Cross Country Fact Sheet #4

Second at Dellinger: The Lady Razorbacks ran well at the Bill Dellinger Invitational two weeks ago, finishing second to the host Oregon. Arkansas placed four runners among the top 19 in the race with its fifth finishing 35th.
Toughest Competition: Arkansas faced its toughest challenge of the regular season at the Bill Dellinger with five other ranked teams at the competition. The result was a second-place finish which should bode well for the upcoming championships.
Next Up: The Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival is next for the Lady Razorbacks. Arkansas is the defending champion of the competition and hope to take their second-straight title for the first time since the 2001-2002 seasons.
Last Year’s Chile Pepper: It was the largest women’s field in Chile Pepper history in 2006, but the crowds of races and fans didn’t bother the Lady Razorbacks as they dominated the competition. The Lady Razorbacks scored 41 points to earn their largest margin of victory ever (Duke, 133). The Lady Razorbacks placed six runners among the top 18 overall and five in the top 13.
Arkansas at the Chile Pepper: The Lady Razorbacks have had great success at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival over the years. Since its inception in 1992, the Lady Razorbacks have won 11 of the 15 team titles and five individual championships. Arkansas’ longest winning streak at the event was six straight between the 1997 and 2002 seasons.
The 2007 field: While the 2006 Chile Pepper Field was the largest ever, the 2007 race looks just as congested. 41 women’s teams are scheduled to compete including #19 Virginia Tech and #24 Texas Tech. Also expected for the race are SEC foes, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Vanderbilt.
SEC Athlete of the Week: For her part in Arkansas’ second-place finish at the Bill Dellinger Invitational, Jillian Rosen was named the Southeastern Conference’s Female Freshman of the Week. Rosen finished second among Lady Razorback runners with a time of 20:38 for 6,000 meters. Her time was tied for the 30th best in Lady Razorback history, an accomplished feat when you consider the lineage of Arkansas cross country and the fact that it was her first ever 6K.
Leading the Team: After the first race of the fall, one may have thought that Catherine White would be Arkansas’ top freshman, but it has instead been Jillian Rosen. In three races this fall, Rosen has been among Arkansas’ top two runners in each competition and has accumulated the team’s highest individual winning percentage.
Back at the Front: Christine Kalmer got off to a “slow” start by finishing the Fayetteville Invitational as Arkansas’ seventh runner. In fact, it was a planned start for the junior. Prepping for the end of the season, Kalmer reemerged at the head of the Arkansas pack at the Bill Dellinger Invite.
Her Seventh Time: Christine Kalmer’s top finish for the Lady Razorbacks at the Bill Dellinger Invite was the seventh time she has been Arkansas leader in her career. Spanning just over two seasons and 17 races, Kalmer has been Arkansas’ top runner 41 percent of the time.
The Latest Rankings: On Tuesday, Oct. 9, the NSCAA came out with its fourth rankings of the 2007 season and the Lady Razorbacks remained steady at five. Dropping from #4 after the Bill Dellinger Invitational, the Lady’Backs were leap-frogged by Bill Dellinger winner Oregon who went from 24 to 3.
Still Leading the South Central: Arkansas continues to lead the South Central Regional rankings, a spot they have maintained all season. The defending regional champion has been considered the best team for the past two seasons.
Tight Pack: If there is one thing that Arkansas is great at its running as a pack. Coach Lance Harter takes pride in his team’s ability to run together and that was never more evident than at the Fayetteville Invitational where the top five Lady’Backs were just 1.9 seconds apart. The difference was a bit larger at the Aztec (13 seconds), but the results the same, an Arkansas win. If the Lady Razorbacks can keep themselves close throughout the season there is no telling where they could go.
SEC Freshman of the Week: Fresh off her victory at the Fayetteville Invitational, Catherine White was named the SEC Freshman of the Week by the league office on Tuesday. White won her first collegiate competition at the Fayetteville Invitational and takes her first freshman of the week honor.
First Time: For the first time the Southeastern Conference is naming a freshman of the week in cross country. Catherine White’s appointment makes her the first in SEC and Arkansas history to win the weekly award.
First Race, First Win: Freshman Catherine White got her Lady Razorback cross country career off to a fast start with a victory at the Fayetteville Invitational. She is the first true freshman to win her first collegiate race since Christine Kalmer won the Fayetteville Invite in 2005.
SEC Freshman of the Year: Last fall, Dani Parry was so good for the Lady Razorbacks that she earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Parry was consistently a member of Arkansas’ top seven and one of its top four runners in four of seven races.
Third Freshman of the Year: Dani Parry’s SEC Freshman of the Year award is not new to a member of the Lady Razorbacks. Since the awards inception in 2001, three Lady Razorbacks have been bestowed its honor. Aside from Parry, Christine Kalmer (2005) and Penny Splichal (2001) have also earned the award.