UAPB Cross Country impresses in First Meet

August 30, 2019

By UAPB SPORTS INFORMATION

Clinton, Miss. – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Mississippi College Opener on Friday evening at the Choctaw Trails.

The men’s squad had an impressive showing capturing first place overall, despite the humid conditions in their first race of the season. The Golden Lions conquered the challenging 5K with a strong returning unit from the 2018 team.

UAPB men’s earned a total of 48 points in the meet with their top five runners finished in the top 25.  Sophomore Toshin Agbede led the way for UAPB finishing third overall with a time of 16:29.58.  Senior Laurel Heath placed sixth with a time of 16:48.07, followed by Romario Marshall placing 20th with a time of 17:38.44, twin brother Akeem Marshall placed 22nd with a time of 17:45.82, and senior D’Andre Mighty rounding out the top 25 with a time of 17:52.9. 

Agbede was also named MVP of the cross country meet.  

On the women’s side, the Lady Lions finished seventh overall as a team with a total of 171 points in the 4K.  Senior Camiya Knight crossed the finish line for UAPB placing 25th overall with a time of 17:48.15 followed by senior Ciara Thuston in 34th with a time of 18:17.42.

UAPB will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 7, as they travel to Conway to compete in the UCA Cross Country Challenge.

Sugar Bears take Two Narrow Wins at Georgetown Classic

August 30, 2019

By UCA SPORTS INFORMATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Central Arkansas Sugar Bears narrowly escaped day one of the Georgetown Classic as they defeated the Rider Broncs and Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in five-set thrillers. The Sugar Bears overcame early adversity in both matches, erasing 1-0 deficits in route to the wins.

UCA 3, BRONCS 2 

Sophomores Lexi Miller and Madi Bowles led the Sugar Bears attack against the Broncs, finishing with 15 and 11 kills. In her first career collegiate match, 5’11 freshman Alexis Stumbough provided an instant boost off the bench with 9 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. The well-proven setter duo of junior Bailey Waddington and senior Elizabeth Armstrong combined for 45 assists while senior Rayna Jefferis and junior libero Emily Doss combined for 26 digs.

SET 1 – The Sugar Bears gained their biggest lead of the set at 11-8 after a service ace and kill from senior Abbie Harry sparked a 5-0 run. The Broncs responded by taking full control of the set as they reached 25 on a 17-7 run.

SET 2 – The second set was essentially a flip of the first as Central Arkansas took control following a competitive start. After a Broncs kill made it 6-6, the Sugar Bears scored five straight and never looked back. Miller recorded two of her set-high six kills in the spurt and the team finished with a set-high 16 kills in route to a 25-16 win.

SET 3 – The third set started in a battle as four ties occurred within the first eight points. The next 16 points would be a trio of runs as Rider and Central Arkansas continued to claw at each other. After a quick 4-0 Sugar Bear run cut the deficit to 11-9, the Broncs responded with five of the next six points to make it 16-10 and eventually cruised to a 25-20 win.

SET 4 – With their backs against the wall, the Sugar Bears came out focused and secured an early 7-1 lead off back-to-back Stumbough service aces. The Broncs would pull within five off a kill and Sugar Bear error to make it 15-10, but Central Arkansas eventually closed them off with six straight points to win 25-15. Stumbough recorded two kills in the last four points to continue her strong morning.

SET 5 – The Broncs started the last set with an early 2-0 lead before the Sugar Bears took the next six points to create the breathing room needed to take the match. After a Central Arkansas service error pulled Rider within two, a pair of kills from Miller and junior Amari Mitchell solidified the win. The Sugar Bears recorded an impressive 10 kills in the last set.

UCA 3, BLUE DEVILS 2

The Sugar Bears attack was on full display against the Blue Devils as they recorded 68 kills. Stumbough continued her impressive day with a team-high 15 kills and 14 digs. Redshirt-junior Ravin Rhodes, Bowles and Harry also contributed with 10+ kills apiece. Waddington and Armstrong made passing look easy as they combined for 65 assists on the night while Doss led the team in digs with 23.

SET 1 – The first set saw four ties within the first 14 points as both sides started strong. After a Bowles kill gave the Sugar Bears a 13-11 lead, the Blue Devils scored the next four and never trailed again. An Armstrong kill pulled Central Arkansas within three at 23-20, but Central Connecticut scored two of the next three to win 25-21.

