UA women favored

The University of Arkansas women’s cross country team lost four of its top runners from last year’s SEC and NCAA championship squad, but the top-ranked Razorbacks, led by returnees Lauren Gregory (above) and Abby Gray, are heavily favored to win their eight consecutive SEC title.

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas women’s cross country team lost four of its top runners from last year’s SEC and NCAA championship squad, but the Razorbacks have hardly slowed down.

Arkansas is ranked No. 1 nationally again and heavily favored to win its eight consecutive SEC title when the conference meet is held today in Baton Rouge, La.

Returnees Lauren Gregory and Abby Gray have been joined by freshmen Taylor Ewert and Corie Smith and transfers Logan Morris, Krissy Gear and Kennedy Thomson to form another powerhouse team.

“Fifth or first, everyone’s about in the same range,” said Gregory, who has finished in the top 10 in the previous three SEC meets. “It doesn’t feel much like a front runner situation.

“It could be literally anyone on our team vying for that No. 1 spot.”

In a regular season that’s been shorter than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic, Arkansas has won all three of its meets by large margins and beaten eight SEC teams in the process.

“We kind of have interchangeable parts,” Razorbacks Coach Lance Harter said. “So the depth factor makes us a very formidable foe.”

The women’s 6,000 meters race will start at 9:05 a.m. today at LSU’s University Club, the same course where the Razorbacks opened the season on Sept. 19 by winning the SEC Preview meet with a perfect score of 15 points taking the top five places. Ewert won the race with Gray second, Morris third, Gregory fourth and Smith fifth.

Today’s race will be televised live on the SEC Network.

“I think we feel pretty good,” Gregory said of the Razorbacks’ confidence level. “Because usually we just end up doing in a race what we do in practice. There’s kind of no difference.

“We just know that we’re deep enough to where if somebody isn’t on their A game, there’s three people to make up for it.”

Arkansas has won 20 of 29 SEC cross country titles — all under Harter — since joining the conference for the 1991 meet.

“I’m super excited about having so many new faces join some of our veterans, and their dedication to the culture that exists here about trying to keep the winning legacy going,” Harter said. “We’re going to try to answer the challenge again and try to win demonstratively.”