All in the Family: Rofkahr Siblings Share Love of Sports

For the Rofkahr siblings from Barling, Ark., Eagle athletics has become a family tradition.

This academic year, University of the Ozarks senior wrestler Hayden Rofkahr (pictured, right) welcomed his younger twin siblings-freshman wrestler Landon Rofkahr and freshman softball player Brilea Rofkahr-to campus, turning their shared love of sports into a full-fledged family affair at Ozarks.

"It's been great having us all back together again," said Hayden, who is scheduled to graduate in December. "I haven't really gotten to see them much the past few years with me being at college and them being at home. Just having them here this year and getting to spend time together has been really special."

Hayden, a two-time state champion at Greenwood High School, said coming out of high school he wasn't sure if he wanted to wrestle in college. Late in his senior season, he visited Ozarks and said he quickly fell in love with the University.

"I loved the small campus and how close everyone was," Hayden said. "On my visit, I just enjoyed the vibe of the wrestling team. It felt like the right place for me. I decided that I wanted to wrestle in college and that Ozarks was the place for me."

Hayden has been a four-year standout for the wrestling team, earning all-conference honors last year and helping the Eagles to back-to-back conference team championships in 2024 and 2025. The physical education major is also a two-time academic all-district selection.

While Landon, a three-time all-stater at Greenwood, knew during his junior year in high school that he wanted to join Hayden at Ozarks, Brilea visited several other colleges before choosing the University.

"I knew I had my brothers here and I hate being away from home," Brilea said. "There was a certain comfort knowing that I had family here."

Said Landon, "I kind of knew that Brilea and I would end up together at the same college. She's my best friend, we grew up together, so we knew we'd end up at the same college. It just makes it even better that Hayden is here also."

The Rofkahrs come from an athletic family-both of their parents played competitive softball when they were younger.

"Growing up we were always around athletics, just about any sport you can think of," Hayden said. "Sports has always been a part of our lives as long as we can remember."

Brilea, a four-year standout on the softball diamond at Greenwood High School, said she started playing t-ball at age 5.

"It just seemed normal that I would be playing some kind of sport as soon as I could," she said. "It seems like I always had a ball in my hand."

When it came to sibling competition growing up, oftentimes their competitive natured kicked in.

"There were times all three of us would be out in the driveway playing basketball and it would get pretty heated," Hayden said. "It was fun, but we all wanted to win against each other. It was definitely sibling-rivalry. There were times it would end in a fight and our parents had to break it up."

The Rofkahrs are also just as competitive when it comes to academics. In her first semester in college in the fall, Brilea made the President's List with a perfect 4.0 GPA, outshining her brothers and earning family bragging rights for the semester.

"She's what we call the second mother at college because she's always asking to see my homework," Landon said. "She definitely rubbed it in that she made all "A's' and we didn't."

One of the benefits of the Rofkahrs being on the same campus is the built-in support system.

"I've always enjoyed going to Hayden's wrestling matches and supporting him," Brilea said. "It's one of my favorite things to do and this year has been amazing to be able to do that."

"Growing up I loved to go to Brilea's travel games and tournaments, but I haven't been able to do that in the past few years," Hayden said. "Now I can walk across campus and go to her games. I'm really looking forward to that."

For Landon, he has enjoyed sharing the wrestling mat one last time with his big brother. "I've definitely been savoring the moment, knowing it's the last time we will wrestle together."

The siblings frequently find themselves together at Hayden's off-campus house, either cooking burgers or hanging out for late-night talks. Those late-nighters often end with Landon crashing on one couch and Brilea on the other.

"We have family debriefing sessions where we'll just sit and talk for hours into the night," Landon said. "We'll share everything that has gone on that week, both the good and the bad. It's a great therapy session."

There are a few drawbacks to having siblings on campus.

"They know everything that goes on because it's such a small campus," said Brilea. "You're not going to keep any secrets."

Still, for the Rofkahrs, the benefits far outweigh the occasional lack of privacy. Between shared meals, late-night conversations, and cheering each other on from the sidelines, the siblings are savoring a rare season of togetherness-one that has strengthened not only their athletic journeys, but the bond that first brought them together long before Ozarks felt like home.

Topics: Student Stories