SET 2 — The Sugar Bears capitalized on two straight Blue Devil attack errors and took an early 3-0 lead. The set was decided when the Sugar Bears turned their narrow 9-7 lead into a comfortable 17-9 advantage. Errors haunted the Blue Devils again as they converted five of them during the spurt. Bowles and Stumbough led the Central Arkansas attack in the set with four kills apiece.

SET 3 – The third set was about Central Arkansas runs and kills as they recorded two separate five-point streaks and a set-high 17 kills. After a Blue Devil kill brought them within two at 12-10, the Sugar Bears responded with five unanswered points and three kills to position them nicely at 17-10. The Blue Devils would later respond with a 4-0 spurt to pull within one at 21-20, but a pair of kills from Stumbough would help push Central Arkansas to a 25-22 win.

SET 4 – The Blue Devils saw their best performance at the net in the fourth set as they recorded a set-high 17 kills to help stay alive. Trailing 24-20, the Sugar Bears attempted to rally as they strung together back-to-back kills from Harry and Mitchell. The rally fell short soon after though as a service error gave the Blue Devils point 25.

SET 5 – Like the fifth set against the Riders, the Sugar Bears took early control of the set with a commanding 7-0 lead. The Blue Devils kept their heads high and scrapped together three straight to make it 10-6, but they would not get closer than four as a Stumbough kill slammed the door shut on the Blue Devils. For the second straight match, Central Arkansas recorded 10 kills in the fifth set and was led by Stumbough and Bowles.

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH JOHN NEWBERRY ON DAY ONE

“The first day of the tournament went just as we expected it to. Both teams were big and physical but played completely different styles of volleyball. The sets that we lost were based solely on our lack of execution with passing and a few mental errors. The sets that we won were fun and the team was able to get on several point runs.

We had some major bright spots with all of our positions at some point of the game. Several of our players had double digit kills which helped us have a well-balanced offense that is difficult to read.

We are excited for the next day. Competition is going to be a very strong challenge for us.”

UP NEXT

The Sugar Bears will wrap up tournament play tomorrow with a doubleheader against the Sacred Heart Pioneers and host Georgetown Hoyas. The first match against the Pioneers is set to begin at noon.

Bears fall in Home Opener

August 30, 2019

By UCA SPORTS INFORMATION

CONWAY –  Conceding a goal in the fourth minute and another in the 18th saw the Central Arkansas women’s soccer team trailing Missouri State in their own backyard early in the match. The Bears came into the match allowing less than a goal per match at the Bill Stephens Complex and was riding a 10 game home unbeaten streak. 

Central Arkansas (0-2) showed resilience despite being down 2-0 in the first 20 minutes and would go on to score two unanswered goals of their own, with the equalizer coming in the 67th minute. Missouri State went on to find a late winner in the 80th minute, leaving Central Arkansas very limited time to potentially equalize again. 

First Half

  • Missouri State’s Brooke Zenner found the back of the net just inside four minutes of playing, giving Missouri State an early 1-0 advantage. 
  • Missouri State would double their lead in the 18th minute on a strike Unnur Bergsdottir.
  • Central Arkansas responded quickly, finding the back of the net in the 22nd minute on a beautifully worked goal that ended in a Hadley Dickinson finish from just inside the penalty area. 
  • UCA’s Savannah Tidd created a couple of chances towards the end of the first half, forcing saves from Missouri State’s Kaitlin Maxwell in the 41st and 42nd minutes. 

Second Half

  • Anika Sultan would equalize for Central Arkansas in the 67th minute after a strike directly from a corner kick found its way into the side netting, giving UCA a chance to potentially snatch a late winner. 
  • Sultan’s equalizer would be short lived after Missouri State’s Britney Robinson pounced on a late opportunity and scored what would ultimately be the winning goal for her team in the 80th minute.

Central Arkansas finished the match with 12 total shots, striking six of them on target, while Reagan McCombs finished the match four total saves. 

Coach Bishop Quotes

“Being down 2-0 and fighting back to get even with them was big for us, but to fall behind 2-0 the way that we did was disappointing. Once we got ourselves going, we were the better team, we were just unfortunate to not do more in our attacking opportunities.” 

