RIO GRANDE, Ohio- The women's cross country program at the University of Rio Grande came painfully close to a conference title last season, missing out by just four points at the 2024 RSC Championships in Evansville.
Saturday morning on their home course, the RedStorm were not going to be denied again, claiming the 2025 River States Conference Women's Cross Country championship at Bob Evans Farms in Rio Grande. The RedStorm flipped the script from 2024, this time winning by six points over runner-up Shawnee State.
Rio Grande's team title was powered by three of the top five finishers in the race, with Amarissa Kerns, Laura Hamm, and Brady Shular all earning First Team All-RSC honors. The RedStorm were the only team in the field to showcase three runners that finished the Rio Grande 6k course in under 23 minutes. A pair of third team selections, Jayden Roach and Marley Kreischer, rounded out Rio's team score to push the RedStorm to the team title.
As the top finisher in the race, Rio Grande's Amarissa Kerns was named RSC Runner of the Year, finishing the 6k course in 22:32.7, more than nine seconds faster than any other runner. RedStorm teammate Brandy Shular was the top newcomer in the race, and was honored as RSC Newcomer of the Year. Via a vote of his peers, Rio Grande head coach Matt Paxton was named RSC Coach of the Year.
Per NAIA regulations, four additional runners not from the RSC champions will earn individual qualification to the NAIA Championships. Shawnee State and IU East will both send two runners to Tallahassee, with Olivia Cisco and Jessica Elick representing the Bears and Emily Fleming and Kayci Hill representing the Red Wolves.
Additionally, the RSC is also proud to announce the athletes recognized as their program's Champion of Character. Each team in each River States Conference sponsored sport is asked to nominate one athlete as their Champion of Character. These student-athletes best represent the NAIA’s Champions of Character program and its five core values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
Rio Grande and the qualified runners advance to the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship, held this year at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida on November 21. Apalachee Regional Park was also the site of the 2022 NAIA Championships.
2025 River States Conference Women's Cross Country Awards
RSC Runner of the Year: Amarissa Kerns, Rio Grande
RSC Newcomer of the Year: Brandy Shular, Rio Grande
RSC Coach of the Year: Matt Paxton, Rio Grande
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Amarissa Kerns, Rio Grande
Olivia Cisco, Shawnee State
Jessica Elick, Shawnee State
Laura Hamm, Rio Grande
Brandy Shular, Rio Grande
Emily Fleming, IU East
Kayci Hill, IU East
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Chloe Scales, IU East
Elizabeth Middleton, Shawnee State
Leslie Sprankles, IU Kokomo
Phoebe Dowty, IU Columbus
Payton McQuirt, Shawnee State
Quinlan Teague, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Courtney Adams, IU Kokomo
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Jayden Roach, Rio Grande
Marley Kreischer, Rio Grande
Alysha Crouch, IU Kokomo
Stella Cornelius, IU East
Samantha Fowler, IU East
Mackenzie McCarthy, Rio Grande
Juniper Allen, Shawnee State
CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER
Kaitlyn Orange, Brescia
Erin Jones, IU Columbus
Kayci Hill, IU East
Keeley Carpenter, IU Kokomo
Sallie Robbins, Kentucky Christian
Riley Gillis, Midway
Niewa Brown, Oakland City
Marley Kreischer, Rio Grande
Josie Gettinger, St. Mary-of-the-Woods
Kirsten Evans, Shawnee State
Lexie Wikel, WVU Tech