This article originally appeared in the November 20, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.
The Studs
The women’s cross country team is led by sophomore Dominique Scott and juniors Shannon Klenke and Grace Heymsfield.
Scott and Heymsfield have both won meets this season, while Klenke has also gotten into the mix as one of Arkansas’ top three runners.
“They very much have a three muskateers type attitude,” head coach Lance Harter said.
The three runners have a mutual admiration for each other, as well as a natural competitive edge.
Before the Southeastern Conference Championship meet Nov. 1, Heymsfield was sick and not running at 100 percent. Despite her illness, she was able to take third place, behind Scott and Klenke, who finished first and second, respectively.
“(Heymsfield) raced really well to get third, but she said, ‘Well, if it was somebody else other than my two teammates, I would have gone after the win, but because my two teammates were there, I just stayed where I was.’ It’s that spirit they all seem to have,” Harter said.
Potential Surprisers
At the SEC Championship meet, the Razorbacks had seven runners finish in the top 22, while they had seven finish in the top 20 at the South Central Regional meet.
The highest any other team’s seventh runner finished was 66th at the SEC meet and 50th at the regional meet.
This means Arkansas has four or five different runners that could jump into scoring position any given day, Harter said.
“We have a lot of interchangeable parts,” Harter said.
Senior Stephanie Brown and junior Paige Johnston will be running their final cross country races and Harter said they want to go out on top, so he expects them to run well.
Also, junior Diane Robison finished one second ahead of Heymsfield at the regional meet and was Arkansas’ third scoring runner. Harter said that she is the fastest 5,000-meter runner in track, so she also has the potential to surprise at the NCAA Championships.
The Hometown Hero
Along with being one of the Razorbacks’ top three runners, Heymsfield is also a hometown hero of sorts.
She went to high school in Elkins, which is only about 10 miles east of Fayetteville. At Elkins High School, Heymsfield won three consecutive individual cross country state titles and was the first female in Arkansas high school history to run the 1,600-meters in under five minutes.
Heymsfield has continued her success at Arkansas, earning All-Region and All-SEC honors this season and last season. She is also a two-time All-SEC runner in track and field.
“She’s our local hero,” Harter said. “She’s proven to be someone that has a very bright future above and beyond the collegiate stage.”
The Competition
Despite crushing its competition at the SEC Championship meet, Arkansas fell from No. 2 to No. 3 in the national rankings.
This drop in ranking has given the team a “grudge to go prove people wrong,” Harter said.
Providence and Arizona are atop the rankings at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The Friars received six first-place votes, while the Wildcats got five and Arkansas got one.
Harter said No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Colorado will also challenge the Razorbacks.
The Buffaloes are led by senior Shalaya Kipp, who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics, while the Seminoles have a “very seasoned international group,” Harter said.
Traditional Pac-12 powers, such as No. 17 Oregon and No. 20 Washington, are also capable of challenging Arkansas.
However, the Razorbacks must not underestimate any of the teams at the NCAA Championships because any of them could have a “magical day,” Harter said.
“There is always going to be a surprise,” Harter said. “There’s always going to be someone that makes you say, ‘Wow, where did they come from?’”
The Pressure
The success of the men’s program is well-known. They have won 11 NCAA cross country Championships and 41 total NCAA Championships in cross country and track and field.
The women’s program, however, has never won a championship. In cross country, the women have 11 top 10 finishes and four runner-up finishes at the NCAA Championships.
“I think part of my job was to come here and take it to the next level,” Harter said. “The only level we haven’t achieved is the top of the podium.
The NCAA Championship meet is Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. The women’s race will follow the men’s race at approximately 12:15 p.m.
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