Up Next

The Bears will travel to Jonesboro Sunday afternoon to face in-state foe Arkansas State. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Bears dominate in Home Opener

August 30, 2019

By UCA SPORTS INFORMATION

CONWAY –  It was all smiles tonight as Central Arkansas men’s soccer was able to grab a season opening victory against Wright State. The Bears came into tonight having played two exhibition games and was looking to carry over the momentum from exhibition win number two against Tulsa, where they netted six goals in a 6-1 thrashing of the Golden Hurricanes. 

The attacking power was on full display again tonight for the Bears as UCA (1-0) scored four goals, netting three in the second half. The Bears gave up just one goal on what was an unlucky deflection from a set piece. 

First Half

The match got off to a rip roaring start as both teams created scoring chances early on, and would continue to create chances the entire duration of the first half.

  • UCA’s Moaid Ankir nearly gave the Bears a 1-0 advantage less than two minutes into the match after his strike from just inside the penalty area forced a save from the Wright State keeper.
  • Wright State would nearly grab the lead in the ninth minute after a strike from Jackson Dietrich rattled Olsen’s right crossbar on its way out of play. 
  • The deadlock would be broken in the 20th minute courtesy of Niklas Brodacki. Matthias Bendiksen slid Brodacki through, who was just onside and took care of the rest, finishing into the bottom right corner from six yards out. 
  • Brodacki found himself in another good scoring position in the 25th minute, but his strike flew just wide right and the score remained 1-0. 
  • Central Arkansas was awarded a penalty in the 41st minute, but the Wright State keeper was up to the task denying Brodacki his second goal of the night on a diving stop to his left side.

Second Half

  • Ankir found himself in the six yard box with a one on one opportunity, but was intervened by a Wright State defender, leaving the referee no choice but to award UCA its second penalty kick of the match.
  • Soren Jensen would step up this time, and converted from 12 yards out on a perfectly placed penalty into the bottom left corner, doubling the Bears’ advantage. 
  • Wright State would grab one back in the 62nd minute after a 25 yard free kick strike took an unlucky deflection, leaving Marc Olsen with no chance to react.
  • Kasper Andersen again doubled the Bears’ lead on what was arguably the goal of the match. Great buildup play from Alexsi Morel and Katsu Kimishima put Andersen in a great position and the Denmark international took care of the rest, finding the top corner on a sensational strike from 18 yards out. 
  • UCA’s fourth goal would come from Matthias Bendiksenin the 73rd minute. The skipper took a pass from Brodacki across the 18 yard box and calmly side-footed it into the bottom right corner to give the Bears a 4-1 advantage. 

Ross Duncan Quotes

“I was really happy with the way we came out. We came out flying. Going up two (goals) and then giving up a goal is a dangerous position to be in. The way responded to that is what I’m most proud of.”

Up Next

The Bears are back in action again this Sunday night as they host Campbell State at the Bill Stephens Complex. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM.

Little Rock opens Cross Country Season in Memphis

August 31, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock will begin the 2019 cross country season under the lights when the Trojans head to the City Auto Memphis Twilight Classic. The women’s race will begin at 9:20 p.m. while the men’s race is expected to start at 10 p.m.

Three Things to Know

  1. Someone Bring the Coffee
    While most cross country races are in the mornings (and the teams usually train in the morning), this race will have a much different feel with such a late start. The women start at 9:20 p.m. and the men at 10 p.m. – nearly 12 hours later than a normal cross country race starts.
  2. Coaching Debuts for Little Rock’s Team
    Saturday’s meet will not only mark the start of the 2019 season for both the men’s and women’s programs but all will mark the debut of two new coaches on the Little Rock coaching staff. Meg Joiner, a former track athlete from Oakland University, is starting her first year working with the women’s distance runners at Little Rock while Alan Webb, Olympian and American record holder in the mile, is working with the men’s distance runners.
  3. Experience Returns
    Little Rock’s men’s team returns three runners that scored in last year’s Memphis Twilight Classic – Ricardo Banks, Emilio Medina and Carter Reynolds – for the Trojans. Banks was second on the team with a 22:13.80 time while Medina ran 22:45.55 and Reynolds clocked 22:49.99 to finish third and fourth, respectively. Meanwhile on the women’s side, Hunter Pual (19:14.83) and Vianney Sanchez (19:41.34) were the second and third-placing runners for the Trojans, respectively. Both sides lost their top finisher from last year’s race.

