Boit?s First-Place Finish Leads Arkansas to Victory
STILLWATER, Okla. – The second-ranked Razorbacks claimed their fourth-straight team victory for the year when they claimed top honors at the 69th annual Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree with 42 points. Division II powerhouse Abilene Christian came in second place with 106 points and OSU was close behind in third with 112.
“We only brought six guys, but they all handled the conditions and ran very well,” Arkansas head coach John McDonnell said. “I was pleased with Josphat (Boit). He got out fast at the beginning with Shawn (Forrest) and broke away towards the end.”
Five UA runners finished in the top 25 and leading the way was senior All-American Josphat Boit who won his second-straight Jamboree title. At last year’s contest he won with a time of 23:52, but on Saturday morning muddy conditions on the 8K OSU Cross Country Course produced a 24:33 clocking.
Former UA standout Alistair Cragg helped establish a good pace and was not far behind in second with a time of 24:40. Sophomore Shawn Forrest was right on his heels in third place and turned in a 24:44 performance.
Freshman Kenny Cormier finished ninth overall, but was the seventh among collegians. The 2004 Foot Locker Champion recorded a time of 25:19. Sophomore Tyler Hill was the 12th collegiate to finish the race and was 16th overall with a time of 25:50.
Senior Said Ahmed crossed the line in 25th and was Arkansas’ final scorer as the 19th fastest collegiate with a time of 26:10. Junior Brian Roe also had a strong showing as the 31st collegiate and 37th overall runner with a 26:36 clocking.
The Hogs will now enjoy a week break before they compete again. The 10K Chile Pepper Invitational is next on the schedule on Oct. 15, in Fayetteville, Ark., at the Razorback Cross Country Course at Agri Park. McDonnell is looking forward to showcasing his team’s impressive depth against other nationally ranked teams at the home meet, such as Arizona (No. 7) and UTEP (No. 13).
“We still have several guys at home that didn’t run at OSU and are either resting or getting healthy,” McDonnell said. “We have Peter Kosgei, Marc Rodrigues, Adam Perkins and Seth Summerside, so we’re on the right track. We just have to stay healthy.”
Results (Top Five):
Team Points
1. Arkansas 42
2. Abilene Christian106
3. Oklahoma State 112
4. Texas A&M 162
5. Rice 182
Individual (UA):
1. Josphat Boit 24:33
3. Shawn Forrest 24:44
9. Kenny Cormier 25:19
16. Tyler Hill 25:50
25. Said Ahmed 26:10
37. Brian Roe26:36
Download: University Team Results.pdf
