MacPherson Leads Razorbacks to Team Title at Missouri Southern Stampede

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Freshman Scott MacPherson was the runner-up at the Missouri Southern Stampede and led the Arkansas Razorbacks to a first-place team finish.

The Hogs earned a team score of 24 points to capture the win. Southwest Baptist University finished second in the team standings with 132 points.

“I am happy with the win,” head coach John McDonnell said. “Scott (MacPherson) ran a really good race. Jon Norris also ran a good race. I think some of the other guys (Peter Kosgei, Kenny Cormier and Seth Summerside) have been training too hard. They have been pushing the pace really hard. Their legs were tired but that is a problem we can fix. Overall it was a good effort.”

MacPherson, in only his second race in the Cardinal and White, crossed the finish line in a time of 24:21.6.

“I was really excited to race today after redshirting last season,” MacPherson said. “This was kind of my second chance at a first impression. I’m happy with the way it all panned out.”

MacPherson was in a pack behind two Harding runners and a runner from Tulsa. The Tulsa runner was only doing a time trial and dropped out of the race at the 5K mark. When MacPherson moved into third place, he concentrated on catching the Harding runners. He passed one and with a quarter of a mile left, the lead Harding runner, Julius Kosgei, surged ahead and crossed the finish line at 24:15.8.

“I was trying to close in on the Tulsa runner but he dropped out at the 5K,” MacPherson said. “I had already committed to catching him so I just kept going. The Harding runners and I exchanged leads a few times and then I passed one of them. With about a quarter of a mile left, (Julius Kosgei) surged to the finish and I didn’t have the speed to catch him. We haven’t been working on that in practice much yet but we will and that speed will come. I’m just excited about the rest of the season.”

2005 All-American Peter Kosgei was the second UA runner and the fourth overall to cross the line. He did it in a time of 24:39.9. Seth Summerside finished third on the team and fifth overall with a time of 24:57.5. 2005 All-American Kenny Cormier clocked a 25:06.3, good for sixth overall and fourth on the team. Jon Norris finished seventh on the team and overall with a 25:07.3. Rio Reina crossed the line with a time of 26:10.3 in his second race as a Razorback and finished 17th overall. Also in his second race as a Razorback, Dan LaCava clocked a 26:49.9, good for a 39th-place finish overall.

Results from the Missouri Southern Stampede can be found at www.mssu.edu/athletics. Next up for Arkansas will be the Oklahoma State Jamboree, Sat., Sept. 30, in Stillwater, Okla.