Arkansas secures Chile Pepper team title, Patrick Kiprop runner-up

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas totaled 61 points to win the 34th annual Chile Pepper Festival for the first time since 2018 as Razorback sophomore Patrick Kiprop led the squad with a runner-up finish in 23 minutes, 24.6 seconds over the 8,000m course at Agri Park on Friday afternoon.

“Today’s race was good,” said Kiprop. “I had an opportunity to access myself. At the start of the cross country season, I had some pain on my hip. This performance is giving me the way forward for bigger races in front of me.

“I’m proud of the team, they did good. They always do their best, and today we won.”

Colby’s Sanele Masondo won the individual title in 23:18.4 leading the No. 1 nationally ranked junior college crew to a runner-up team finish with 149 points. Razorback Lexington Hilton, competing unattached during the cross country season, placed third with a time of 23:29.7.

The rest of the top five schools included No. 6 Division II Missouri Southern (157), No. 2 Juco Iowa Central (166), and Kansas State (177).