CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State women's track and field resumes outdoor track season in full force this weekend with a pair of meets in St. Louis and Tulsa.

Competition is set to kick off Friday afternoon at the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis, taking place at Bushyhead Track, and will wrap up Saturday in Tulsa at the 2026 ORU Invitational, held at OneOK Sports Complex. For live coverage and results of the meets, visit linktr.ee/rsuhillcats.
 
ANOTHER ALL-REGION NOD FOR AMY
Junior Amy Morefield has earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Indoor Track and Field All-Region team in the women's 3000m.
 
Morefield, a native of Fairfield, Texas, set a new school record in the event at the Rumble in the Jungle D2 Invitational, finishing with an NCAA provisional time of 9:42.86. She is the second women's track athlete to receive indoor all-region honors from the USTFCCCA, following Audrianna Morgan (200m) in 2017. Additionally, Morefield broke the school record in the indoor mile with a time of 4:55.03 at the Pittsburg State Invitational.
 
Morefield's indoor season was cut short by injury, resulting in her absence from the MIAA Championship. Her timeline to return is unknown heading into the outdoor season.
 
Earlier this year, Morefield was also recognized with USTFCCCA All-Region honors in cross country after finishing fifth and setting a new school record in the women's 6K with a time of 21:08.27 at the NCAA Division II Regional Championship. This performance qualified her for the NCAA Division II National Championship race in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
 
INDOOR RECAP
RSU women's track had a strong performance at the 2026 MIAA Indoor Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas, achieving five top-10 finishes.

"It was good," said RSU head coach Matt Kennedy, reflecting on the indoor track season for both genders. "I thought we performed well in the events we participated in at the MIAA Championships and had several school records fall throughout the season."
 
The women's distance medley relay team delivered an outstanding performance, finishing program-best second in 12:04.95 to earn All-MIAA honors. The team included Kenzie Gilliam (400m), Stella Jones (800m), Sisely Mitchell (1200m) and Cadence Cordova (mile).
 
Cordova also excelled individually, securing four top-10 finishes, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the mile at the MIAA Championships. Mitchell added a 10th-place finish in the mile during the conference meet.
 
Sophomore Brooklyn Garafola continued her momentum from the cross country season into indoor track, recording four top-10 finishes. She achieved a personal best of 10:07.82 in the 3000 meters at the conference meet, finishing eighth.
 
In addition, athletes Emily Cruz, Gilliam, Brooke Martin and Kaylee Nay demonstrated consistency on the track throughout the indoor season.
 
A GLIMPSE IN COFFEYVILLE
The Hillcats launched their outdoor season at the Dean Pryor Invite, with 13 women securing top-10 finishes. Leading the way was Cordova, who claimed first place in the 800m.
 
The meet began with the women's 1500 meters, where Gilliam led the team with a third-place finish, clocking in at 5:03.44. Audrey McElhaney followed closely in fourth with a time of 5:05.66, while Jones secured fifth at 5:06.53. Ryann Barber (8th, 5:23.67), Kylea Hatfield (9th, 5:27.12) and Tehya Lang (10th, 5:28.96) added to the top-10 finishes. Britt Hunter set a personal best with an 11th-place finish (5:29.87), followed by Sarah Swofford in 12th (5:30.16).
 
In the 400 meters, Mitchell took fourth place with a time of 1:04.28, while Ann-Marie Dorsey finished fifth (1:04.96). Leyla Saldana (11th, 1:07.18) and Isabel Bush (13th, 1:07.87) also contributed solid performances.
 
Cordova won the women's 800 meters with a time of 2:23.01, followed by Martin in second place with a time of 2:26.32. The Hillcats also showcased strong performances from Nay (7th, 2:33.47), Kiera Blumhof (8th, 2:33.50), and Garafola (9th, 2:33.56). Cruz finished 10th in 2:33.64, Kendall Howell was 12th with a time of 2:38.03, Hunter placed 16th (2:45.07), Barber took 17th (2:47.63) and Swofford finished 18th in 2:49.30.

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
The Midwest Classic, hosted by Emporia State, is set to open April's schedule, tentatively planned for April 3-4 at Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas. Later in the month, Rogers State will participate in the MIAA Tune-Up at ESU, also tentative. Welch Stadium is scheduled to host the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from May 21-23.
 
Rogers State will then compete in two NCAA Division I meets, starting with the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman on April 10, followed by the Arkansas Spring Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on April 11.
 
Before the MIAA Championships, slated for May 1-3 at Pittsburg State University Outdoor Track in Pittsburg, Kansas, the Hillcats will travel to the West Coast for the Bryan Clay Invitational at Cougar Athletic Stadium in Azusa, California. They will return to the same venue for the Franson Last Chance event from May 7-9.
 
"We expect our athletes to perform at a high level to earn the opportunity to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California," Kennedy said. "There are standards I set for our team, which we call coaches' standards, and then there are standards established by the meet director in Azusa that dictate the qualifying times for entry. Many of those qualifying times are pretty competitive. If our athletes are good enough to qualify, we feel we're trending in the right direction."
 
Kennedy also noted the advantages of competing in Azusa: "You go to Azusa because you can almost guarantee good weather, little wind and a large environment. There are hundreds of people in those distance races, so athletes get the chance to line up with competitors who are motivated to run fast."
 
For more information and updates on the RSU track and field schedule, visit 2025-26 Women's Track and Field Schedule - Rogers State University Athletics.
 
ATHLETES TO WATCH THIS OUTDOOR SEASON
Cordova is an athlete to watch in her final season with the Hillcats. Last outdoor season, the Owasso native notched five top-10 finishes, including a first-place finish in the 3000 meters at the Arkansas Spring Invitational.
 
Coach Kennedy praised Cordova's time on the Hill, stating, "Cadence was outstanding in the mile during the indoor season, and we anticipate a great outdoor season from her as well. She will definitely be missed next year; I can't express enough how valuable she has been to this program."
 
Garafola and Nay are also athletes to keep an eye on this spring. Both are strong contenders in the 3000 and 5000 meters, having earned all-region honors during the cross country season, and they performed well in these events during the indoor season.
 
Coach Kennedy anticipates a breakout outdoor season from underclassmen Cruz and Martin, who have impressed in the early stages of training and during the indoor season.

For a complete list of athletes competing this outdoor season, visit 2025-26 Women's Track and Field Roster - Rogers State University Athletics.