CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State cross country head coach Matt Kennedy has released the 2026 men's cross country schedule. The schedule is subject to change throughout the season.

The seven-meet regular season will kick off with the annual RSU Distance After Dark race on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10:30 p.m. The race will return to the Mohawk Sports Complex, with the high school races slated to begin at 7:45 p.m. Last year, Nathaneal Gibson made history as the first Hillcat male to win the race, which propelled the team to a third-place finish in an 11-team field. Blake Feron (15th), Cohen McIntosh (19th) and Lee Davis (20th) also earned top-20 finishes. For more information on the race, visit Distance After Dark - Rogers State University Athletics.
 
Following that, the Hillcats will travel to Joplin, Missouri, for the MSSU Southern Stampede on Saturday, Sept. 19. Race time is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. In a highly competitive field of 26 teams last season, RSU finished eighth, with five runners posting personal bests. Leading the men's team was Gibson, who finished 23rd. Cade McCall came in 32nd, while Clint Stapleton placed 61st.
 
For the first time in program history, Rogers State will head north to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 25. Like the Distance After Dark event, this will also be a twilight race, with the women's race set to start at 8:45 p.m. and the men's race at 9:15 p.m. Yankton Trail Park will host the NCAA Central Region Championship on Nov. 21. Last season at the regionals, RSU finished 11th with a score of 358 in the 10K, marking their best finish since 2017. Gibson led the Hillcats with a 49th-place finish, while McCall crossed the line in 57th place.
 
RSU will head back to the University of Arkansas for the 38^th Annual Chili Pepper Festival on Oct. 3. Start times from Fayetteville are to be announced at a later date. McIntosh led the Hillcats with an impressive 18th-place finish last year in the men's 8K, followed by Jack Morgan in 27^th and Davis in 29^th. The team recorded a fourth-place finish in a 24-field race.
 
The Following week, they will compete at either the John Brown Invitational in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, on Oct. 10, or the "Pre-Nationals" race in Lawrence, Kansas, on Oct. 11. The regular season will conclude at the UAH Chargers XC Invitational D2 Festival Year Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, on Oct. 24.
 
The MIAA Championship will return to the MWSU Cross Country Course in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Nov. 7. The championship was previously held on this course in 2024. Last season, Rogers State placed eighth with a score of 188, and Gibson received All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition with a 13th-place finish.

Following the regional meet in Sioux Falls on Nov. 21, the 2026 season will conclude at the NCAA Division II Championships on Dec. 4 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Rogers State aims to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet for the first time on the men's side since 2017.
 
For more information and updates on the 2026 Rogers State Men's Cross Country schedule, visit 2026 Men's Cross Country Schedule - Rogers State University Athletics