FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - On Monday the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced its third NCAA Division I regional ranking of the season and the Arkansas men’s cross country team remained the No. 1 team in the South Central Region.
The Razorbacks were able to hold on to their No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division I South Central Region by claiming the team title at the 2014 Iona Meet of Champions in Bronx, N.Y. last Saturday. This week’s top spot in the South Central Region marks the 10th straight USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Regional Rankings Poll that Arkansas has claimed the top spot.
For the ninth straight week, the Texas Longhorns were placed a spot behind the Razorbacks for second, while Southeastern Conference team Texas A&M moved up one place in the poll to No. 3. A pair of Southland Conference teams rounded up the top five, as Lamar fell one spot to No. 4 and Stephen F. Austin claimed the poll’s fifth slot.
Last weekend, the Razorbacks placed three runners inside the top five to pick up the team title at the 2014 Iona Meet of Champions.
Freshman Alex George led the Razorback pack by picking up a second-place finish (25:36.66) in the first 8K collegiate race of his Arkansas career. 2013 NCAA All-American Stanley Kebenei finished a spot behind George in his first race of the season by clocking in at 25:41.65 and two-time NCAA All-Region runner Gabe Gonzalez rounded out the trio of top five runners with his time of 25:42.94.
The Razorbacks return to action on Oct. 4 when they will run in front of their home fans for the first time during the 2014 season. Arkansas will host the 2014 Chile Pepper Festival. Race time is slated for 9:45 a.m.
For more information on Arkansas men’s cross country, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.