CLAREMORE, Okla.- Rogers State's men's track and field team will resume its indoor season this weekend at the Washburn Rust Buster on Friday and the Coach Richard Alsup Open on Saturday.
 
Competition will take place in Topeka, Kansas, at the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility on Friday, while a handful of athletes will compete at Hughes Fieldhouse in Maryville, Missouri, on Saturday. For live coverage and results of the meets, visit linktr.ee/rsuhillcats.
 
"I feel like the guys are moving in the right direction," head coach Matt Kennedy stated on the men's squad heading into the indoor season. "They showed significant signs of improvement so far, and I look forward to seeing what they can put together after break at Washburn and Northwest."
 
CROSS COUNTRY RECAP
The Hillcats men's cross country team achieved three top-five finishes during the 2025 campaign, all while undergoing a rebuilding phase with a youthful roster.
 
"This season was much improved compared to 2024 for the men," said Kennedy. "Finishing 11th in the region was very exciting, and we were just four points from being 10th, which would have been one of our better finishes at the regional meet in program history."
 
The season opened with a third-place finish at the Distance After Dark race on Sept. 4, followed by two fourth-place finishes at the 37th Annual Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 4 and the Golden Eagle Invitational on Oct. 11. The Hillcats also improved their standing at the MIAA Championships, finishing eighth with 188 points. They capped off the season with an 11th-place showing at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship in Joplin on Nov. 8.
 
"They ran really well at Missouri Southern, the conference meet and the regional meet," Kennedy noted. "They benefited greatly from the experience of some upperclassmen, like Gibson and McCall, as well as new young talent like McIntosh and Morgan. They all delivered some strong performances consistently."
 
Sophomore Nathaniel Gibson from Broken Arrow had a standout season. He made history as the first male runner from the team to win the Distance After Dark race and earned a spot as an All-MIAA Honorable Mention honoree with his impressive 13th-place finish at the conference race. Gibson finished third at the Golden Eagle Invitational and led the team with a 49th-place finish at the regional meet, after securing 45th in his first 10K race in 2024.
 
Cade McCall finished 57th at the regional meet, achieving a personal record, and placed 40th at the MIAA Championships, where he was the second finisher on the team.
 
Senior Blake Feron from Broken Arrow concluded his cross country career in 78th place at the regional race. He opened the season with a 15th-place finish at the Distance After Dark and finished 40th at the Chile Pepper Festival. He also placed 50th in a stacked field at the MIAA Championships.
 
Freshman Cohen McIntosh finished 82nd at the regional meet and 46th at the MIAA Championships, wrapping up a solid first year in the Red and Navy.
 
Jack Morgan finished 87th, Lee Davis placed 98th and Tanner Jenks rounded out the Hillcats finishers in 113th. All three runners competed in their first 10K race for the team at regionals.
 
AN EARLY PREVIEW OF THE SEASON AT PITT
The Hillcats opened their season at the Crimson and Gold Invitational in Pittsburg, Kansas, just before the holiday break.
 
In the men's 5,000 meters on the first day, McIntosh led the team with an 18th-place finish in 15:23.12, winning his heat. Morgan followed in 21st, clocking 15:39.44, while Davis set a personal best of 15:40.10 for 22nd. Jenks finished 23rd in 15:40.76.
 
On day two, Ian Conder starred in the men's mile, securing 10th place with a time of 4:22.36. Clint Stapleton was close behind in 13th at 4:23.58, with Riley Pauley (31st, 4:28.16) and Jaxson Wheeler (32nd, 4:28.45) trailing each other. Tesfaye Lire finished 35th in 4:29.78. In the 800 meters, Sam Russell placed 16th in 1:57.75, and Isaac Conder finished 26th in 2:01.29.
 
LOOKING AHEAD AT THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
The Hillcats will compete at the University of Oklahoma for the JD Martin Invitational next Friday. They will return to OU for the Oklahoma Classic on Feb. 6.
 
RSU will also travel to Boston on Jan. 30-31 for the John Thomas Terrier Classic at the University Track and Tennis Center, hosted by Boston University.
 
Additional mid-season meets include the Bearcat Invite on Feb. 6-7 in Maryville and the GVSU Big Meet on Feb. 13-14 at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan.
 
RSU will make three trips to Pittsburg for the Rumble in the Jungle D2 Invitational on Jan. 23, the Pittsburg State Invitational on Jan. 31, and the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from Feb. 27 to March 1.
 
The indoor season will conclude with the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, March 13-16, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
 
ATHLETES TO WATCH THIS INDOOR SEASON
Isaac Conder narrowly missed a conference title in the 600-yard run at the 2025 Indoor Championships, finishing second with a time of 1:11.26. He concluded the season with three top-five finishes, including a victory in the 600-yard at the Rumble in the Jungle Invite. His brother, Ian Conder, also excelled, securing six top-10 finishes and contributing to the skilled distance medley relay (DMR) team.
 
Phillip Owens from Mannford, Oklahoma, had a standout indoor season for the Hillcats last year, achieving five top-five finishes. His highlights included a third-place finish in the 600-yard event at the MIAA Indoor Championships, earning him All-MIAA honors. Owens was also part of the DMR team that finished eighth at the MIAA Championships.
 
Gibson brings experience to the Hillcats' young roster, especially in the 5K. Last season, he competed in four indoor meets, highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the mile at the Rumble in the Jungle Invitational.
 
McCall, another upperclassman, will look to make strides this indoor season. The Glenpool native competed in five meets, culminating in personal records in the 3K and 5K runs at the MIAA Championships.
 
Feron adds significant experience to the roster, particularly for the indoor campaign. He aims to carry momentum from the cross country season into his specialty of long-distance events in indoor competition.
 
Underclassmen Davis, Jenks, McIntosh and Morgan are talented athletes whom Coach Kennedy believes will make an impact for the Hillcats after strong cross country seasons.
 
For a complete list of athletes competing this indoor season, visit 2025-26 Men's Track and Field Roster - Rogers State University Athletics.

FINAL WORDS FROM COACH KENNEDY
"This is a process," Kennedy said. "We need to stick to the plan, focus on our development from cross country to indoor season, and then from indoor to outdoor. We want to represent our school and our great alumni in a way that keeps them engaged with our results."