No. 9 Razorbacks open season at Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. – Arkansas opens the 2022 season this week ranked No. 9 in the USTFCCCA national coaches’ preseason poll and will race Thursday morning at the Cowboy Preview hosted by Oklahoma State.

The Razorbacks compete at 8:30 a.m. over a 3,000m course among a field that will include the host Cowgirls along with SMU, Tulsa, and Texas A&M. Live results will be available at this link: https://live.athletic.net/meets/17861

“Our primary purpose for being in this meet is to really preview this course that will host the national championships this year,” noted Arkansas women’s head coach Lance Harter, who is in his 34^th season with the Razorbacks.

“We’re very young this season with eight freshmen on our roster. We do have a returning All-American in Isabel Van Camp. We will hold out three of our better kids this week to kind of put the responsibility on some others to carry the flag for Arkansas, because everybody needs to learn that role.”

Oklahoma State, the host of the NCAA Championships this season, is ranked No. 4 in the national preseason poll. The top five teams include No. 1 NC State, who received nine first-place votes, followed by New Mexico, with one first-place vote, Colorado, OSU, and Stanford, who collected a first-place vote as well.

Other SEC schools among the top 30 in the national poll include Alabama at No. 12 and Ole Miss at No. 16. Tennessee and Kentucky are among 13 schools receiving votes as are NCAA South Central Region teams Rice and Texas.

In voting by SEC coaches earlier this week, Alabama was the narrow favorite over the Razorbacks for the league title this season.

“It’s something new for us not to be in the favorite role for the conference title,” noted Harter. “Considering the youth we have to count on, that might shield them a little bit from unrealistic expectations.

“We have great respect for what Alabama has been able to put together. They have a team on paper that could be a podium potential team at nationals. If we have to chase them, we’re going to chase them close and see if we can pull off another upset.”

The Razorback crew racing on Thursday includes returning members of the team in Julia Paternain, Taylor Ewert, Gracie Hyde, and Adeotte Vaughan.

In addition to Van Camp earning an All-America honor in the 2021 NCAA Championships for a top 40 individual finish, Paternain and Hyde were members of the Arkansas team that placed eight in the national championship race.

“Julia Paternain is healthy, and training better than she ever has,” said Harter. “Gracie Hyde is a local hero from Jonesboro, who is an All-American from the 2021 indoor season who has had a good summer and is getting things going.”

A host of newcomers racing for Arkansas includes Mary Ellen Eudaly, Nyah Hernandez, Katie McCune, and Mackenzie Rogers. Razorbacks racing unattached are Brooklyn Biancamano and Claire McCune.

“The focus for me is on the task at hand, which is trying to get these kids competitive and be ready for SECs and eventually the NCAA meet,” noted Harter.

USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll – Preseason 2022