Main Story: No. 7 Arkansas enters Friday’s SEC Cross Country Championships aiming to reclaim the men’s team title after finishing fourth last year. The Razorbacks bring a strong front pair in Ernest Cheruiyot and Nick Busienei, plus momentum from recent wins over conference rivals Florida and Tennessee.

By the Numbers
  • Arkansas has won a conference-best 29 SEC men’s cross-country titles.
  • The Razorbacks placed fourth at the 2025 championships with 131 points.
  • At the Nuttycombe Invitational, Arkansas finished fourth (208 points), ahead of Florida (221) and Tennessee (387).
  • Arkansas’ runners at positions three through five moved up a combined 280 places from 2K to 8K at Nuttycombe.
Yes, But

Arkansas is ranked seventh, behind defending champion Alabama at No. 4, while Florida and Tennessee also enter ranked. Florida’s Kelvin Cheruiyot is the defending individual champion, and Arkansas’ two leading runners will face a deep field with plenty to prove.

State of Play
  • The men’s 8,000-meter race is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, at 10:45 a.m. CT at Missouri’s Gans Creek Course.
  • Arkansas has improved from No. 16 to No. 7 and says its recent performances suggest it can contend for the title.
  • The meet will air on SEC Network, with live results available through PTTiming.com.
What's Next

Arkansas will look to turn its season-long progress into an SEC championship, relying on its top two runners and a supporting group that showed it can make decisive late-race moves.

Bottom Line

The Razorbacks have the history and recent form to challenge for the crown, but they’ll need to convert that promise into a strong team finish against Alabama and the conference’s other ranked contenders.