LRC Previews The SEC XC Champs

Alabama set to crush men's field as Arkansas fades into SEC mediocrity
Women's race: Florida Gators are overwhelming favorites

by: LetsRun.com
October 29, 2009
SEC Championships are hosted by Ole Miss on October 31

Arkansas Extends Non-Winning Streak
If 2008 was the changing of the guard, 2009 will be the year when reality really sets in for the old guard. The old guard in the SEC is the Arkansas Razorback team that won 34 straight titles from 1974 to 2007. To Razorback faithful, those days are already fading into the "good old days" under title-Hog John McDonnell. With McDonnell leading the charge, the Hogs won 84 of 87 possible conference titles in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

The good old days are over. Chris Bucknam was hired away from Northern Iowa, where he had a ton of success in 25 years. He has found winning the SEC isn't as easy as McDonnell made it look. Bucknam got a track title but cross-country is going to be ugly again. It's not all Bucknam's fault. Alabama "Roll Tide" are really good - top 5 in the country good. They're an all-African team whose only focus is cross-country. They are tough for anybody to beat. The Auburn "War Eagles" aren't going to be easy to catch either.

Based on this season's results, things don't appear to be heading in the right direction for the Arkansas cross-country program. At Chile Pepper two weeks ago, Arkansas senior Dorian Ulrey ran a great race to finish before Oklahoma State's 4th man. The next Arkansas runner was Lane Boyer and he would have been the 6th man for both Ok St. and Oklahoma. Running your vintage home meet and getting crushed like that doesn't bode well for the proud program. Distance running is all about being patient, so we want to remind the Hog faithful that patience is in order. But we're not sure patience is going to do any good in this case.

Here is what Coach Bucknam said after Arkansas was defeated by Oklahoma State and Oklahoma at the Chile Pepper Festival:

"I knew Oklahoma State was going to do their thing but I thought we'd be a little closer to Oklahoma. They are two great teams and we hung with them. We have two important guys who didn't run today, Eric Fernandez and Solomon Haile, and we needed other guys to step up. Patrick Russell, Rick Elliott and Rio Reina did that for us."

Bucknam sure puts a positive spin on things but doesn't seem to have his priorities straight. He coaches cross-country like the typical great track coach who preaches toughness and getting after it. Two weeks before Chile Pepper, Boyer and Haile were out setting a very fast pace in Madison in front of a talented field of seasoned runners and both ended up having miserable days getting left behind by the lead pack of 20. Two weeks later Haile and several other top Hogs aren't even running at the banner meet for the Hogs.

Saying the Hogs hung with Oklahoma is a euphemism for "our guys other than Ulrey look good for the first half of the race and then fade." Again, the Sooners put five men across the line ahead of Boyer. Sure, Solomon Haile and Eric Fernandez didn't race, but it's your big home meet. Having two of your best runners sitting out isn't an excuse; it's indicative of something fundamentally off with the program. We think Arkansas might run a lot better if they just had their guys relax and run easier in early season races.

Arkansas should be penciled in as the third best team in the conference. Auburn and Alabama will likely ride their foreign talent to top finishes. Earlier in the season, we thought new head coach Mark Carroll's Auburn team was in real trouble after a dismal performance in Wisconsin. But the small team has rallied through some mid-season difficulties and, despite only 4 good runners, they were 6th at Pre-Nats in their section. Auburn will put 4 in the top 25 at SECs and nab second. Arkansas will put 1 or 2 in the top 20 (on a good day) and get third, and Alabama will likely put 5 in the top 15 and run away with an easy victory.

Individual Race - All Kenyans And Ulrey
It's going to be a Kenyan affair in the front pack with the one exception being American World Championships 1,500m semifinalist Dorian Ulrey. Alabama's Moses Kiptoo, Tyson David, Emmanuel Bor, Julius Bor, Fred Samoei and Andrew Kirwa will be up there. Auburn's Ben Cheruiyot and Felix Kibioywo will be up there. Who's the favorite? It's too close to call. Ulrey's solid performance at Chile Pepper (he still lost to Ryan Vail, Colby Lowe and John Kosgei but was 30 seconds ahead of fellow season debutante German Fernandez) was on a 10km course. We think he might be pretty dangerous on an 8k course fresh off his outstanding 2009 track season. We'll pull for Ulrey to win and give the Arkansas fans and Coach Bucknam something to feel good about ... trying to replace John McDonnell.

