razorbacks

Nate Allen

According to the SEC Cross Country Coaches poll, Coach Chris Bucknam’s Razorbacks men and Coach Lance Harter’s Razorbacks women will repeat Oct. 29 in Columbia, Mo. the SEC Cross Country Championships both won last year in Baton Rouge, LA en route to both Arkansas teams  completing SEC Cross Country-Indoor Track-Outdoor Track triple crowns.

The poll was released Thursday by the SEC Office in Birmingham, AL.

With coaches not allowed to vote for their own teams, Bucknam’s men received 11 of the 12 competing SEC men’s teams first place votes.

Bucknam’s vote went to Alabama though in the vote totaled by projected places, after the Razorbacks’ 11 points, Ole Miss finished second with 23 points and Alabama third with 35.

Arkansas’ men have suffered an offseason setback.  Senior Luke Meade, Arkansas’ second finisher when the Razorbacks placed fourth at the NCAA 2020 Cross Country Championships postponed to last spring because of the covid pandemic, broke an ankle during a summer rock climbing accident and will miss the 2021 cross country season,  Bucknam said.

“That’s a significant blow but we’ve got a fairly deep team and we’ll have just to cover it,” Bucknam said.

Harter’s women gun for a ninth consecutive SEC Cross Country title but will face a major challenge, Harter said, by Alabama and its individual NCAA Cross Country champion, Mercy Chelengat.

Three other coaches besides Harter among the 14 voting women’s head coaches picked Alabama to win.

Arkansas, with 10 first-place votes, totaled 16 voting points to second-place Alabama’s 22 and Ole Miss, 39, third.

Bucknam’s men and Harter’s women take a trial run over the Missouri SEC course commencing the season Sept. 3 at the Missouri Opener in Columbia.