup showed significant improvement from the preview race on this same course." He added, "Today was an important step forward, but our work is not finished, and our attention now turns completely toward the regional championship in two weeks."
 
Kubala led the men's team with an All-MIAA First Team finish, clocking 24:58.9 to place 10th, the highest finish by a male runner in the MIAA era. He is the first all-conference first team honoree since Seth Whittington and Nick Williams claimed All-Heartland Conference First Team honors in 2018.


Thomas Kubala receiving All-MIAA First Team medal
 
Jack Morgan finished strong in 25th place with a time of 25:22.6. Close behind him was Clint Stapleton, who secured 30th place with a time of 25:34.3. Cade McCall crossed the line in 44th place at 25:49.2, while Aidan Jimenez not only placed 50th but also achieved a personal best with a time of 25:56.7. 
 
Carter Gibson also posted a personal best, finishing 52nd in 25:57.8, highlighting the depth of the competition. Other notable finishes included Lewis Cross in 62nd place at 26:18.3, Adam Sium in 65th at 26:24.1, and Lee Davis in 68th with a time of 26:31.4 (previous best of 25:32.4). Ethan Banks rounded out the group in 74th place with a time of 25:37.9.
 
Prior to the championships, McCall made history as the department's first-ever two-time recipient of the MIAA "A Game" Scholar-Athlete award. The senior joins Blake Phillippi (2023) as the second men's cross country runner in program history to earn this honor.
 
Rogers State will return to action in two weeks at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships on Nov. 21 at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The 2026 season will conclude with the NCAA Division II Championships on Dec. 4 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.
 

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MEN'S 8K | 5th OF 11 | 148 POINTS
10^th- Thomas Kubala, 24:58.9 (All-MIAA First Team)
25^th - Jack Morgan, 25:22.6
30^th - Clint Stapleton, 25:34.3
44^th - Cade McCall, 25:49.2
50^th - Aidan Jimenez, 25:56.7 (Personal Best)
52^nd - Carter Gibson, 25:57.8 (Personal Best)
62^nd - Lewis Cross, 26:18.3
65^th - Adam Sium, 26:24.1
68^th - Lee Davis, 26:31.4 (25:32.4)
74^th - Ethan Banks, 25:37. 9
 
 
WOMEN'S 6K | 2nd OF 13 | 69 POINTS
5^th - Amy Morefield, 21:14. 2 (All-MIAA First Team)
10^th - Brooklyn Garafola, 21:30.1 (All-MIAA First Team & Personal Best)
13^th - Kaylee Nay, 21:56.7 (All-MIAA Honorable Mention)
15^th - Amaya Grant, 21:59.4 (All-MIAA Honorable Mention)
26^th - Emily Cruz, 22:29.6
29^th - Darcy Vineyard, 22:30. 9
30^th - Bianca Scott, 22:33.1
50^th - Sisley Mitchell, 23:15.1
54^th - Abigail Harding, 23:21.3
59^th - Tehya Lang, 23:31. 5