Razorback Sydney Vaught finished as runner-up in the NCAA South Central Region while Arkansas placed fourth in team scoring at Agri Park.
FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback Sydney Vaught finished as runner-up in the NCAA South Central Region while Arkansas placed fourth in team scoring at Agri Park on Friday.
Vaught, who covered the 6,000m course in 19:42.4, qualifies as an individual for the NCAA Championship race next Saturday at Gans Creek course in Columbia, Missouri.
The Razorbacks scored 127 points in placing fourth behind Texas A&M (71), LSU (86), and Tulane (108). The rest of the top 10 teams in the South Central Region included SMU (141), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (179), Stephen F. Austin (192), Texas (204), Rice (238), and UT-Arlington (294).
Texas A&M claimed its first women’s region title since 2000 while LSU produced a runner-up team finish after placing third in 2022 and 2023. Tulane repeated its third-place finish from 2024.
After winning 13 consecutive South Central Region team titles, this marks the first time since 2010 in which Arkansas will not have a team in the national championship field. The Razorbacks finished third in the region in 2009 and 2010.
Elizabeth Khatevi of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the individual title in 19:33.6 while Tulane’s Blezzin Kimutai placed third in 19:53.0. Khatevi trailed Vaught by six seconds at the 4.5k split, and then established a nine second advantage by the finish line.
In addition to Vaught, two Razorbacks earned South Central All-Region honors. Josphine Mwaura placed 10th while covering the course in 20:16.0 and Olivia Pielemeier finished 13th in 20:24.6.
Bradley Weimar placed 28th with a time of 21:16.7. Madeleine Gear placed 80th (74th adjusted scoring) as the fifth Razorback in 22:24.6. Sorcha Shiu finished 86th (78th adjusted scoring) in 22:30.8.
