Ben Shearer named SEC Freshman Runner of the Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Razorback Ben Shearer earned the 2022 SEC Freshman Runner of the Year accolade as voted upon by conference coaches and announced by the league office on Tuesday.

Shearer, from The Woodlands, Texas, becomes the first Arkansas recipient of the men’s honor since Matt Young in 2017 and is the 10th Razorback overall to receive the award since 2000.

The next race for Shearer and the Razorbacks will cover a 10,000m distance at the NCAA Championships hosted by Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Saturday morning.

Twice named SEC Freshman Runner of the Week during the cross country season, Shearer was the top freshman in the SEC Championships, placing 21st in 23:57.7 as he finished fifth among the Razorback crew in the race.

On the Arkansas home course, Shearer was the second-best freshman in the Chile Pepper Festival field, placing fourth among collegians and sixth overall, with an 8k time of 23:49.0 that led the SEC freshmen this season.

Developing a propensity for a fast finish, Shearer produced some of the fastest final 1k splits in a pair of meets – OSU Weis-Crockett Invitational and SEC Championships.

In the OSU meet, Shearer moved up 11 positions with a final split of 2:50.7, which was the best in the field of 249 runners. OSU freshman Will Muirhead produced the second-best split of 2:50.9 over the final 1k. Shearer finished third among the Arkansas squad as the Razorbacks placed fourth in team scoring.

During the SEC Championships, a final 1k split of 2:43.3 by Shearer moved him up six positions and ranked second overall among the field of 109 runners to only individual winner Victor Kiprop of Alabama (2:39.8). Just behind Shearer with a 2:43.4 final split was SEC runner-up Dylan Jacobs of Tennessee.

Arkansas | SEC Freshman Runner of the Year

2022 Ben Shearer
2017 Matt Young
2016 Carter Persyn
2014 Alex George
2012 Cale Wallace
2010 Bryan Cantero
2009 Solomon Haile
2003 Mike Poe
2001 Jason Sandfort
2000 Chris Mulvaney