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The University of Rio Grande finished as the runner-up in the 2026 River States Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship in Marietta, Ohio.
The University of Rio Grande finished as the runner-up in the 2026 River States Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship in Marietta, Ohio.
Posted: Feb 21, 2026

Hamm leads Rio to runner-up finish in RSC Championship

Results

Rio Grande/RSC Sports Information
     MARIETTA, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande posted a runner-up finish as a team and Laura Hamm was named Track Athlete of the Year at the River States Conference Women's Indoor Track & Field Championships, which concluded its two-day run on Saturday at Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center on the campus of Marietta College.
     The RedStorm, who found themselves in third place at the close of the opening day of action, piled up 166 points as a team and finished eight points back of first-time champion Indiana University East. Indiana University Kokomo took third place with 122 points.
     IU East led Rio Grande by six points heading into the final relay - the 4x400 meters - and put an exclamation point on the title by topping the RedStorm by more than four seconds.
     Hamm, a junior from South Point, Ohio, starred for Rio and captured her award after winning gold in the 800-meter run (2:22.78), the 1000-meter run (3:04.31) and in the mile run (5:12.54), as well as taking silver in the 600-meter run (1:40.16).
     Kylie Montgomery, a sophomore from Coal Grove, Ohio, also won three events - the 200-meter dash (26.28), the 400-meter run (59.26) and the 600-meter run (1:39.73).
     Senior Amarissa Kerns (Lancaster, OH) posted a pair of wins, taking first in both the 3,000-meter run (10:40.58) and the 5,000-meter run (18:33.91). She also finished first in the mile run (5:18.61).
     Rio Grande's other first-place effort came from junior Rebecca Spohn (New Concord, OH), who won the 3,000-meter race walk (17:13.99).
     The RedStorm had 18 other point-scoring performances during the championship - 15 individuals and three relay units.
     Rio's notable showings - by virtue of a Top 8 finish - included freshman Hannah Henderson (New Paris, OH), who finished third in the triple jump with a mark of 9.85m; freshman Anna Cadle (Bidwell, OH), who was fourth in the triple jump at 9.47m; freshman Marley Kreischer (Oak Hill, OH), who was fifth in both the 1,000-meter run (3:19.96) and the mile run (5:38.71) and eighth in the 800-meter run (2:35.96); freshman Brandy Shular (Winchester, OH), who was fifth in the 3,000-meter run (10:59.90) and seventh in the 5,000-meter run (19:19.12); freshman Delana Jenkins (Barnesville, OH), who placed fifth in the 3,000-meter race walk after crossing in 20:04.52; redshirt freshman Taylor Bartrum (Catlettsburg, KY), who placed fith in the high jump after clearing 1.40m; freshman Joleigh Nott (Gallipolis Ferry, WV), who was sixth in the 800 (2:30.45) and eighth in the 600 (1:46.11); freshman Josie Hancock (Martins Ferry, OH), who was sixth in the mile run with a time of 5:43.73; freshman Briana Nelson (Chillicothe, OH), who finished sixth in the 3,000-meter race walk with a mark of 20:06.16; freshman Grace Heffernan (Patriot, OH), who was seventh in the 1,000-meter run with an effort of 3:21.05; and freshman Lydia Leinweber (Dresden, Germany), who was eighth in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.80.
     Rio's 4x400 relay team - comprised of Nott, sophomore Stella Gilcher (Amesville, OH), freshman Aylah Humphreys (Leesburg, OH) and Heffernan - finished second in a time of 4:16.12, while the Distance Medley Relay unit - which included Hancock, Shular, Nott and Heffernan - was fourth in a time of 13:37.26.
     The RedStorm also got a sixth place showing by its 4x800 relay team in a time of 11:20.90. The quartet included Spohn, Jenkins, Nelson and Humphreys.
     The RSC Field Athlete of the Year was IU Kokomo's Sydney Duncan, who swept through the shot put and weight throw with a pair of meet records. The Newcomer of the Year was Oakland City's Emily Martig, a gold medalist in both the 55-meter dash and the long jump.
     IU East head coach Dom Hudson was honored by his peers as the RSC Coach of the Year.
     The league also named a Champions of Character team, highlighting one athlete from each member school who best represented the initiative's five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
     Kreischer represented Rio Grande on the list.