Razorbacks 18th in NCAA Championship, Chesondin earns All-America

COLUMBIA – Arkansas placed 18th in the NCAA Championship on Saturday at the Gans Creek course with a team score of 498 points. The Razorbacks entered the meet ranked No. 22 in the nation among a field of 32 teams.

Timothy Chesondin led the Arkansas in placing 19th, with 17 points in adjusted scoring, to earn All-America status. He covered the 10k course in a time of 28:52.6. Brian Masai was the second Razorback to finish, placing 77th overall and 64 in adjusted scoring.

Ben Shearer, racing in his fourth consecutive NCAA Cross Country Championship, posted a time of 29:40.4 to place 109th with an adjusted score of 90. Freshman James Sankei was the fourth Arkansas runner in placing 147th with an adjusted score of 119.

Jack Williams completed the Razorback team score with an adjusted score of 208 while placing 246th overall with a time of 31:48.9. The sixth and seventh runners for Arkansas included Eli Seavey (251th – 32:12.0) and Donovan Bitticks (257th – 32:50.3).

Oklahoma State captured the team title with 57 points over New Mexico (82) and Iowa State (158). Alabama placed sixth with 253 points as the top SEC school. Other conference schools included Oklahoma (15th – 480), Arkansas (18th – 498), Ole Miss (22nd – 538), and Georgia (24th – 562).

The Razorbacks finished ahead of Tulane (21st – 536), who won the South Central Region title, as well as previous higher ranked programs that included Wisconsin (19th – 514), Michigan State (23rd – 547), California Baptist (25th – 577), and Princeton (27th – 598).