LRC Men's Team Predictions 2008 Men's Results
1. Alabama (<50)
2. Auburn (~80)
3. Arkansas (~115)
4. Florida

LRC Women's Team Predictions
1 Florida (top 5 national team)
2. Tennessee
3. Arkansas

SEC Men's Stats Courtesy Of JK

Alabama (2008 - 1st)   In 2009 - 1st Dellinger, 2nd Pre-Nationals Blue

Bor, Emmanuel (5th SEC 2008, 4th returner, 48th NCAA 2008)
Bor, Julius
Corder, Nathan (65th SEC 2008, 49th returner)
David, Tyson (2nd SEC 2008, top returner, 63rd NCAA 2008)
Duckworth, Austin (89th SEC 2008, 66th returner)
Edwards, Zac (29th SEC 2008, 17th returner, 246th NCAA 2008)
Kiptoo, Moses
Kirwa, Andrew (10th SEC 2008, 5th returner, 118th NCAA 2008)
Payne, Stephen (60th SEC 2008, 44th returner)
Samoei, Fred

Arkansas (2008 - 3rd)   In 2009 - 4th Wisconsin adidas, 3rd Chile Pepper

Abdi, Omar (freshman - 4:13 mile)
Boyer, Lane (25th SEC 2008, 14th returner, 200th NCAA 2008)
Butler, Drew (freshman - 1:50, 4:10)
Chinchar, Michael (18th SEC 2008, 9th returner, 219th NCAA 2008)
Elliott, Rick (27th SEC 2008, 15th returner)
Fernandez, Eric (21st SEC 2008, 11th returner, 152nd NCAA 2008)
Haile, Solomon (freshman - 8:56 2 mile, 14:32 5,000, FL Champion)
Phillips, Duncan (28th SEC 2008, 16th returner, 185th NCAA 2008)
Reina, Rio (37th SEC 2008, 24th returner)
Ulrey, Dorian

Auburn (2008 - 2nd)   In 2009 - 6th Pre-Nationals Blue

Cheruiyot, Ben
Fleming, Mark
Kibet, Elkanah (3rd SEC 2008, 2nd returner, 23rd NCAA 2008 - All-American)
Kibioywo, Felix (4th SEC 2008, 3rd returner, 28th NCAA 2008 - All-American)
Matthews, Julian (33rd SEC 2008, 21st returner)
Novack, Scott (22nd SEC 2008, 12th returner, 139th NCAA 2008)
Peake, Joby (40th SEC 2008, 27th returner, 233rd NCAA 2008)
Sanders, Jeff (72nd SEC 2008, 52nd returner)
Weerts, Jean-Pierre (39th SEC 2008, 26th returner, 119th NCAA 2008)

Florida (2008 - 4th)   In 2009 - 15th Pre-Nationals Blue

Anderson, Geofferey (50th SEC 2008, 35th returner)
Anderson, Michael (41st SEC 2008, 28th returner)
Blaney, Sean (15th SEC 2008, 8th returner)
Hensely, Matt (45th SEC 2008, 32nd returner)
Kindt, Aaron (56th SEC 2008, 41st returner)
Lord, Taylor (freshman - 9:23)
Mitchell, John (freshman - 1:52)
Morales, Anthony (24th SEC 2008, 13th returner)
O'Loughlin, Tim (freshman - 4:15)
Uthmeier, James (36th SEC 2008, 23rd returner)
Wehunt, Dan (freshman - 1:53)
Wehunt, Derek (freshman - 1:52, 4:11, 9:06)

