This article originally appeared on September 5, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.
Being the preseason No. 5 team in the country and the favorite
to win the Southeastern Conference championship is not uncharted territory for
the Arkansas men’s cross country team.
The Razorbacks have won three consecutive SEC titles and
finished in the top 10 in the country two of those three years. Because of
these last three years of success, head coach Chris Bucknam said he is
confident the expectations won’t affect his team.
“We have been in this position before,” Bucknam said. “It’s
happened often enough where nobody is getting too excited about it. (The SEC
Championship) is going to happen on November 1st and between now and then, we
have a lot of work to do.”
Arkansas’ strong preseason rankings are backed by a core of
talented returning athletes, led by three seniors.
Senior Kemoy Campbell earned All-American, All-Region and first
team All-SEC honors last year. After earning All-American honors in 2010, senior
Solomon Haile missed the 2011 season with an injury, but returned last year and
earned All-Region and first team All-SEC honors.
Senior David Flynn also earned All-Region honors last year.
“Having those three seniors is like having the coaches out on the
run,” Bucknam said. “They’re an extension of the coaching staff.
“They’re providing great leadership through the way they carry
themselves, how they train and how they conduct themselves off (the course).”
Along with the seniors, the Razorbacks also have last year’s SEC
Freshman Runner of the Year, Cale Wallace, returning.
While Arkansas has several runners coming off big performances
last season, they also have a few newcomers.
This will be freshmen Christian Heymsfield and Aidan Swain’s
first season to run cross country, after redshirting last year.
“I expect them to make an impact in some way,” Bucknam said.
“It’ll be good to get them out.”
Bucknam also said sophomore Patrick Rono will run again this
year. Rono “did very well” his freshman year, but he was redshirted last
season, Bucknam said.
The Razorbacks will benefit from a couple transfers, as well.
Junior Stanley Kebenei transferred to Arkansas after two seasons
at Iowa Central. He won nine individual NJCAA national championships, including
the 2011 and 2012 half-marathon titles.
After running at Kansas for two seasons, junior Gabe Gonzalez
adds even more depth for the Razorbacks. A Springdale, Ark., native, Gonzalez
earned All-Region honors in the Midwest, “which is a very competitive region,”
Bucknam said.
Another reason Arkansas is expected to repeat as the SEC
champion is because of their performance during the outdoor track and field
season.
At the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Campbell finished fifth
in the 5,000 meters and earned All-American honors. Kebenei also earned
All-American honors with a third place finish in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
Rono and Haile earned second team and honorable mention
All-American honors, respectively.
“Something that’s in our favor is the fact that we have a number
of guys coming off a really good outdoor track season,” Bucknam said. “I think
that’s a good precursor to what we can expect in cross country.”
Following the conclusion of the outdoor season, the team was
given some time to rest, but were assigned workouts to do over the summer. All
indications so far point to the team coming back stronger, Bucknam said.
“I think they did their homework over the summer,” Bucknam said.
“Everyone is healthy and I am pleased with their fitness level.”
The
first race of the season is Friday in Fayetteville.
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