By Shawn Price

BIRMINGHAM – Finishing fourth among collegians in the Chile Pepper Festival 8,000m race, and sixth overall, earned Razorback Ben Shearer the SEC Freshman Runner of the Week accolade.

In producing a time of 23:49.0, Shearer posted the top time by a freshman in the SEC this season. Racing unattached on the Agri Park course last year as a Razorback redshirt, Shearer clocked 24:35.2 to place 23rd.

Shearer, from The Woodlands, Texas, was the second Razorback finisher in this year’s race, behind runner-up Patrick Kiprop, as Arkansas claimed the team title in the meet for the first time since 2018. A total of 61 points for the Razorbacks secured the victory over Colby CC (149), the No. 1 nationally ranked junior college program.

The next best time among SEC freshmen this season is 24:40.7. Shearer currently ranks eighth overall in the league.