For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook and Twitter.

Trojans fall to Razorbacks

August 30, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

FAYETTEVILLE – Two extremely close sets put Little Rock in striking distance but the Trojans fell just short of claiming a set in a loss at Arkansas Friday evening. The match marked the first time the two Natural State schools met in the regular season.

Little Rock (0-2) dropped sets of 25-20, 25-21 and 25-12 in the match against the Razorbacks (2-0) but threatened in the first two sets.

Arkansas 3, Little Rock 0 | 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 | Box Score | PDF | Photo Gallery

Behind the Box Score

  • Little Rock forced five ties in the opening set.
  • A 6-0 run in the second set, capped off by a Carol Barbosa kill, gave the Trojans their greatest chance for a set win. That run pulled Little Rock within 23-21.
  • Midway through that 6-0 run, Arkansas was forced to call timeout after an ace by Diana Giordani.
  • Each team had five service aces but four of Arkansas’ five aces came in the third set.
  • Little Rock only trailed in blocks, 7-5.
  • Arkansas was led by Devyn Wheeler’s .727 hitting percentage (8-0-11).

Leaders by the Numbers

Notables

  • Laura Jansen’s two service aces marked a career high. Her only other career service ace came earlier in the day against Montana State.
  • Diana Giordani’s two service aces fell one short of matching a career high.
  • Giordani’s nine digs ended a streak of eight consecutive matches played with double digit digs.
  • Arkansas now leads the all-time series, 2-0. The teams previously played in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.

Up Next
Little Rock faces Northwestern State on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 1 p.m.

For the latest information on Little Rock Volleyball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockVB on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

Little Rock Soccer falls to Tulsa

August 30, 2019

By LITTLE ROCK SPORTS INFORMATION

LITTLE ROCK – The Trojan soccer team (1-2-1) was unable to defeat a tough Tulsa team this evening, dropping the road match 3-1. Julia Edholm scored both the team’s and her own second goal of the season in just the fourth match of her collegiate career. Thanks to junior Morgan Smocovich’s cross from the corner, the freshman was able to sink the ball into the net at the 56th minute.

Tulsa earned two goals in the first half at the 17th and 24th minutes, but Little Rock responded in the second before their opponents sealed the deal in the 79th minute.

“We weren’t able to take our chances and they were,” said head coach Mark Foster. “That was the difference – we weren’t able to execute; they were.”I’m delighted at the team’s response to two goals down. They didn’t give up and instead kept fighting. I thought we were going to get an equalizer, but I’m proud of the effort overall.”

The game was quite even for long periods of time, and the Golden Hurricanes provided relentless effort for the Trojan defense to counter, firing off 20 shots. Nevertheless, goaltender Julia Curatolo made four excellent saves while in the box the entire game, while the Tulsa goalie was unable to stop Little Rock’s on-target shot.

Along with her goal, Edholm also registered one shot. Teammates Abril Lucio, a sophomore, and Peyton Laughley, a junior, also joined her with one apiece.

The Trojans will return to their home at Coleman Sports Complex this Sunday, Sept. 1, hosting Missouri State at 1 p.m. For more information on the upcoming match, click here.

For the latest information on Little Rock Soccer, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockSOC on FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

Red Wolves earn First Win of Restrep Era

August 30, 2019

By ARKANSAS SPORTS INFORMATION

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On the opening day of the 2019 volleyball campaign, the Arkansas State volleyball team went 1-1 to open the Santiago Restrepo era, dropping a tight 3-2 season-opener to Milwaukee before sweeping North Alabama to mark Restrepo’s first win as head coach on Friday at the Bruiser Showcase.

Peyton Uhlenhake led the way for the Red Wolves (1-1), recording double-double performances in both matches. A-State also flexed its muscles defensively against UNA, holding the Lions to an attack percentage of .056. That effort marked the first time the Red Wolves held an opponent to a sub-.100 mark in that category since Oct. 13, 2018 vs. ULM.

MATCH 1 – Milwaukee 3, Arkansas State 2

In the season opener for both squads, Milwaukee claimed a tight 3-2 victory against the Red Wolves behind three players with double-digit kills and 10 aces. After dropping the first set, A-State battled back to take a 2-1 lead before the Panthers responded by forcing the decisive fifth set.

