SEC Championships Await No. 6 Razorback Cross Country

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 6 Razorback cross country will travel to Baton Rouge, La. and Highland Road Park for the 2006 SEC Championships, Sat, Oct. 28. The men’s 8K race is set to go off at 9 a.m. The Hogs will be contending for Arkansas’ 33rd-consecutive conference title and its 16th-consecutive SEC title.

With just 10 entries per school, Chris Barnicle, Kenny Cormier, Colin Costello, Shawn Forrest, Tyler Hill, Peter Kosgei, Scott MacPherson, Jonathan Norris, Adam Perkins and Seth Summerside are slated to compete.

Some of the best Division I cross country teams in the nation will compete in this season’s SEC Championships. Leading the nationally ranked SEC teams is No. 6 Arkansas followed by No. 15 Alabama.

Many of the SEC cross country teams are ranked throughout the various NCAA regions. Alabama is seated at No. 2 in the South Region with Florida and Tennessee, No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, on its heels. Georgia is also in the hunt at No. 6 and Mississippi State is ranked tenth. In the South Central Region, Arkansas leads the way at No. 1 while LSU sits at ninth.

UA harriers have won 10 of the 15 SEC individual titles since Arkansas joined the league in 1991. Of the 10 title winners, three were repeat winners, winning two-consecutive titles (Godfrey Siamusiye, 1995-96; Michael Power, 1998-99; Josphat Boit, 2004-05).

At the 2005 SEC Championships, Josphat Boit successfully defended his individual title en route to Arkansas winning the team title, helping the Razorbacks extend their long-standing winning streak to 32-consecutive conference cross country titles, including 15-straight SEC crowns since entering the league in 1991.

Forrest is the top returning Razorback from the 2005 SEC Championships. He finished third behind Boit and Alabama’s Augustus Maiyo with an 8K time of 23:03.69. Forrest has only competed twice this season. He tied for first at the Arkansas Invitational (four miles) with a time of 20:12. He then placed 13th at the Chile Pepper Festival and was the second UA scorer.

Results from the 2006 SEC Cross Country Championships can be found at www.secsports.com or www.lsusports.net.