Yaseen Abdalla named South Central Athlete of the Year

FAYETTEVILLE – Razorbacks Yaseen Abdalla and Paityn Noe were each named Cross Country Athlete of the Year in the South Central Region as voted upon by coaches in the USTFCCCA.

Abdalla, an Arkansas senior, posted the highest finish at the NCAA Championships by a runner from the South Central Region as well as from the SEC in placing fourth this past Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, with a time of 28:41.5 on the 10,000m course.

Noe, an Arkansas sophomore, produced the best finish by a runner from the South Central Region in the women’s 6k race at the NCAA Championships as she placed seventh in a time of 19:42.3. Noe was the third best finisher from the SEC behind Alabama’s Doris Lemogole, the individual champion, and third-place finisher Hilda Olemomoi of Florida.

Among the top five teams in the national championship race, Abdalla had the highest individual finish. Team champion BYU had its first finisher placing sixth with Casey Clinger while team runner-up Iowa State had its first finisher placing 10th with Said Mechaal.

Leading runners for fourth place Wisconsin and fifth place Northern Arizona finished 16th and 18th.

Abdalla was among eight seniors placing among a very talented top 10 in the men’s national championship race. His cross country season included placing eighth in the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals and finishing fifth in the SEC Championships.

Previous races this season had Noe winning the South Central Region title after placing third in the SEC Championships. Following second place in the Chile Pepper Festival to open her season, Noe finished seventh in the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals.

International runners claimed the first four places in the women’s national championship race along with 14 of the top 20 spots. Kenyan runners swept the top three places while other international athletes represented Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

North Carolina State sophomore Grace Hartman (19:39.5) was the first U.S. finisher in fifth place while Noe was the second best American in seventh with another NC State sophomore, Hannah Grapes (19:42.7), in eighth place.

Recent Razorbacks | South Central Region AOY