CLEVELAND, Ohio — Rogers State Athletics finished 88th with 245.5 points in the NACDA Learfield Directors' Cup, marking the highest finish in the program's history.

"I am beyond proud of the success we had as a department this year," said Dr. Chris Ratcliff, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "We have unbelievable coaches and student-athletes. Without them and the culture we have built here, none of this is possible. We might have one of the smaller departments in the country, but we have shown that we can contend with the best. I am excited to see how we can build on this accomplishment in the future."

The Learfield Directors' Cup standings are determined by the performance of an institution's top 15 scoring programs in NCAA postseason competitions. Rogers State is eligible to accrue points in 14 championship sports; seven participated in the NCAA Regional Tournament, and they earned points in five (MSOC, MBB, WGOLF, BSB and SB). Before this year, the Hillcats had never broken into the top 100 in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings, as they finished 104th in 2024-25 and 110th in 2021-22. They ranked ninth among MIAA schools in the final standings.
 
Men's soccer led the charge, accumulating 73 points. Following a runner-up finish in the GAC/MIAA Regular Season and Tournament, the No. 2-seeded Hillcats defeated No. 7-seeded Cedarville and No. 3-seeded Lincoln in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. This also marked the first time NCAA Tournament games were hosted at Soldier Field. First-year head coach Jake Simpson's Hillcats (14-4-5, 8-2-2 GAC/MIAA) finished the season ranked sixth nationally, the best in program history. Leading the way for postseason awards were Alex Laing and Louis Bassett, who were named Third Team All-Americans. Jaxon Kendall and Brandon O'Rourke were also named CSC Academic All-Americans.
 
The men's and women's cross country teams excelled under the leadership of head coach Matt Kennedy. The women's team reached as high as 16th in national rankings (program high) and finished 29th after placing sixth at the NCAA Central Region Championship – just one spot away from making the cut for the NCAA National Championship. Amy Morefield represented RSU at the NCAA Championship as an individual with a fifth-place finish at regionals, while Kaylee Nay (18th) and Brooklyn Garafola (19th) also earned all-region honors for the first time in their career. On the men's side, Nathaneal Gibson led the team with a 49th-place finish, contributing to an 11th-place finish at regionals, the team's best finish since 2017.
 
Under coach Justin Barkley, who reached the 300-win milestone this season, the RSU men's basketball team (21-11, 13-6 MIAA) earned 25 points after making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2019-20 season, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They achieved their highest-ranked win in the NCAA Division II era by defeating No. 5 Arkansas-Fort Smith and later secured a victory over No. 25 Central Missouri. The Hillcats found their rhythm in the postseason beginning with a remarkable run in the MIAA Tournament, where they used late heroics to knock off Fort Hays State and Missouri Southern to reach the MIAA Championship Game for the first time in program history. They would ultimately receive the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament in Topeka, Kansas. Jabryn Anderson led the charge in postseason honors after being named to both the MIAA All-Defensive and the Second Teams, and later to the MIAA All-Tournament Team.
 
In her inaugural season, first-year women's golf coach Lexi Johnson was named MIAA Co-Coach of the Year, guiding the team to the second-most points in the department with 60. The Hillcat earned a spot in the NCAA Women's Golf National Championship after a strong performance at the NCAA Central Region Championship, where they finished third. They also finished third at the MIAA Championship and, in late March, checked in as the top team in the Central Region for the first time since 2022. MIAA Freshman of the Year Lou Fourdan and two-time All-MIAA honoree Brianna Maddux made the WGCA All-Central Region team, while Maddux also received the department's first-year NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
Rogers State baseball (40-15, 26-10 MIAA) enjoyed a remarkable 2026 season that earned them 50 points. They secured the No. 2 seed and hosted the NCAA Central Region Tournament for the first time in program history. They achieved a pair of victories over No. 7 seed Missouri Southern in the tournament and posted their highest finish in program history in the MIAA Regular Season standings, finishing second. At the height of their success, the Cats enjoyed a 19-game winning streak, during which they reached a program-high national ranking of fifth in the ABCA poll and sixth in the NCBWA poll. Head coach Chris Klimas, who became the program's all-time winningest coach this season, was named both the Steve Anson MIAA Coach of the Year and the NCBWA Central Region Coach of the Year. Seniors Andrew Ramirez and Andres Contreras were named to the D2CAA All-Central Region Second Team.
 
Rogers State softball (37-21, 14-10 MIAA) earned 37.5 points after securing their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Under the department's all-time winningest coach, Andrea Vaughan, RSU collected the No.7 seed in the NCAA Central Regional. In the opening game, they achieved a decisive win over No. 2 seed Pittsburg State. Their postseason success was fueled by a remarkable run in the MIAA Tournament, where they shocked No. 3 seed Pittsburg State and No. 2 seed Central Oklahoma to reach the MIAA Championship Game for the fifth time in six seasons. Senior Harley Culie led the postseason honors with a spot on the NFCA All-Central Region Second Team.
 
Additionally, RSU achieved a program-best eighth place in the 2025-26 MIAA Commissioner's Cup standings following the spring semester. They ranked 10th over the past two years and finished 11^th in 2022-23. For more information, visit themiaa.com.

POINTS BY TEAM
Men's Soccer  - 73.0
Women's Golf - 60.0
Baseball - 50.0
Softball - 37.5
Men's Basketball - 25.0

PREVIOUS DIRECTORS' CUP RESULTS (ELIGIBLE YEARS)
2026 - 88th
2025 - 104th
2024 - 125th 
2023 - 164th
2022 - 110th (Softball Wins Department's First NCAA National Championship)
2021 - Canceled Due to COVID-19
2020 - Canceled Due to COVID-19
2019 - 162nd
2018 - 182nd
2017 - 256th

ABOUT LEARFIELD
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.