Razorback Men No. 15 In USTFCCCA Preseason Poll

USTFCCCA Release

NEW ORLEANS, LA — The Arkansas men’s cross country team enters 2018 ranked No. 15 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason National Coaches Poll, announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Razorbacks are one of only three Southeastern Conference teams featured amount the preseason rankings with Alabama checking in at No. 6, and Ole Miss at No. 29.

Arkansas ended the 2017 season with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, marking the third time in the last three years the Razorbacks have placed in the top-10 at the national competition, with the last two coming in the form of top-five finishes in 2016 and 2017.

While the Razorbacks lost Alex George and Jack Bruce, who finished fourth and sixth, respectively, at last years SEC meet, Arkansas returns Cameron Griffith and Matt Young who finished seventh, and 11th in Athens, Ga. last year earning All-SEC honors.

The 2018 cross country season beings Saturday as the Razorbacks travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete at the Hurricane Invitational. The 2018 SEC Championships are slated for Friday, October 26 in Auburn, Ala.

2018 USTFCCCA Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Northern Arizona
2. BYU
3. Portland
4. Stanford
5. Iowa State
6. Alabama
7. Colorado
8. Oregon
9. Colorado State
10. Syracuse
11. Wisconsin
12. Campbell
13. Washington State
14. Southern Utah
15. Arkansas
16. Air Force
17. Virginia
18. Iona
19. Middle Tennessee
20. UCLA
21. NC State
22. Michigan State
23. Princeton
24. Boise State
25. Oklahoma State
26. Michigan
27. Washington
28. Villanova
29. Ole Miss
30. Furman
    Georgetown

Monday, the Division I Preseason Regional Rankings (South Central) and the SEC Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll were released, predicting Arkansas to grab the top spot in the region and second-place in the conference.

Arkansas has won 25 out of the last 27 conference titles and laid claim to 38 regional championships dating back to 1976.

2018 Division I Preseason Regional Rankings (South Central)

1. Arkansas
2. Texas
3. Texas A&M
4. UT Arlington
5. McNeese State
6. Rice
7. Texas State
8. Lamar
9. Incarnate Word
10. North Texas
11. Houston
12. Baylor
13. Tulane
14. Louisiana
15. Stephen F. Austin

2018 SEC Cross Country Coaches Preseason Poll (points)

1. Alabama (12)
2. Arkansas (20)
3. Ole Miss (32)
4. Tennessee (52)
5. Kentucky (56)
6. Florida (66)
7. Texas A&M (66)
8. Georgia (78)
9. Missouri (83)
10. Auburn (98)
11. Vanderbilt (112)
12. LSU (117)

2018 Cross Country Schedule

For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.