TULSA, Okla. – Senior Amy Morefield led the women to their fifth straight title as the Hillcats won their fifth straight title on Thursday night at the annual RSU Distance After Dark race, presented by Armstrong Bank, at the Mohawk Sports Complex. The RSU men also put together a solid outing with a fourth-place finish under the lights in T-Town.
 
"What a fantastic night of racing. Really some monumental performances from both the high school and college ranks," commented head coach Matt Kennedy. "A tough field this year. Much larger than it has been in years past, and the quality was really fantastic.
 
The Hillcat women collected their fifth consecutive team victory at Distance After Dark with 45 points. NCAA Division I Tulsa (59 points) finished runner-up, followed by Oklahoma Baptist (112 points) in third, Oklahoma City (122 points) in fourth and Oklahoma Christian (145 points) in fifth.
 
"The fact the girls got it done, I'll be it tight, is very encouraging," Kennedy said about the women's race. "It's our opener; it's the first race of the year. There's obviously room to improve, and we certainly will. So to rip the band-aid off and get it done in this rust buster,  really a lot of positives to take from that, and you can't complain—you line up and win; that's important."
 
Morefield collected a historic second straight individual title with a time of 17:44.1. The Fairview, Texas, native finished ahead of MaKaylin Viet of Tulsa in a sprint to the finish line to collect her third win as a Hillcat.
 
Junior Amaya Grant clocked a personal-best time of 18:03.4 to finish fifth in her Hillcat debut. Senior Brooklyn Garafola secured her second top-10 finish at Distance After Dark, taking 10th with a time of 18:12.2. Kaylee Nay crossed the line in 13th at 18:29.3, followed closely by Emily Cruz in 16th at 18:35.0. Junior Bianca Scott finished 19th with a time of 18:41.3, while freshman Abigail Harding finished 21st at 18:51.6.
 
The men's team put on a solid showing, finishing fourth out of 17 with 102 points. Oklahoma Baptist won the team title with 45^th points, followed by Pittsburg State (78 points) and Oklahoma Christian (92 points). Park U. rounded out the top five with 153 points.
 
Junior Thomas Kubala, a transfer from Odessa Community College, led the way for the men with a 12^th-place finish after crossing the finish line at 20:43.7.
 
"He was just gutsy. He just put his nose in that race and went with it," Kennedy commented on Kubala. "I thought he did a great job. We'll see a lot more from him, I'm very certain."
 
Also for the men, junior Clint Stapleton finished 19th with a personal-best time of 20:59.1. Close behind, sophomore Jack Morgan placed 24th at 21:06.1, also posting a personal best. Junior Lee Davis took 25th with a time of 21:09.8, matching senior Ethan Banks, who finished 26th with the same time. Senior Cade McCall placed 36th at 21:34.2, while redshirt freshman Adam Sium crossed the finish line in 42nd at 21:38.7, achieving a personal best.
 
RSU also showcased some familiar faces, with former alumni competing once again at Distance After Dark. The women finished eighth in the 17-team field with 234
 
Gloria Phillippi led the way with in 24th place with a time of 18:57. She was followed closely by Brianna Stinnett, who took 27th place with a finish time of 19:06. Cadence Cordova secured the 44th position, crossing the line in 19:31.5. Ashley Riggenbach finished in 58th place with a time of 19:55.9, while Madison Bradshaw rounded out the group in 126th place, completing the race in 21:47.
 
2026 graduate Nathan Hernandez also hit the starting line once again at the Mohawk Sports Complex. The Guymon native finished 50^th with a time of 21:47.1.
 
The Hillcats will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the MSSU Southern Stampede in Joplin, Missouri. The women's race at Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the men's race at 8:45 a.m.
 

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Women 5k | 1^ST of 17 | 45 Points
 Individual Results
1. Amy Morefield - 17:44.4, 1 point
5. Amaya Grant - 18:03.4, 5 points (Personal Best)
10. Brooklyn Garafola - 18:12.2, 10 points
13. Kaylee Nay - 18:29.3, 13 points
16. Emily Cruz - 18:35.0, 16 points
19. Bianca Scott - 18:41.3, 19 points
21. Abigail Harding - 18:51.6, 21 points
25. Sisely Mitchell - 18:57.6
40. Kiera Blumhof - 19:25.0
42. Darcy Vineyard - 19:29.5
60. Tehya Lang - 19:57.2
74. Ryann Barber - 20:18.8
76. Kenzie Gilliam - 20:20.1
81. Leyla Saldana - 20:26.4
88. Kendall Howell - 20:32.4
94. Chloe Grubbs - 20:42.6
100. Brielle Coons - 20:51.6
119. Sarah Swofford - 21:29.5
125. Britt Hunter - 21:46.0
Stella Jones – DNF
 
RSU Women Alumni | 8^th of 17 | 234 points
Individual Results
24. Gloria Phillippi – 18:57.0, 24 points
27. Brianna Stinnett – 19:06.4, 26 points
44. Cadence Cordova – 19:31.5, 40 points
58. Ashley Riggenbach – 19:55.9, 53 points
126. Madison Bradshaw – 21:47.0, 91 points
 
Men 4M | 4^th of 14 | 102 Points
 Individual Results
12. Thomas Kubala - 20:43.7, 12 points
19. Clint Stapleton - 20:59.1, 18 points (Personal Best)
24. Jack Morgan - 21:06.1, 23 points (Personal Best)
25. Lee Davis - 21:09.8, 24 points (Personal Best)
26. Ethan Banks - 21:09.8, 25 points (Personal Best)
36. Cade McCall - 21:34.2, 33 points
42. Adam Sium - 21:38.7, 38 points (Personal Best)
58. Cohen McIntosh - 21:54.2
60. Noah Laird - 21:55.7
61. Carter Gibson - 21:56.6
74. Karsen Hennigh - 22:14.9
78. Jaxson Wheeler - 22:17.5
79. Lewis Cross - 22:20.3
81. Trevor Hacker - 22:22.8
86. Julian Powers - 22:28.2
89. Aidan Jimenez - 22:34.3
103. Luke Worthington - 22:56.3
115. Josiah Long - 23:07.3
127. Tanner Jenks - 23:29.0
132. Colton Storm - 23:33.4
144. Riley Pauley - 23:59.4
156. Jaden Perry - 24:42.4
158. Eli Batie - 24:47.1
164. Peyton Sanders - 25:35.0
Tesfaye Lire – DNF
 
RSU Men Alumni
Individual Result
50. Nathan Hernandez – 21:47.1