A-State was led by Peyton Uhlenhake, who posted the first double-double of her career (12 kills, 12 digs) and led the team in kills. Macey Putt also notched double-digit kills (11) and recorded a match-high 14.0 points. Julianna Cramer joined Uhlenhake with a double-double, collecting 10 digs to go along with a team-high 20 assists. Kendahl Davenport, in her collegiate debut, tallied a match-high 7.0 total blocks. Also on the defensive end, Ryley Gill collected a team-leading 13 digs.

Set 1 – Milwaukee 25-15
Milwaukee opened on a 4-0 run, and would not look back despite a late run by the Red Wolves pulling to within 3 early at 8-5 after a kill by Macey Putt, who tallied 5 of her 11 kills in the first set.

The Panthers would increase their lead by as much as 13 at 20-7 and would endure a late 6-0 A-State run that cut the deficit to 23-14. Milwaukee would take two of the next three points to take an early 1-0 lead in the match.

Set 2 – A-State 25-17
The Red Wolves bounced back in the second set, as Peyton Uhlenhake led the charge, recording 4 of her 12 kills (.625 attack %). Uhlenhake and Timber Terrell got the team started with two kills apiece in A-State’s 6-0 run to take a 7-2 lead, which was capped off by a Uhlenhake service ace.

A-State would continue to increase its lead, as Hannah Cox served back-to-back aces to move the Red Wolves ahead 15-8. The Panthers would surge late to cut the deficit to 18-15, but that would not be enough as A-State held on to take the second set 25-17.

Set 3 – A-State 25-18
The Red Wolves continued to improve on the offensive end, tallying 13 kills for the second straight set. A-State also benefited from a 7-2 run to open the stanza and led by as much as 8 in the set at 17-9.

At the net, Kendahl Davenport recorded 4 of her 7 total blocks on the day in the third set. Uhlenhake would go on to give the Red Wolves a 2-1 lead in the match with her fifth kill of the set.

Set 4 – Milwaukee 25-14
Milwaukee capitalized on another early 7-0 run, which the Red Wolves would not be able to overcome, despite a late 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 20-14. The Panthers would close with five more points to take a 25-14 decision to force a fifth set.

Josie Stanford led A-State offensively, recording 4 kills in the set.

Set 5 – Milwaukee 15-10
Both teams showcased intensity in the winner-take-all fifth set, with neither team taking more than a two-point advantage until Milwaukee broke a 10-all stalemate with a 5-0 run to take the set and match.

Macey Putt led all players with 3 kills in the set, while Madison Brown and Uhlenhake also contributed to the cause.

MATCH 2 – Arkansas State 3, North Alabama 0

In the second half of the twin bill, the Red Wolves stepped up offensively, hitting .241 with 42 kills on 37 assists. UNA, on the other hand, recorded only 21 kills on the day after besting Belmont in the previous match. After taking the first two sets by double-figures, the Red Wolves had to claw back from an early deficit if it wanted to take the third set. After knotting it up at 15-all, A-State sealed the deal with a 25-18 decision in the third to move to earn Restrepo’s first win as head coach at Arkansas State.

A-State was led by Uhlenhake again, who posted her second-straight double-double (14 kills, 10 digs). Malgorzata Andersohn also added a double-double performance with 18 assists and 10 digs. Timber Terrellenjoyed a strong outing, hitting .357 on 7 kills with a pair of block assists, while Macey Putt added 10 kills and a block assist.

Set 1 – A-State 25-14
After knotting it up at 2-all, Arkansas State went on a 4-0 run to take a 6-2 lead. From there, the Red Wolves would cruise to as much as a 22-8 lead. UNA powered back to cut the deficit to 23-14, but it would be too little too late, as a kill by Madison Brown and service ace by Josie Stanford closed out the set.

Timber Terrell recorded a 1.000 attack percentage in the set, going 3-for-3 to pave the way. Peyton Uhlenhake led all players with 4 kills.

Set 2 – A-State 25-10
The Red Wolves picked up right where they left off, going on an 11-1 run right out of the gate. After the Lions cut the A-State lead to 13-8, the Red Wolves scored 12 of the next 14 points to close out the set.

Much like the first set, the Red Wolves ended on an ace, this time by Hannah Cox – her second of the match and third of the day.

