Razorback Roundup -- Oct. 6

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPOct. 6, 2008WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRYSophomore Catherine White paced the No. 11 Razorbacks to a runner-up finish at the Bill Dellinger Invitational, hosted by the University of Oregon, on Saturday. Running in its first 6,000-meter race of the season, Arkansas topped seven other schools in the team race, including teams ranked in the USTFCCCA poll and receiving votes. Arkansas had three harriers finish in the top 11, five in the top 20 and seven in the top 53. Impressively, there was slightly more than one minute between Arkansas’ first and fifth runners. White, Arkansas’ top finisher in all three meets this season, was third behind two members of No. 1 Oregon’s squad and finished ahead of 80 runners. Her 6,000-meter time of 20:30.55 earned her a bronze finish overall.FOOTBALL (2-3)Arkansas was within 17-7 of No. 12 Florida in the fourth quarter on Saturday, but the Gators scored 21 points in the final period for a 38-7 victory. The Razorbacks limited Tim Tebow, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, to 32 yards rushing on 12 carries and 217 yards passing on 17-of-26 attempts with two touchdowns and an interception. UA’s Michael Smith generated 182 yards of total offense. He had 133 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushes, 43 yards on six receptions and six yards on two punt returns. Arkansas plays at Auburn at 4 p.m. this week in a non-televised game.MEN’S GOLFThe Razorbacks are competing in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic Oct. 6-7.WOMEN’S GOLFArkansas was idle last week preparing for its upcoming event in Knoxville, Tenn. Arkansas travels to Tennessee for the Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12. The Razorbacks are coming off 11th- and 12th-place finishes in their two previous fall events. Senior Lucy Nunn has paced Arkansas in both events and is again among the traveling five for this week’s event. Arkansas is ranked 18th in the National Golf Coaches Association poll and is 23rd in this week’s Golfstat.com poll.SOCCER (9-3, 2-2)Arkansas lost at Georgia and Tennessee during the second weekend of SEC play. In Friday’s game against the Bulldogs, junior Sophie Wentz scored at the 57:49 mark to give the Razorbacks the early 1-0 lead. Georgia’s Carrie Patterson evened the score just over a minute later with a goal of her own. The game was decided 2-1 in the Bulldogs’ favor with a Georgia goal in double overtime by Ashley Miller. The loss snapped the team’s eight-game winning streak. The Razorbacks closed the weekend with a 2-0 loss in Knoxville against the Lady Volunteers. Arkansas gave up goals to Devon Swaim and Kylee Rossi, and was held to four shots on goal. It marks the first time this season the Razorbacks have lost consecutive games. Arkansas returns to action this weekend with a pair of home games against Alabama and Auburn.SOFTBALLThe Razorbacks swept the competition—Crowder and Drury—at the Arkansas Fall Invitational, the team’s third fall event of the year. Against Drury, Jessica Bachkora and Sandra Smith provided the offensive pop in the 8-0 win with a solo and two-run home run, respectively. Miranda Dixon retired 17 of 18 batters before being relieved in the sixth inning. In the day’s finale, the Razorbacks recorded a 3-0 win over Crowder. Arkansas scored three times in the bottom of the sixth. In the circle, Kelsie Vallies threw five shutout innings with six strikeouts. The team’s fall schedule concludes with the Razorback Fall Invitational Oct. 11 at Bogle Park against teams from Oklahoma State and Northeastern State.MEN’S TENNISAt the All-American pre-qualifying tournament in Tulsa, Okla., last weekend, Chris Nott won two matches to advance to the qualifying round beginning Monday (today). Dmitry Lebedev lost in the final round of pre-qualifying and will be the first alternate admitted to the qualifying draw if another player withdraws. At the South Carolina Invitational, freshman Matt Walters went 2-1 in singles and partnered with Connor Smith to finish 2-1 in doubles against teams from South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisville. On Monday, Nott and Matt Hogan begin play in the All-American qualifying tournament and on Tuesday, Hogan teams with Blake Strode in the doubles qualifying tournament. Play in the All-American main draw begins Thursday. Strode is already in the main draw with an automatic bid.WOMEN’S TENNISArkansas finished a combined 1-3 at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Los Angeles last week. No. 1 Aurelija Miseviciute contributed the only win of the week in the main draw of singles before losing to eventual champion Kelcy McKenna of Arizona State. Up next, Nanar Airapetian, Emily Carbone and Kate Lukomskaya compete at the Rebel Classic in Oxford, Miss., Oct 10-12.VOLLEYBALL (4-11, 1-4)The Razorback volleyball team dropped a pair of Southeastern Conference matches at Georgia and LSU this weekend. Despite the losses, Arkansas posted some of its best numbers of the season thus far. The Razorbacks hit better than .300 at Georgia and were again above the .300 mark until late in the match at LSU. Senior Christina Lawrence played well all weekend, hitting .500 at LSU with 15 kills – just shy of her career-best. Arkansas hosts Alabama and Mississippi State in Barnhill Arena this weekend.OLYMPIC SPORT PRESS CONFERENCETuesday at 1 p.m. in Barnhill Arena interview room