Seven Titles Through Seven Seasons

October 28, 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Entering the 2016 Southeastern Conference Championship as the team to beat, Arkansas men’s cross country would not be denied the conference trophy on its home course. The Razorbacks raced to their seventh-consecutive SEC title Friday morning cheered on by their home crowd at Agri Park.

Arkansas now lays claim to 24 SEC cross country championships out of 26 contested competitions.

One of the most dominant programs in NCAA history, the Razorbacks’ conference trophy collection has now grown to 49.

Individual Gold
Great Britain native Alex George led the Razorbacks to success as the top individual runner out of 105 entries.

George set a new personal best as he expertly navigated the 8K course, crossing the finish line well ahead of the runner-up in 23 minutes, 24.90 seconds.

His solo triumph earned him a spot in Razorback history among several former Arkansas greats including Brian Baker, Josphat Boit, Jason Bunston, Kemoy Campbell, Joe Falcon, Eric Fernandez, Godfrey Siamusiye, Stanley Kebenei, Michael Morin, Michael Power and Ryan Wilson.

All-SEC Performers
It took a team effort to win the conference meet and several Razorbacks rose to the occasion to get the job done.

Along with George, Arkansas placed four additional runners: Jack Bruce, Frankline Tonui, Andrew Ronoh and Austen Dalquist in the top 10.

George, Bruce, Tonui and Ronoh earned first team All-SEC recognition for their efforts while Dalquist pulled in second team All-SEC honors for his solid finish.

In a race riddled with upperclassmen, Keller native Carter Persyn was the first freshman to complete the course, finishing 37th overall to stake his claim as the conference’s top newcomer.

Other Notable Performances
Sophomore Cameron Griffith was just shy of making the All-SEC team, placing 15th overall as Arkansas’ sixth man.

Griffith was followed by Kyle Hosting who placed 25th in the competitive race in 25:00.20.

Senior Aidan Swain also finished among the top 30, placing 29th in 25:12.90

Arkansas will break next week, returning to action back at Agri Park on Friday, Nov. 11 as the hosts of the 2016 NCAA South Central Region Championship.

Top Five Team Results
1. #5 Arkansas, 25 (1-4-5-6-9)
2. #11 Ole Miss, 38 (2-3-10-11-12)
3. Kentucky, 100 (7-17-21-27-28)
4. Georgia, 149 (16-22-29-30-52)
5. Alabama, 152 (8-20-38-39-47)

Arkansas Results (Overall Finishes)
1. Alex George – 23:24.90
4. Jack Bruce – 23:53.30
5. Frankline Tonui – 23:56.60
6. Andrew Ronoh – 23:57.70
9. Austen Dalquist – 24:07.70
15. Cameron Griffith – 24:36.30
25. Kyle Hosting – 25:00.20
29. Aidan Swain – 25:12.90
37. Carter Persyn – 25:24.40

2016 Cross Country Schedule
Thurs, Sept. 1 – Cowboy Duals (Stillwater, Okla.) | 4th of 6
Fri, Sept. 16 – Battle in Beantown (Boston, Mass.) | 3rd of 15
Sat, Oct. 1 – Chile Pepper Festival (Agri Park) 9:45 a.m. | 1st of 18
Sat, Oct. 15 – Pre-Nationals (Terre Haute, Ind.) 10:35 a.m. | 2nd of 41
Fri, Oct. 28 – SEC Championship (Agri Park) 10:00 a.m. | 1st of 12
Fri, Nov. 11 – NCAA South Central Regional (Agri Park) 11:00 a.m.
Sat, Nov. 19 – NCAA Championship (Terre Haute, Ind.) 11:00 a.m.

Bold denotes a home event.

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