FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - On Tuesday the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association announced its 2014 NCAA Division I Week Two poll and the Arkansas men’s cross country team dropped two spots from last week’s ranking as they checked in at No. 15.
Arkansas fell to No. 15 despite winning at the Iona Meet of Champions last weekend. For the third straight poll the Razorbacks were the lone team to represent the Southeastern Conference in the Top 30 poll, as they collected 176 points.
In their last outing the Razorbacks placed three runners inside the top five to pick up the team title at the 2014 Iona Meet of Champions. Alex George, Reigning SEC Freshman Runner of the Week, 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 team’s performance in New York was also good enough to keep them in the top spot in the South Central Region. On Monday, the USTFCCCA announced its NCAA Division I Regional Rankings and the Razorbacks kept their No. 1 ranking. 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 No. 1 position.
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.
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.