CLAREMORE, Okla.- The Hillcat women's track and field team will resume its indoor season Friday at the Washburn Rust Buster in Topeka, Kansas, at the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility. For live coverage and results of the meets, visit linktr.ee/rsuhillcats.
 
Head coach Matt Kennedy commented on the Washburn meet, saying, "The Ruster Buster meet really lives up to its name. These athletes go home for winter break, and when they return, they immediately participate in that meet. For us, it serves as a gauge of where they are and how their winter training looks. It's a chance to shake off the rust and see where we are."
 
CROSS COUNTRY RECAP
Rogers State has established itself as a national contender, reaching as high as No. 16 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association polls.
 
The team secured first-place finishes at the Distance After Dark on Sept. 4 and the Golden Eagle Invitational. They finished as runners-up at the MIAA Championship on Oct. 25, just one point shy of first place, and placed third at the MSSU Southern Stampede on Sept. 20.
 
At the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, the Hillcats finished sixth out of 35 teams with a score of 168, narrowly missing a team berth to nationals for the second consecutive season. Junior Amy Morefield qualified for the NCAA National Championship race by finishing fifth in the NCAA All-Central Region. She placed 215th out of 263 competitors at the national event. Additionally, the transfer from the University of Tulsa became the program's first champion at the Distance After Dark, finished fourth at the MIAA Championship, and earned All-MIAA First Team honors.
 
Kennedy reflected on the cross country season, noting, "We did some unique things this year. At the Distance After Dark meet, we ran basically everyone who was healthy. We also had a split-squad non-varsity roster at Missouri Southern, and they performed really well."
 
He highlighted the team's strong conference performance, finishing as the runner-up to Pitt by just one point. "That was bittersweet. Watching it in person, I thought there was no way we wouldn't win. Our goals were to have one runner in the top five and another in the top ten. We ended up with one in fourth, one in 10^th, one in 11^th, one in 14^th and one in 16^th. Most years, if you achieve that, you're going to win."
 
Looking back at the regional meet, Kennedy said it was a good day but not a great one. "To make it to the national meet, you really need to have a great day, and we just missed it by a bit. I am very proud of Amy for finishing fifth and representing the Hillcats at Nationals."
 
Kaylee Nay earned All-Region honors for the first time with her 18th-place finish at the NCAA Central Region Championship in the women's 6K and was named to the All-MIAA First Team for her 10th place at the conference championships. Brooklyn Garafola finished 19th at regionals with a personal best of 21:42.29, marking her first All-Region honor, and received All-MIAA Honorable Mention after placing 11th at the MIAA Championships. Jordan Wallace and Emily Cruz also garnered All-MIAA Honorable Mention recognition.
 
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 women's 5,000 meters on the first day, Garafola finished fifth overall with a time of 17:28.8, leading heat one. Morefield took 16th overall at 18:01.15, while Brooke Martin finished 18th with a time of 18:21.69, placing third in heat two.
 
On day two, Sisely Mitchell led the women's mile, finishing seventh with a time of 5:09.81. Kenzie Gilliam followed in 24th place at 5:23.42, and Ryann Barber finished 46th with a time of 5:48.68.
 
LOOKING AHEAD AT THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
RSU is set to compete at the University of Oklahoma for the JD Martin Invitational next Friday. They will also return to OU for the Oklahoma Classic on February 6.
 
Additionally, RSU will head to Boston on January 30-31 for the John Thomas Terrier Classic at the University Track and Tennis Center, hosted by Boston University.
 
Other mid-season meets include the Bearcat Invite on February 6-7 in Maryville and the GVSU Big Meet on February 13-14 at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan.
 
RSU has scheduled trips to Pittsburg for the Rumble in the Jungle D2 Invitational on January 23, the Pittsburg State Invitational on January 31, and the MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships from February 27 to March 1.
 
The indoor season will conclude with the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, set for March 13-16 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
 
For information on the schedule, visit 2025-26 Men's Track and Field Schedule - Rogers State University Athletics.
 
ATHLETES TO WATCH THIS INDOOR SEASON
Morefield will have a light indoor season following a busy cross country campaign, focusing primarily on the 3K after starting the season in the 5K. While at the University of Tulsa, she had an impressive indoor season for the Golden Hurricane, highlighted by a sixth-place finish in the mile at the 2024 American Athletic Conference Indoor.
 
Garafola, who began the indoor season on a high note in Pittsburg, aims to continue her development throughout the season after showing significant improvement during the cross country season. The Owasso native competed in two races last year during the indoor season, finishing 16^th at both the Rumble in the Jungle Invite (mile) and the Washburn Rust Buster (800).
 
Nay made an impression in her freshman indoor season, achieving three top-10 finishes for the Hillcats, including ninth in the mile at the Washburn Rust Buster. Cruz, another promising athlete, had an outstanding cross country season and seeks to build on her two top-10 finishes from last indoor season.
 
Cadence Cordova seeks to conclude her time as a Hillcat strongly in her final indoor campaign. The senior finished with nine top-10 finishes in 2025, including sixth in the mile and eighth in the 3K at the MIAA Indoor Championships. Additionally, she was part of the talented distance medley relay team, alongside Katie Byrd, Ann-Marie Dorsey and Sisely Mitchell, which finished third at the MIAA Indoor Championships with a provisional time of 11:48.89.
 
Martin is an underclassman to watch. The freshman impressed the coaching staff during the cross country season and is poised to make an impact in her first indoor season.
 
For a complete list of athletes competing this indoor season, visit 2025-26 Women's Track and Field Roster - Rogers State University Athletics.
 
FINAL WORDS FROM COACH KENNEDY
"This is a process," Kennedy stated on both men's and women's programs. "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."