Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Rio Grande's Amarissa Kerns finished seventh individually and the RedStorm were fourth as a team in Friday's NAIA Appalachian Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn.
Rio Grande's Amarissa Kerns finished seventh individually and the RedStorm were fourth as a team in Friday's NAIA Appalachian Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn.
Posted: Oct 24, 2025

Kerns cracks Top 10, RedStorm women 4th at NAIA Challenge

Video Results

Rio Grande Sports Information
     KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Amarissa Kerns recorded a Top 10 finish and a new personal-best mark and the University of Rio Grande posted a fourth-place showing as a team in the women's division of Friday's NAIA Appalachian Cross Country Challenge at Sequoyah Park.
     Kerns, a senior from Lancaster, Ohio, finished the 5k course with a new PR time of 17:53.
     Sophomore Laura Hamm (South Point, OH) also posted a 20th place finish in a stacked field with a time of 18:30 as the 25th-ranked RedStorm tallied 131 points.
     Second-ranked Milligan (Tenn.) University won the team title with 31 points, while No. 3 Cumberlands (Ky.) was second with 78 points and No. 14 SCAD Savannah was just ahead of Rio in third place with 126 points..
     "The girls beat the No. 21 team (Montreat, N.C.) and nearly beat No. 14," said Rio Grande head coach Matt Paxton. "Amarissa had a PR and ran under 18 minutes for the first time. We did a lot of good things today."
     Also contributing to the RedStorm's team score were freshman Brandy Shular (Winchester, OH), who was 24th among the 188 competitors with a time of 18:35; freshman Marley Kreischer (Oak Hill, OH), who was 53rd after crossing in 19:26; and freshman Camryn Huck (Beverly, OH), who finished 58th in a time of 19:29.
     Others representing Rio were freshman Ava Rooker (Chillicothe, OH), who was 63rd with a time of 19:36; senior Jayden Roach (Baltimore, OH), who took 72nd place with a mark of 19:43; senior Mackenzie McCarthy (Akron, OH), who was 85th with a time of 20:00; freshman Aylah Humphreys (Leesburg, OH), who placed 100th with a mark of 20:24; freshman Grace Heffernan (Bidwell, OH), who was 112th with a time of 20:53; sophomore Rebecca Spohn (New Concord, OH), who was 115th with a time of 20:57; freshman Josie Hancock (Martins Ferry, OH), who crossed in 21:09 to finish 120th; freshman Briana Nelson (Chillicothe, OH), who was 127th with a time of 21:22; freshman Madison Lejzerowicz (Manchester, OH), who placed 138th with a time of 21:47; and freshman Delana Jenkins (Barnesville, OH), who finished 144th after crossing in 22:10.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Nov. 8 when it hosts the River States Conference Championship.