* Beavercreek graduate Taylor Ewert continues to shine as a Razorback
Photo Credit: University of Arkansas athletics
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The University of Arkansas women, helmed by a full lineup of veterans and underclassmen, won another team title this weekend, accruing 20 points at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri.
The Razorbacks ran an average of 20:14.80 for 6K as Beavercreek graduate Taylor Ewert debuted at the distance and finished fourth overall, behind teammates Lauren Gregory and Krissy Gear.
Missouri, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M also made up the quad meet.
Arkansas claimed spots second through ninth. Ewert and Buchanan (CA) graduate Corie Smith both featured prominently as freshmen.
The former high school standouts ran their first 6K and placed fourth and sixth, with times of 20:15.1 and 20:25.1, respectively. Gear, a former Fort Myers (FL) graduate who won a waiver to compete this season, was third overall, while Gregory, a Fort Collins (CO) alumni, was second.
Event 2 Women 6k CC ======================================================================= Name Year School Finals Points ======================================================================= Results - Women 1 Sarah Chapman SR Missouri 20:01.1 1 2 Lauren Gregory JR Arkansas 20:06.2 2 3 Krissy Gear SR Arkansas 20:07.1 3 4 Taylor Ewert FR Arkansas 20:15.1 4 5 Abby Gray SR Arkansas 20:20.5 5 6 Corie Smith FR Arkansas 20:25.1 6 7 Isabel Van Camp SO Arkansas 20:32.8 7 8 Kennedy Thomson SR Arkansas 20:40.5 8
Oklahoma State Starts Off Strong:
At the OSU Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the men's and women's programs had strong performances. The women placed second with 48 points, only behind the Cyclones' 29. The Cowgirls finished with an average time of 1:49.19 after their top five runners placed within the top 20. What's incredible, though, is that OSU's top five runners consisted of freshman and sophomores.
Taylor Roe and Gabby Hentemann finished second and third, respectively, to lead OSU's team. Two more freshmen, Sivan Auerbach and Rilee Rigdon, finished 12th and 13th, with a close finishes of 22:07.7 and 22:12.9. The final scoring runner, Heidi Demeo, placed 19th in 22:29.17.
The four-time WIAA State Champion from Lake Stevens (WA) High School opened her season on this 6K course and ran a personal best of 20:50.10. Roe was third at the WIAA State Championships for cross country during her senior year. Hentemann, a Grand Haven (MI) graduate, finished the Jamboree in 21:38.20.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS Athlete YR Team Score Time 1 LOGUE, Cailie SR Iowa State 1 20:38.6 2 ROE, Taylor SO Oklahoma Stat 2 20:50.1 3 HENTEMANN, Gabby SO Oklahoma Stat 3 21:38.2 4 SHUFELBERGER, Jay SO Kansas State 4 21:43.1 5 FEYEN, Dana SO Iowa State 5 21:46.3 6 CHAPMAN, Larkin SR Iowa State 6 21:54.7 7 HOLMES, Celia JR Baylor 7 21:59.0 8 SCHRAFT, Janette SO Iowa State 8 22:02.5 9 HILL, Madelynn SO Iowa State 9 22:02.9 10 JOHNSON, Kassidy JR Kansas State 10 22:04.5 11 DICKEL, Grace FR Iowa State (11) 22:05.2 12 AUERBACH, Sivan FR Oklahoma Stat 12 22:07.7 13 RIGDON, Rilee FR Oklahoma Stat 13 22:12.9 14 JOHNSON, Avryl SO Kansas 14 22:13.8 15 CHESANG, Winrose JR Iowa State (15) 22:14.5
On the men's side, Ryan Schoppe (above) placed sixth while being the second-fastest freshman to finish the 8K course. The La Porte (TX) graduate, who was a Team XC South Regional champion and a Team XC Nationals All-American in 2019, finished in 24:17.80. Schoppe came off a strong cross country season last year as he won the UIL State Cross Country Championship and didn't lose a race up until the national meet.
Schoppe's teammate and Eisenhower Senior (WA) graduate Jonas Price finished in the top 15 in a time of 24:53.5. Last year he placed eighth at his state championship and 10th at the Team XC Northwest Regional. Afterward, he competed at the Desert Dream Last Hurrah, where he finished fifth in the mile with a 4:10.57 personal best.
By being the fourth and sixth runners for OSU, the duo contributed to a first-place team finish of 23 points and an average time of 2:00.58.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS Athlete YR Team Score Time 1 KIPTOO, Wesley JR Iowa State 1 23:34.5 2 RODRIGUEZ, Isai JR Oklahoma Stat 2 24:01.4 3 SHITSAMA, Victor FR Oklahoma Stat 3 24:06.7 4 LAGAT, Festus SR Iowa State 4 24:10.6 5 SMEETON, Ryan SR Oklahoma Stat 5 24:10.8 6 SCHOPPE, Ryan FR Oklahoma Stat 6 24:17.8 7 MAIER, Alex SO Oklahoma Stat 7 24:20.5 8 JOHNSON, Chad JR Iowa State 8 24:21.1 9 GREDER, Milo SR Iowa State 9 24:29.2 10 POLLARD, Thomas SR Iowa State 10 24:29.6 11 BUTLER, Ben SR Kansas 11 24:30.5 12 SIEPERDA, Gable FR Iowa State (12) 24:45.7 13 PRICE, Jonas FR Oklahoma Stat (13) 24:53.5 14 DUCHATSCHEK, Clayt SR Unattached - 24:56.9 15 DAYANI, Adam SO Oklahoma Stat (14) 25:00.0
The Wildcats Earn a Wildcard:
University of Kentucky freshman Matt Duvall was the top Wildcat to finish at the Live at Louisville Cross Country Classic over the weekend.
As the fifth-finisher over the 8K course, the Pickerington North (OH) graduate finished in 23:51.0, just 21 seconds behind Charlette's senior Paul Arredondo, who won the meet.
Duvall had his first meet of the season at Commodore Classic, a 4-mile course, and was first in 24:34.74. The Ohio standout had a strong senior year by winning the D1 OHSAA Ohio State Cross Country Championship and placing 15th at the Team XC Midwest Regional.
Men 8k Gold Pl Athlete Time Gap Pace Pts TmPl 1 Paul ARREDONDO Charlotte [SR] 23:30.4 4:43 1 1 2 Waleed SULIMAN Ole Miss [SR] 23:36.8 +6 4:44 2 1 3 Mario GARCIA ROMO Ole Miss [JR] 23:41.5 +11 4:45 3 2 4 Cole BULLOCK Ole Miss [SO] 23:49.1 +19 4:47 4 3 5 Matt DUVALL Kentucky [FR] 23:51.0 +20 4:47 5 1
FSU Men Lead With Underclassman:
Let's take a closer look at the FSU men during the FSU XC Invitational in Tallahassee.
For the top-scoring runners in this 8K race, the Seminoles consisted of three freshmen and two juniors. Gabriel Curtis, Mount Dora Christian Academy 2019 graduate and a redshirt freshman for Florida State, ran a personal best of 24:11.90. Curtis led the Seminoles to a third-place team finish.