Program of the Year to UA women
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas women’s cross country and track and field teams picked up one more trophy before Coach Lance Harter officially retires at the end of June.
The Razorbacks won the Terry Crawford Women’s NCAA Division I Program of the Year Award from the United States Coaches Association, it was announced Tuesday.
The Razorbacks had the lowest combined score nationally of 25 points based on their finishes in cross country (21st), indoor track (first) and outdoor track (third).
It’s the second consecutive year Arkansas won the award named in honor of Crawford — the former Tennessee and Texas women’s coach — since it was started in 2009.
“Our goal for years was to try to win the program of the year award,” Harter said in a video posted on Arkansas’ athletic website. “We finally broke through last year and got that beautiful statue.”
Chris Johnson, an assistant coach for the women’s track and field team the past 12 years, is being promoted to head coach to replace Harter. Johnson coaches the sprinters and hurdlers, who scored all 46 of Arkansas’ points at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last weekend in Austin, Texas.
The Arkansas women have finished in the top four in 10 consecutive years in the program of the year standings since 2013.
Harter said he was “somewhat surprised” Arkansas finished first overall this school year after being 21st in cross country.
“Surprisingly, some of the people that had great cross country seasons took a big number during the course of the indoor season or outdoor season,” Harter said on the Arkansas video. “It doesn’t matter how you do it, but the idea is it’s an accumulation of your performance, and we’re super excited our kids get to be part of that program of the year honor.
“Typically, it takes a number under 20. I think this year proves to the rest of the NCAA that there’s a lot of parity going on across all these great programs. We’re honored that we’re able to come out on top.”
Arkansas’ men’s cross country and track and field teams finished second to BYU by a half-point in the John McDonnell Men’s NCAA Division I Program of the Year standings. The award is named for the late Arkansas coach.
BYU had a score of 25.5 points from cross country (third), indoor track (tie for 12th) and outdoor track (10th) and Arkansas scored 26 with finishes of 23rd, first and second.
The Razorbacks finished second to Florida at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, 57-53,
“It would have been nice to win it,” Arkansas men’s Coach Chris Bucknam said of the McDonnell Award. “When I saw we were a halfpoint short, I thought, ‘Well, that’s how this last week went for us.’
“We just came up a little bit short like we did outdoors. That’s part of sports sometimes.”
The Razorbacks have won the McDonnell Award three times (2013, 2017 and 2021) and finished second four times. They edged BYU 40 points to 40.5 for the award in 2021.
Arkansas has finished in the top five in nine of the past 10 years. The Razorbacks tied for sixth in 2019.
“We’re paid to put competitive teams out there in all three sports,” Bucknam said. “I would have to say that’s pretty elite, that we’re in the top three 9 out of the last 10 years.
“Our priority is to win championships, but I guess this is a good gauge of where you’re at every year when you put all three of them together.”