Arkansas ranked No. 3 in preseason national poll
FAYETTEVILLE – The Razorbacks are favored to win the SEC cross country team title this season and will start the season ranked No. 3 nationally.
Arkansas reached the podium with a fourth-place finish at Virginia last season during the national championship meet. It marked the third fourth-place performance for the Razorbacks in the past four cross country NCAA Championships held.
Defending national champion Oklahoma State is ranked No. 1 heading into the 2024 season with BYU ranked No. 2 among the USTFCCCA preseason national poll.
Following the Razorbacks in the preseason national poll are Northern Arizona, Iowa State, Notre Dame, North Carolina, New Mexico, Alabama, and Stanford among the top 10.
Two other SEC schools among the top 30 include No. 24 Texas and No. 29 Ole Miss while Tennessee is receiving votes.
Arkansas returns a pair of cross country All-Americans from the 2023 NCAA meet in Patrick Kiprop and Kirami Yego, while Ben Shearer just missed receiving the accolade bestowed upon the top 40 finishers in placing 42nd.
Additions to the Razorback squad for this season include Yaseen Abdalla, a two-time cross country All-American who competed at Texas and Tennessee, along with Timothy Chesondin, an All-American in the 2023 NCAA race while at Akron.
In completing a SEC triple crown in 2023-24, Arkansas returns as the defending champion in cross county. They collected 11 first-place votes among the league coaches with Alabama receiving three.
Claiming a 28th SEC cross country team title in 2023, the Razorbacks had three runners place among the top six with Kiprop (2nd), Shearer (5th), and Yego (6th). Abdalla placed fourth in the race to lead the Tennessee squad to a third-place finish.
Arkansas completed its scoring five in the conference meet with Elias Schreml and Reuben Reina placing 12th and 13th.
Preseason National Poll
| 1) Oklahoma State |
| 2) BYU |
| 3) Arkansas |
| 4) Northern Arizona |
| 5) Iowa State |
| 6) Notre Dame |
| 7) North Carolina |
| 8) New Mexico |
| 9) Alabama |
| 10) Stanford |
| 11) Harvard |
| 12) Butler |
| 13) Wisconsin |
| 14) Eastern Kentucky |
| 15) Iona |
SEC Coaches’ Preseason Poll (first place votes)
| 1) Arkansas (11) |
| 2) Alabama (3) |
| 3) Texas |
| 4) Ole Miss |
| 5) Texas A&M |
| 6) Auburn |
| 7) Tennessee |
| 8) Florida |
| 9) Missouri |
| 10) Kentucky |
| 11) Oklahoma |
| 12) Georgia |
| 13) LSU |
| 14) Vanderbilt |