Set 3 – A-State 25-18
UNA turned the tables to start the third, going on an early 7-2 run, but the Red Wolves fought back to tie it up and eventually take the lead for good on a kill by Macey Putt that moved A-State ahead 16-15. After Anna Katherine Griggs tallied a kill for the Lions to cut the deficit to 17-16, the Scarlet and Black claimed eight of the last 10 points to earn the sweep.

Fittingly, the third set ended just as the previous two – on a service ace. This time, Cramer had the honors of clinching the match for the Red Wolves.

Quick Hitters

   – With the win against North Alabama, the Red Wolves are now a perfect 28-0 when taking the first two sets, dating back to 2017.

   – Arkansas State’s sweep against North Alabama marked the first 3-set triumph since Nov. 9, 2018 at ULM.

   – Dating back to 2018, Arkansas State is 9-3 when holding opponents to an attack percentage of under .200.

   – Four Red Wolves – Malgorzata AndersohnHannah CoxKendahl Davenport and Paulina Sobolewska – made their collegiate debuts between the two matches.

   – Peyton Uhlenhake tallied career highs in kills (14) against North Alabama and digs (12) against Milwaukee.

Next Up

The Red Wolves will close out opening weekend in their first true road test of the season, taking on host Belmont at the Bruiser Showcase. First serve is slated for 2 p.m., and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription only) with Christian Kaposy on the call.

Arkansas State owns a 6-2 lead in the series against the Bruins, although Belmont has claimed the last two meetings.

Schedule: 
Saturday, Aug. 31:
11 a.m. – Milwaukee vs. North Alabama
2 p.m. – Arkansas State at Belmont (LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE ON ESPN+ [$])

Fans can follow the team on Twitter (@AStateVB) and Instagram (astatevb) along with liking the Arkansas State University Volleyball page on Facebook for the latest news and updates regarding the team.

No. 8 Arkansas Women set for Hurricane Invitational

By JEFF SMITH/Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 8 Arkansas women’s cross country team will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend, opening its 2019 season at the Hurricane Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The season opener will feature the Razorbacks taking on three regional foes including Oklahoma, No. 19 Oklahoma State, and host Tulsa. Arkansas will toe the line for the two-mile race at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Mohawk Soccer Complex. The meet will be scored as a normal team format and not as a dual meet.

The Razorbacks head into the new year ranked No. 1 in the South Central region, and No. 8 in the country, announced by the USTFCCCA earlier this week. A Southeastern Conference poll of the leagues head coaches was released Monday, projected Arkansas to win a seventh-straight title at the 2019 SEC Championships.

The 2018 season concluded with Arkansas capturing an SEC Championship, a first-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional, and a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

The Razorbacks return five All-SEC performers in Taylor Werner, Carina Viljoen, Lauren Gregory, Maddy Reed, and 2018 SEC Freshman of the Year Katrina Robinson

For more information on Arkansas track and field, including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.

Razorbacks head to Tulsa for Hurricane Invitational

By JEFF SMITH/Arkansas Sports Information

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 20 Arkansas men’s cross country team will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend, opening its 2019 season at the Hurricane Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 31.

The season opener will feature the Razorbacks taking on three regional foes including Oklahoma, No. 7 Oklahoma State, and host No. 29 Tulsa. Arkansas will toe the line for the four-mile race at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Mohawk Soccer Complex. The meet will be scored as a normal team format and not as a dual meet.

The Razorbacks head into the new year ranked No. 1 in the South Central region, and No. 20 in the country, announced by the USTFCCCA earlier this week. A Southeastern Conference poll of the leagues head coaches was released Monday, projected Arkansas to finish third at the 2019 SEC Championships behind Ole Miss and Alabama.

The 2018 season concluded with Arkansas finishing runner-up at the SEC Championship, a first-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional, and a 25th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

While the Razorbacks lost Cameron Griffith and Ethan Moehn, who finished third and 14th, respectively, at last year’s SEC meet, Arkansas returns SEC Champion Gilbert Boit, Ryan Murphy and Graham Brown who finished first, ninth, and 17th in Auburn, Ala. last year with two of the three earning All-SEC honors. Arkansas also returns Matt Young, who was an All-Region performer for the Razorbacks at the South Central meet last season.

For more information on Arkansas track and field, including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.