Track and field season is in full swing, and the River States Conference is excited to take a look at the 2026 seasons for our member schools! Each RSC school talked with athletes and coaches from their teams, with those interviews linked below as part of Media Day!
Additionally, each school has spotlighted athletes expected to be major contributors during the 2026 campaign, and are also listed below as our 2026 Players to Watch!
BRESCIA
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Daniel Aikas
Junior | Vantaa, Finland
Aikas is new to Brescia this season and has had an outstanding season thus far. The Finland native has ran the second fastest 1k of 2:39 in Brescia history and looks to be a major conference contender this year.
Faith Mpassy
Sophomore | Orpington, United Kingdom
Mpassy has had an excellent season, excelling in the long jump and long sprints. She has lowered her 800 meter time, and stands second all time for Brescia. She also ranks fifth all time in the long jump.
IU COLUMBUS
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Phoebe Dowty
Freshman | Trafalgar, Indiana
Dowty has been a dedicated and hardworking addition to the Crimson Pride roster. Coming off a stellar cross country campaign, Dowty is expected to make an impact in the middle distances for Crimson Pride. According to coaches, she brings a good work ethic and positive attitude to help develop a welcoming and inclusive culture on the team.
Brayden Hafen
Freshman | Greenwood, Indiana
Hafen was an all-state vaulter for Greenwood Community High School, both Indoor and Outdoor, during his high school development. According to coaches, he has great speed and continues to improve his technique, and will have a positive impact on both team culture and conference standings.
Jordin Jones
Freshman | Greenfield, Indiana
Jones is described as an exceptional athlete who will have an immediate impact on IU Columbus' long-sprint and middle-distance groups. Jones will not only be competing for points individually, but will be a key member of both 4x800 and 4x400 relays for the Crimson Pride.
Madison Merritt
Junior | Brookville, Indiana
Merritt returns after leading the Crimson Pride in last year's RSC Championship. She scored in both the 100 and 200 meter events. According to coaches, her experience throughout last season and during the conference championships makes her an excellent example for the younger athletes as the team continues to grow and develop.
IU EAST
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Kayci Hill
Freshman | Middletown, Indiana
Finding early success in her first indoor season, Kayci Hill was a back-to-back-to-back track athlete of the week in 2026. She enters the Indoor Championships ranked first in the 1000 meters, second in the mile, and fourth in the 800 meters.
Cameron Nocton
Senior | Centerville, Indiana
Nocton returns for his senior year after finishing the outdoor track seasons as an All-American in the Race Walk. He finished third nationally and broke a school record at the NAIA Championships, and currently ranks second in the conference in the event.
Vanessa Temple
Senior | Monroe, Ohio
Vanessa Temple finished fourth in both the pole vault and javelin in the outdoor season a year ago, and placed seventh in the 400 meters in indoor. She currently ranks in the top ten in the RSC in four events (200 meters, 400 meters, 600 meters, pole vault)
Tristan Thomas
Senior | Whiteland, Indiana
Thomas finished first in the 55-meter dash in the indoor season last year in the RSC Championships. He is again a favorite in the event this year, registering the only sub-seven second time in the conference to date.
IU KOKOMO
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Rhett Berryman
Senior | Kokomo, Indiana
Berryman will look for his first RSC gold medal next week in Marietta after taking the bronze in the weight throw a year ago. He enters the championships as the RSC leader in the weight throw, with a long attempt of 17.29 meters.
Sydney Duncan
Junior | Anderson, Indiana
Duncan is one of the most decorated athletes in the River States Conference, and was the 2024-25 RSC Female Athlete of the Year after winning the national title in the shot put in both seasons. She enters the indoor championships as the RSC leader in both the shot put and weight throw.
Leslie Sprankles
Senior | Bluffton, Indiana
Sprankles is a major contender to rack up the medals at the RSC Indoor Championships, currently ranking in the top four in four middle distance events. Sprankles ranks second in the 800 and 1000 meters, third in the 600 meters, and fourth in the mile.
Gabe Wedmore
Senior | Summittville, Indiana
Wedmore is a two-time River States Conference champion, winning the weight throw at the 2025 indoor championships and the hammer throw at the 2025 outdoor championships. He is a favorite in two events at the indoor championships, ranking first in the shot put and second in the weight throw.
KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN
Athletes to Watch
Zecheriah Hunter
Freshman
Hunter has competed in the 400 meters and 800 meters during the indoor season. The freshman logged a time of 1:00.78 in the 400 meters, and set a personal best of 2:23.41 in the 800 meters at the Marshall Invitational.
Tyler Kelly
Freshman | Huntsville, Alabama
A football player at Kentucky Christian, Kelly impressed at his first track & field meet, logging a long throw of 9.01 meters in the shot put.
Hadleigh McGoskey
Freshman | Ravenswood, West Virginia
In her collegiate debut, McGoskey ran the 800 meters in 2:56.76 for the Knights, one of five KCU marks that currently rank in the top 50 in the conference.
Alexandria Williams
Sophomore
Williams has been solid in the throwing events during the indoor season. She hit a personal record in the weight throw at the Marshall Invitational, logging a throw of 9.30 meters.
MIDWAY
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Makayla Brooks
Senior | Glasgow, Kentucky
Already an outdoor national qualifier in pole vault in 2023, Brooks overcame an injury and has already hit a National ‘B’ Qualifying standard (3.55) this season. Alongside fellow national qualifiers Maddi Reed and Emerson VanScoy, Brooks helps lead a pole vault group that is currently ranked No. 2 in the country.
Emilee Cecil
Senior | Owensboro, Kentucky
A senior sprinter, Cecil owns or shares five combined Midway records across indoor and outdoor track.
Carson Milner
Junior | Walton, Kentucky
A five-time Midway record holder, Milner was the River States Outdoor champion in the 1,500-meter run a season ago and was an All-American at the NAIA Marathon in December.
Cole Sexton
Senior | Ashland, Kentucky
Sexton holds a combined four records across indoor and outdoor competition and figures to be a major player in throws in the River States Conference.
OAKLAND CITY
Athletes to Watch
Landon Marshall
Senior | Grandview, Indiana
Marshall was a bronze medalist at the 2024 River States Conference Outdoor Championships in the 400 meter hurdles, and just missed the podium last spring in the same event. This winter, he is ranked in the top ten in the RSC in the high jump, posting a mark of 1.68 meters.
Emily Martig
Freshman | Staefen im Breeisgau, Germany
In her freshman season at Oakland City, Martig could be poised for a big Championships. The German currently leads the River States Conference with a 7.95 time in the 60 meters, and is a medal contender in the long jump, where she currently ranks fifth.
Morgan Pillet
Freshman | Lorient, France
Pillet will look to start her Oakland City career at the top of the podium. The French sprinter is currently ranked first in the conference in the 60 meter hurdles, where she has logged a time of 9.63 seconds.
Nico Tornay Sanchez
Senior | Malaga, Spain
The senior transfer will look to get on the podium in the fastest event in the Championships. Tornay Sanchez currently ranks fourth in the 60 meter race, posting a time of 7.10 seconds at the Rose-Hulman Classic.
RIO GRANDE
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Trevon Houston
Senior | Cleveland, Ohio
Houston is the reigning RSC Indoor champion in the 400 meters, and added another gold medal last year in Marietta in the 4x400 meter relay. Houston will look for more gold next week, as the senior currently ranks first in the RSC in both the 200 meters and the 400 meters.
Tyler Jenkins
Senior | Barnesville, Ohio
Including cross country, Jenkins heads into his final track and field season as an 11-time River States Conference champion. He will look to add to that total in Marietta, as he is currently the top-ranked runner in both the mile and the 5000 meters in the River States Conference.
Amarissa Kerns
Senior | Lancaster, Ohio
Kerns has won eight River States Conference championships in her career at Rio Grande, including three in the mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters at last season's Indoor Championships. Kerns currently leads the River States Conference in the mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters, and has hit the NAIA "B" standard in the 5000 meters.
Kylie Montgomery
Sophomore | Coal Grove, Ohio
Montgomery won the 400 meters in both the indoor and outdoor RSC Championships last season, and could be in position for more gold this winter. She is in the top three in four races, including the top times in the 200 and 400 meter races.
ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Evelyn Morales
Graduate Student | Crofton, Kentucky
Morales brings championship pedigree to the Pomeroys after capturing River States Conference titles in both the 100-meter hurdles (15.73) and finals during the 2025 outdoor season while also contributing to a podium finish in the 4x400 relay. During the 2025–26 indoor season, she has continued that momentum with a win in the 60-meter hurdles (9.94) at Friday Night Spikes #2 and multiple top-six finishes in hurdles and relays, reinforcing her status as a dependable postseason scorer.
Jerahmia Smith
Senior | Phoenix, Arizona
Smith has elevated himself into the conference and national conversation after setting the SMWC indoor school record with a 16.68-meter throw at the Rose-Hulman Classic during the 2025–26 indoor season. The mark ranks second in the River States Conference and secured his second consecutive qualification for the NAIA National Championships, cementing him as a cornerstone of the Pomeroys’ throws group.
Jaci Stone
Senior | Jasonville, Indiana
Stone remains one of SMWC’s most versatile sprint athletes, highlighted by a River States Conference championship as part of the 4x100 relay and a runner-up finish in the long jump (5.19m) during the 2025 outdoor championships. In the 2025–26 indoor season, she has already claimed individual victories in the 60 meters and long jump while anchoring first-place 4x200 relay performances, continuing to anchor the Pomeroys’ speed events.
Elijah Williams
Freshman | Indianapolis, Indiana
Williams has made an immediate impact during the 2025–26 indoor season, recording a season-best 2:01.02 in the 800 meters and a fourth-place finish in the 600 meters (1:27.51) at the John Craft Invitational. He has also been a steady contributor on multiple 4x400 relay lineups, showing poise beyond his years as he continues to grow into a key middle-distance role.
SHAWNEE STATE
Athletes to Watch
Olivia Cisco
Senior | Waverly, Ohio
Cisco, an All-American cross country runner, enters 2025-26 as a two-time River States Conference champion, winning the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2024 RSC Outdoor Championships. She is again a threat across the distance events, as she currently ranks in the top five in the mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters.
Isaiah Lanoy
Junior | Lancaster, Ohio
Lanoy won his first River States Conference championship last spring in the steeplechase, then proceeded to finish in the top 15 in the nation in the event. He holds one of the top five times in the conference in the 1,000 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, and 5,000 meters.
Makaela Lovely
Senior | Frankfort, Ohio
Lovely will look to climb the podium during the 2025-26 season, adding to her two bronze medals in the high jump (2024 indoor and 2025 outdoor). Her top jump of 1.57 meters currently ranks second in the conference in the event.
Luke Rader
Junior | Minford, Ohio
Rader was sensational during the 2024-25 season, winning five River States Conference Championships in individual events by sweeping the indoor and outdoor long jump and triple jump events at both championship meets -- while also winning the conference title in the indoor 55 meter hurdles and claiming Newcomer and Field Athlete of the Year honors.
WVU TECH
Media Day
Athletes to Watch
Isaac Agee
Freshman | Hines, West Virginia
Agee currently has three indoor track school records to his name that he accumulated in just four track meets. Coaches anticipate him being able to take down more school records during the outdoor track season. He is the ideal student-athlete that works hard when nobody is watching and up for any challenge.
Ralph Aaron Etaba Ateba
Freshman | New Market, Maryland
Etaba Ateba currently has two indoor track school records with the strong possibility of more to come during outdoor season. He will be a strong competitor at every meet the Golden Beats attend especially at the conference meet. He has a great work ethic at practice and does everything that is asked of him and sometimes more.
Jadyn Farmer
Freshman | Shady Spring, West Virginia
Farmer currently holds the indoor school record for the 300 meter dash. Coaches say she never complains at practice, lifts people up if are struggling and is an ideal student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA. She always strives to be better than before and up to any challenge of trying a new event.
Rebecca Lorincz
Freshman | Daniels, West Virginia
Lorincz has accumulated 3 indoor track school records already during her freshman year and coaches know she is capable of achieving more records and top performances during outdoor season. She is a 4.0 student in the classroom and a great motivator of her teammates and competition.