Favored Scott after Arkansas' first title

FAYETTEVILLE -- Four years ago Dominique Scott finished 110th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships as a true freshman for Arkansas and wondered if Coach Lance Harter still wanted her around for the track and field season.

"He could have very easily taken away my scholarship after that first semester and sent me back to South Africa," Scott said. "But he saw something in me and continued to push me and believe in me and got me to where I am today."

Harter has helped Scott, now a fifth-year senior, be one of the favorites to win the NCAA individual title when the women's and men's races are held Saturday in Louisville, Ky.

"I definitely never thought after my freshman year I'd even become an All-American in cross country," Scott said. "Now to be a two-time All-American going for the national title is something I'm really proud of.

"It definitely took a lot of hard work."

Harter, in his 26th year at Arkansas, smiled when told Scott expressed concern about losing her scholarship after her first NCAA meet.

"I will say it was a little disappointing based on my expectations for her," Harter said. "Maybe my expectations were out of whack.

"Maybe I thought she was going to come in and reinvent the wheel, but she adjusted like any other freshman."

Scott came to Arkansas from Cape Town, South Africa.

"As a freshman, you want to earn your spot on the team and be worthy of your scholarship," she said. "Coach Harter had given me a full scholarship to come to attend college in the States and that's obviously a lot of money and there are a lot of athletes all over the world that are running fast and worthy of some type of scholarship."

Scott's scholarship looks like a pretty good bargain for Arkansas now. She's a nine-time All-American in cross country and track -- with outdoor eligibility remaining -- and has won three NCAA track titles, including the 3,000 meters and a running a leg on the Razorbacks' victorious distance medley relay at the 2015 NCAA indoor meet when the UA women won their first national championship in any sport.

Earlier this fall Scott won her third consecutive SEC individual cross country title, leading Arkansas to the team championship each time.

"I'm blown away," Scott said of her Arkansas career. "Now I know my dream of running professionally after running for the Razorbacks is something that could definitely happen.

"I'm thankful to Coach Harter and my teammates for pushing me to reach my limits."

Scott, who finished sixth at last year's NCAA Cross Country Championships, is among the favorites to win this year's title along with Notre Dame senior Molly Seidel and Boise State freshman Allie Ostrander.

"It seems like we've been the dominant runners throughout the season, but you never know," Scott said. "Someone could be feeling really good on race day, someone that maybe hasn't been in any of the big meets.

"Someone could surprise us. I'm not going to underestimate anyone."

Scott is hoping to become Arkansas' first female NCAA cross country champion. The best the Razorbacks have done are second-place finishes by Deena Drossin in 1992 and Amy Yoder in 1999.

"To be able to win the title for the Razorbacks and Coach Harter and put my name in the history books, that would be really cool," Scott said. "I have such an amazing team this year.

"I really feel like we have a special bond, and I think the girls maybe want me to win maybe even more than I want to win."

Harter said he believes Scott is ready for a fast race Saturday.

"Her training has gone impeccably," he said. "I think she's got everything in order."

Scott said he's not going to put too much pressure on herself to win.

"I feel like my career up until now has been really stellar," she said. "I think anything that happens Saturday will just be a cherry on top of the cake."

Sports on 11/20/2015