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

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas totaled 61 factors to win the thirty fourth annual Chile Pepper Competition for the primary time since 2018 as Razorback sophomore Patrick Kiprop led the squad with a runner-up end in 23 minutes, 24.6 seconds over the 8,000m course at Agri Park on Friday afternoon.

“In the present day’s race was good,” stated Kiprop. “I had a chance to entry myself. Firstly of the cross nation season, I had some ache on my hip. This efficiency is giving me the way in which ahead for greater races in entrance of me.

“I’m happy with the group, they did good. They at all times do their finest, and as we speak we gained.”

Colby’s Sanele Masondo gained the person title in 23:18.4 main the No. 1 nationally ranked junior faculty crew to a runner-up group end with 149 factors. Razorback Lexington Hilton, competing unattached throughout the cross nation season, positioned third with a time of 23:29.7.

The remainder of the highest 5 colleges included No. 6 Division II Missouri Southern (157), No. 2 Juco Iowa Central (166), and Kansas State (177).

“I used to be happy with our effort throughout the board,” acknowledged Arkansas males’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “Everyone regarded like they put in a championship-style effort. We solely have so many of those meets throughout the season, so each one in every of them are essential in several methods.

“We simply type of wanted to get our ft moist with racing and run actually laborious over 8k and see the place our race health is. It’s a two-month course of to get everybody on the identical web page. We’re not there but. We’ll get as shut as we are able to by the tip of October.”

Ben Shearer, a redshirt freshman with Arkansas, positioned sixth in 23:49.0, behind Butler CC freshman Rodgers Rotich (23:42.1). Razorback senior Jacob McLeod completed thirteenth in 24:06.8 whereas junior Myles Richter positioned nineteenth in 24:22.6. Rounding out Arkansas’ prime 5 was junior Josh Shearer, twenty ninth in 24:31.6.

“That was a terrific run by Patrick,” famous Bucknam. “He’s solely had one or two laborious exercises since he’s been nursing a sore hip. He’s not one hundred pc at the moment, nevertheless it was good to see him on the market racing.

“We had an impressive race from Ben Shearer. He’s a proficient runner and he lastly acquired cross nation race in. We’re comfortable to see that, and that’s an actual vivid spot for us.”

Different Razorbacks within the race embrace Jack Williams (56th | 24:56.3), Luke George (144 | 25:44.2), and Reuben Reina (160 | 25:54.2).

Groups: 1. Arkansas (No. 16 rating), 61; 2. Colby CC (No. 1 Juco), 149; 3. Missouri Southern (No. 6 Div. II) 157; 4. Iowa Central CC (No. 2 Juco) 166; 5. Kansas State, 177; 6. Mississippi School (No. 19 Div. II) 184; 7. Nebraska-Kearney (No. 21 Div. II), 215; 8. Arkansas State, 244; 9. East Central, 255; 10. CSU-Pueblo, 322.