UA teams finally get chance to run

Arkansas runners are shown at the starting line during the NCAA South Regional on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, at Agri Park in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE – After months of uncertainty because of the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Arkansas cross country teams are getting to the starting line.

The men’s and women’s teams open the season today at the University Club in Baton Rouge for the SEC Preview.

The meet is so named because Baton Rouge also will host the SEC Championships on Oct. 30. Today’s men’s 6,000-meter race will start at 9 a.m. Central, followed by the women’s 5,000-meter race at 9:45 a.m.

“No matter what the outcome is right now, it’s a win just getting the team down there and competing for the first time since the SEC indoor track championships last February,” said Chris Bucknam, coach of the men’s team.

Lance Harter, coach of the defending SEC and NCAA champion women’s team, praised the league’s administration for its planning to allow for fall sports.

“With what the SEC has done, we’re the envy of a lot of people,” Harter said. “It’s going to be an abbreviated season, because there’s no nationals, but our kids get just as excited about SECs as they do about anything.”

Arkansas will run against four other SEC teams today: Host LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

The Razorbacks were picked to win the SEC men’s and women’s titles in the preseason coaches poll released earlier this week, with Ole Miss picked second.

“It’s early, but we wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t sizing up each other,” Bucknam said of running against the Rebels. “I’m sure they’re going to do the same with us.

“Ole Miss has an outstanding program and will be a great challenge for us. We’ll see how we measure up right now, then let’s see who gets better by the end of October.”

The Arkansas women, who lost four All-Americans from last year’s team, will be led by seniors Lauren Gregory and Abby Gray. Freshmen Taylor Ewert and Corie Smith will be immediate contributors, Harter said, along with senior transfers Kennedy Thomson (from Tennessee-Chattanooga) and Logan Morris (Clemson), and junior transfer Julia Paternain (Penn State).

“We’ll have our hands full running against Ole Miss,” Harter said. “We’ve got a lot of new faces, and Ole Miss returns a team intact that was second to us last year at the SEC meet and finished 21st nationally. We’ll definitely have a very formidable challenge.”

Senior Gilbert Boit, the 2018 SEC champion who redshirted last year, will lead the Arkansas men along with junior Emmanuel Cheboson, senior Matt Young and sophomore Myles Richter. Also competing for the Razorbacks will be junior transfers Jacob McLeod (Belmont) and Andrew Kibit (Hutchinson Community College).

All SEC teams have undergone tests for covid-19, and safety precautions before the race include not going to the starting line until five minutes to the start and teams standing at least 3 meters apart from each other.

The SEC originally had planned to have runners wear masks for the first 800 meters, but decided those won’t be required.

“That’s been a confidence builder knowing we’re getting tested regularly and that the kids are being monitored,” Bucknam said. “We’re trying to do our best when we have them in practice for three hours a day, to socially distance and wear our masks and separate during warmups.

“Talking to my team far away with a mask on is not how I like to coach, but that’s what we have to do right now. The message hopefully is getting across. I think our guys are doing a really good job of protecting each other.”

Harter said he believes all of the teams feel comfortable with the SEC’s safety protocols.

“I think there’s a high degree of confidence with the coaches and athletes,” Harter said. “There’s a feeling of, ‘Hey, I’m clean, you’re clean. We’ve all been pronounced safe.’ ”

Both Arkansas teams hope to socially distance themselves from the competition once today’s race starts.

“The whole object of this sport is to run away from people,” Bucknam said. “So we’re going to do the job that we can. The sooner you get away from people, the safer you are.”

At a glance

WHAT SEC Preview cross country meet

WHEN Today. Men’s 6,000-meter race 9 a.m Central. Women’s 5,000-meter race 9:45 a.m. Central.

WHERE University Club, Baton Rouge

WHO Men’s and women’s teams for Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M