Posted: October 19, 2005

Athletics: Arkansas Strengthens Hold on No. 1 Ranking

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas men’s cross country team continued to hold onto the No. 1 spot in the latest United States Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USCCCA) MONDO poll released on Tuesday morning. The Razorbacks received 476 points and more first place votes, increasing their total to 12. In the last poll the Hogs were given nine first place nods.

UA has established itself as the clear frontrunner to take the team title, as last year’s runner-up, Wisconsin, has four first-place votes and 459 points. Colorado, the 2004 NCAA champion, tallied 452 points and Stanford moved up to No. 4 with 432 points. Notre Dame also climbed to the No. 5 position with 404 points.

Other Southeastern Conference schools ranked in the top 30 include Florida at No. 8 and Alabama at No. 20. Arkansas and Texas (No. 12) remain the only two teams from the South Central Region to be nationally ranked.

The Hogs will take this week off as they prepare for the SEC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 29, in Columbia, S.C. Arkansas will be looking to extend one of the longest tenured championship streaks in collegiate athletics history as the Razorbacks go for their 32nd-consecutive conference cross country title, including their 15th-straight since entering the SEC in 1991. Arkansas won 17-consecutive Southwest Conference cross country crowns from 1974-90.

MONDO Men’s NCAA Cross Country Poll – Oct. 18

Ranking Team (First Place Votes) Points 1 Arkansas (12) 476 2 Wisconsin (4) 459 3 Colorado 452 4 Stanford 432 5 Notre Dame 404 6 BYU 396 7 Arizona 395 8 Florida 354 9 Georgetown 342 10 UTEP 337 11 Iowa 307 12 Texas 293 13 Kansas 285 14 Dartmouth 264 15 Portland 252 16 William & Mary 250 17 Michigan 212 18 Virginia 211 19 Florida State 161 20 Alabama 156 21 Iona College 155 22 Indiana 152 23 Minnesota 148 24 Washington 138 25 Oklahoma State 100 26 Ohio State 83 27 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 70 28 Air Force 47 29 American 45 30 Eastern Michigan 31

South Central Region Poll Ranking Team 1 Arkansas 2 Texas 3 Texas A&M 4 Rice 5 Stephen F. Austin 6 LSU 7 UT-Pan American 8 Baylor 9 Sam Houston 10 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 11 TCU 12 Lamar 13 Texas State 14 Houston 15 Louisiana Tech