FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - 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 women’s cross country team remained the No. 1 team in the South Central Region.
The Razorbacks maintained their No. 1 ranking in the NCAA Division I South Central Region by claiming the team title at the 2014 Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin, Mo. last Saturday. This week’s top spot in the South Central Region marks the 15th consecutive USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Regional Rankings Poll that Arkansas has claimed the top spot.
SMU placed a spot behind the Razorbacks for second, while Big 12 team Baylor moved up one spot in the poll to No. 3. SEC foe Texas A&M came in at No. 4, while Texas claimed the poll’s fifth spot.
Last weekend, the Razorbacks finished with a rotation score of 24 and won the MSSO Stampede, as its top five runners all finished inside the top 10. Each runner in the Arkansas scoring rotation set a new personal-best time in the 5K.
Redshirt junior Dominique Scott, the reigning USTFCCCA National Runner of the Week, turned in a career-best 5K time of 16:32.78 to win her second consecutive meet and record the best time in Missouri Southern Stampede meet history. Senior Shannon Klenke finished 50.26 seconds behind Scott, as her time of 16:58.52 was good enough for a second-place finish. The time is a new personal-best for Klenke, surpassing her previous best 5K time of 17:10.30 set at last year’s Chile Pepper Festival.
Arkansas rounded out its scoring rotation with a trio of runners placing sixth, seventh and eighth. Redshirt junior Diane Robison (17:09.10), sophomore Regan Ward (17:12.22) redshirt sophomore Valerie Reina (17:15.12) all set new personal record 5K times.
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 10:20 a.m.
For more information on Arkansas women’s cross country, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.