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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2021 – COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT: Shawn Price

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS CROSS COUNTRY

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Selections for the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships included Arkansas men’s and women’s programs, among the 31 teams named per gender on Sunday, for the national championship races that will occur on Monday, March 15, in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Originally scheduled for its annual date in November, the NCAA Cross Country Championships were delayed due to coronavirus concerns as the season was split between fall and spring campaigns. 

After the Razorbacks host the NCAA Indoor Championships this week, from Thursday to Saturday, on March 11-13, members of the Arkansas cross country teams will travel on Sunday for Monday races on the Oklahoma State cross country course.

Coverage of the meet will be available live on ESPNU and the ESPN app beginning at 11:30 a.m. (CT), with both championship races shown commercial free.

Without regional meets to determine qualification to the national meet, a selection committee determined the 31 teams per gender along with individual qualifiers. 

Arkansas women enter the meet ranked No. 1 and are the defending champions, claiming its first ever national title in cross country in December of 2019. During the fall season, they won four meets prior to claiming an eighth consecutive SEC title.

In the women’s field, the Razorbacks are joined by Alabama and Mississippi from the SEC while no other program from the South Central region was chosen.

The top 10 women’s teams in recent national rankings include: 1. Arkansas, 2. Brigham Young, 3. New Mexico, 4. Stanford, 5. NC State, 6. Colorado, 7. Michigan State, 8. Michigan, 9. Northern Arizona, 10. Boise State. 

The Razorback men are ranked No. 3 after winning the SEC title in October following three meet victories. Arkansas is the lone team from the South Central region in the men’s field while Mississippi is the only other team from the SEC selected. 

The top 10 men’s teams in recent national rankings include: 1. Brigham Young, 2. Northern Arizona, 3. Arkansas, 4. Stanford, 5. Tulsa, 6. Oklahoma State, 7. Iowa State, 8. Colorado, 9. Notre Dame, and 10. Washington.

This is the ninth consecutive year for the Razorback men to qualify as a team for the NCAA Cross Country field, which is the sixth longest active streak in the NCAA. It will be the 50th NCAA cross country competition as a team for the Arkansas men with 1957 marking its first appearance as a team.

For the Arkansas women, this marks the 10th consecutive year to qualify as a team for the national championship field. It will be the Razorbacks 33rd team appearance since its initial meet in 1982.