FAYETTEVILLE -- Thirty years after a Swain helped the Arkansas Razorbacks extend their string of consecutive conference cross country crowns spanning the 1974-2007 portion of retired Coach John McDonnell's reign, a son of Swain helped Coach Chris Bucknam's team to a fifth consecutive conference cross country crown.
Following footsteps of his father, David Swain, and uncle, Matt Taylor, All-America/All-Southwest Conference distance runners in the 1980s for McDonnell's Arkansas track and cross country Razorbacks, Aidan Swain saved the bacon for Bucknam's Razorbacks at last Friday's SEC Cross Country Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
"The meet was easily in hand with about 1,000 meters to go," Bucknam said Saturday, reviewing the 8,000 meters race. "Austen Dalquist (Arkansas' freshman fifth man) had been running solid all year -- but he just went down. I don't know if he dehydrated -- but he collapsed."
So even with Razorbacks senior Stanley Kebenei, Springdale's Gabe Gonzalez, Cale Wallace and freshman Alex George, finishing first, fourth, eighth and 10th, the meet suddenly depended on Swain, who needed to finish before Ole Miss' five scorers got in ahead of Arkansas' fifth man.
"Austen went down and he wasn't getting up and we turn around and here comes Swain," Bucknam said. "And we are yelling, 'You are the guy! You are the fifth man!' He saw Austen down on the ground and in the last kilometer he passed 13 guys and we won by six points. A great effort by him. Two guys in the top five from Springdale and Fayetteville were a huge part."
With Swain 31st, Arkansas edged Ole Miss, 54-60. Swain was 88th as an SEC nonscorer last year.
Champion Kebenei, running as Bucknam expected, and Gonzalez, Wallace, and George running as well or even a little better than Bucknam expected while Swain exceeded the expected reminded Bucknam of McDonnell-helmed meets in the past.
"John had that old saying, 'If one guy goes down, another guy needs to step up,' " Bucknam said. "I don't think anybody knows about Aidan other than our track team, but he responded and that's the Arkansas way to find a way to get it done."
At the South Central Regional meet that No. 23 Arkansas hosts Nov. 14 as the qualifier for the Nov. 22 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., Bucknam likely must count upon Swain again. Dalquist is set to recuperate and be thoroughly examined before the NCAA Championships.
Minus the drama, Coach Lance Harter's fifth-ranked Razorback women dominated the SEC Women's Cross Country Championships Friday in Tuscaloosa, easily outpointing nationally No. 14 runner-up Vanderbilt, 32-85.
Dominique Scott repeated as individual champion for the defending SEC champions with senior teammate Grace Heymsfield of Elkins second. Razorbacks Jessica Kamilos, Diane Robison and Shannon Klenke scored seventh, 10th and 12th. Freshman Kelsey Schrader's 19th didn't score as Arkansas' sixth runner but further distanced Vandy's scoring.
"We were the favorite going in and we took care of business," Harter said Saturday.
Sports on 11/03/2014