Georgia (2008 - 8th)   In 2009 - 24th Pre-Nationals Blue

Cleaver, Matt (52nd SEC 2008, 37th returner)
Detweiler, Brian (freshman - 9:20)
Erdmann, Alex (freshman - 1:53, 4:17)
Hackney, JP (54th SEC 2008, 39th returner)
Hershner, Ryan (freshman - 4:12)
Hunter, Corey (73rd SEC 2008, 53rd returner)
Matthews, Bill (freshman - 4:11, 9:02, FL finalist)
Neff, Danny (freshman - 1:50, 4:09 mile)
Svoboda, Miles (51st SEC 2008, 36th returner)
Tetley, Dustin (53rd SEC 2008, 38th returner)
Vogt, Caleb (30th SEC 2008, 18th returner)

Kentucky (2008 - 7th)

Heenan, Colin (70th SEC 2008, 51st returner)
Henken, Adam (14th SEC 2008, 7th returner, 166th NCAA 2008)
Jackson, Joe (67th SEC 2008, 50th returner)
Luttrell, John (62nd SEC 2008, 46th returner)
Luttrell, Walter (83rd SEC 2008, 60th returner)
McGregor, Patrick (freshman - 1:51, 4:05)
Nadzam, Josh
Orta, Luis
Rover, William (32nd SEC 2008, 20th returner)
Sonnenfeldt, Matthew (freshman - 4:14 mile, 9:06, FL finalist)
Wagner, Matt
Zagorsky, Jeremy (61st SEC 2008, 45th returner) ***Redshirt?***

LSU (2008 - 10th)

Chautin, Richard (38th SEC 2008, 25th returner)
Dessauer, Luke (90th SEC 2008, 67th returner)
Doody, Cullen (91st SEC 2008, 68th returner)
Florek, Michael (64th SEC 2008, 48th returner)
Hecker, Kyle (82nd SEC 2008, 59th returner)
Landry, Timothy (87th SEC 2008, 64th returner)
Schiffmann, Kenneth (80th SEC 2008, 57th returner)
Sticker, Alan (44th SEC 2008, 31st returner)
Swanner, Sean (84th SEC 2008, 61st returner)
White, Sadiki (freshman - 1:52, 2:25 1,000, 3:57 1,500)

Mississippi (2008 - 9th)   In 2009 - 33rd Pre-Nationals White

Barry, Chad (59th SEC 2008, 43rd returner)
Kirui, Barnabas (1st SEC 2006, 71st NCAA 2006)
Ngwiri, Gabriel (31st SEC 2008, 19th returner)
Porter, Josh (93rd SEC 2008, 70th returner)
Quintana, Alejandro (96th SEC 2008, 72rd returner)

Mississippi State (2008 - 6th)   2009 - 11th Chile Pepper

Cameron, Matthew (81st SEC 2008, 58th returner)
Lenz, Adam (20th SEC 2008, 10th returner)
Rathke, Chase (freshman - 9:14, FL finalist)
Simpkins, Daniel (85th SEC 2008, 62nd returner)
Vincent, Cameron (55th SEC 2008, 40th returner)
Weegman, Mitch (88th SEC 2008, 65th returner)

Tennessee (2008 - 5th)   2009 - 6th Panorama Farms

Beabout, Ryan (63rd SEC 2008, 47th returner)
Bodary, Chris (43rd SEC 2008, 30th returner)
Brodsky, Mike (46th SEC 2008, 33rd returner)
Clabo, David (79th SEC 2008, 56th returner)
Franklin, Joe (58th SEC 2008, 42nd returner)
Kane, Chris (49th SEC 2008, 34th returner)
Rapp, Chris (35th SEC 2008, 22nd returner)
Spooner, Michael (13th SEC 2008, 6th returner)

Vanderbilt (2008 - 11th)

Chisholm, Bram (94th SEC 2008, 71st returner)
Davis, Thomas (42nd SEC 2008, 29th returner)
DelNero, Peter (86th SEC 2008, 63rd returner)
Howards, Casey (92nd SEC 2008, 69th returner)
Kasten, James (75th SEC 2008, 54th returner)
Kizer, Jenner
Rewick, Kyle (78th SEC 2008, 55th returner)

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