Women's Cross Country | 11/8/2026 1:08:31 AM
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.- A year ago, the women's cross country program at the University finally ascended to the top of the River States Conference.
This year, in Cross Country Town, USA, the RedStorm made sure they would stay there.
Rio Grande won their second consecutive River States Conference women's cross country title, winning the 2026 RSC title Saturday morning at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. The 19th-ranked RedStorm finished with 26 points, seven points clear of another nationally-ranked program in Indiana University East.
All five of Rio Grande's scoring runners placed in the meet's top ten, with six RedStorm runners in total claiming All-Conference honors. Rio claimed four of the seven First Team All-Conference spots, with Vera Henderly, Maartje Keltjens, Laura Hamm, and Camryn Huck all placing in the top six. The runner-up Red Wolves took the other three spots, thanks to efforts from Emily Fleming, Kayci Hill, and Chloe Scales.
The Red Wolves did not go home empty-handed, as junior Emily Fleming won Runner of the Year honors. After finishing sixth last season, the junior finished the championship course in 22:23.00, crossing the finish line almost 23 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Rio Grande's Vera Henderly, who finished second at 22:45.8, was the top freshman 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. IU East's trio of Fleming, Hill, and Scales took those spots, along with IU Kokomo's Haley Blackburn. Should the nationally-ranked Red Wolves earn an at-large bid to Vancouver, the individual spots would be extended to IU Columbus' Phoebe Dowty and Abby Fleetwood and Midway's Lexus Ralph.
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 Women's Cross Country National Championship, held this year at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Washington on November 20. 2026 will be the eighth time the NAIA's Cross Country Championships have been contested in Vancouver.
2026 River States Conference Women's Cross Country Awards
RSC Runner of the Year: Emily Fleming, IU East
RSC Newcomer of the Year: Vera Henderly, Rio Grande
RSC Coach of the Year: Matt Paxton, Rio Grande
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Emily Fleming, IU East
Vera Henderly, Rio Grande
Kayci Hill, IU East
Maartje Keltjens, Rio Grande
Laura Hamm, Rio Grande
Camryn Huck, Rio Grande
Chloe Scales, IU East
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Haley Blackburn, IU Kokomo
Brandy Shular, Rio Grande
Victoria Gammons, IU East
Phoebe Dowty, IU Columbus
Samantha Fowler, IU East
Lexus Ralph, Midway
Abby Fleetwood, IU Columbus
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Joleigh Nott, Rio Grande
Althea Clifford, IU East
Peri Leghart, IU East
Makenzee Kahn, IU East
Katelynn Gaddis, Midway
Ariah Egleston, Midway
Nami Inoue, IU East
CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER
Lexus McMurray, Brescia
Carsyn Schlehuser, IU Columbus
Kayci Hill, IU East
Kaylee Futrell, IU Kokomo
Hadleigh McGoskey, Kentucky Christian
Sabrina Sturgill, Midway
Delana Jenkins, Rio Grande
Brooke Mace, SMWC
Peyton Asbury, WVU Tech