CLAREMORE, Okla. - Hillcat cross country head coach Matt Kennedy has unveiled the 2026 women's cross country schedule. The schedule is subject to change throughout the season.
 
The regular seven-meet season will begin with the annual RSU Distance After Dark race on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 p.m. The event returns to the Mohawk Sports Complex in Tulsa, with high school races starting at 7:45 p.m. Last year, the Hillcats opened the season by securing their fourth consecutive team title at the Distance After Dark race. Amy Morefield made history as the first female Hillcat to win the women's 5K in her debut for the Red and Navy. Jordan Wallace finished strong in fifth place, followed by Brooklyn Garafola in sixth. Kaylee Nay completed the top 10 for RSU, finishing ninth. For more information on the race, visit Distance After Dark - Rogers State University Athletics.
 
The Hillcats will next compete at the MSSU Southern Stampede in Joplin, Missouri, on Saturday, Sept. 19, with the race set to begin at 8:00 a.m. Running a split squad last year, RSU achieved a commendable third-place finish out of 22 teams. Morefield led the Hillcats with a fourth-place finish, followed by Garafola in 14th, Emily Cruz in 15th, Brooke Martin in 28th and Kiera Blumhof in 52nd.
 
For the first time in program history, Rogers State will compete in the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 25 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Similar to the Distance After Dark event, this will be a twilight race, beginning with the women's event at 8:45 p.m. and the men's event at 9:15 p.m. Yankton Trail Park is also set to host the NCAA Central Region Championship on Nov. 21. Last season at the NCAA Central Region Championships in Joplin, RSU finished sixth among 35 teams with a score of 168, just one position shy of qualifying for the NCAA National Championships. However, Morefield earned a spot in the national championship race with a fifth-place finish and school-record time of 21:08.27. Morefield, along with Nay (18th) and Garafola (19th), claimed all-region honors.
 
The Hillcats will head back to the University of Arkansas for the first time since 2022 for the 38^th Annual Chili Pepper Festival on Oct. 3. Start times from Fayetteville are to be announced at a later date.
 
A week later, the team 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. Last season at the Golden Eagle Invite held at Pollards Field in Siloam Springs, the Hillcats claimed the team title, and Morefield captured the individual title in the 6K. In addition, Wallace finished second, Garafola took fourth, Nay placed fifth and Cruz rounded out the top 10.
 
The regular season will conclude at the UAH Chargers XC Invitational D2 Festival Year Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, on Oct. 24. Rogers State will return to John Hunt Park for the first time since 2022.
 
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. For the second consecutive season, the Hillcats secured a runner-up finish at the MIAA Championships in Pittsburg last year, tallying 56 points—just one point behind the host Pittsburg State. Morefield tied the school record for the highest individual finish in program history, placing fourth in the women's 6K and earning All-MIAA First Team honors. Joining her on the First Team was Nay, who finished 10th. Garafola (11th), Cruz (15th) and Wallace (16th) received All-MIAA Honorable Mention.

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, Kansas. Rogers State aims to return as a team for the first time since 2024. In 2025, Morefield represented the team as an individual at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship held at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where the Fairview, Texas, native finished 215th out of 263 runners in the national championship race.

For more information and updates on the 2026 Rogers State women's Cross Country schedule, visit 2026 Women's Cross Country Schedule - Rogers State University Athletics.