The 10,000 meters Thursday night at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Oxford, Miss., came down to a battle of Kiprops.
In the end, Alabama freshman Victor Kiprop beat University of Arkansas sophomore Patrick Kiprop to win in 29 minutes, 16.07 seconds.
Patrick Kiprop was second in 29:22.20.
Both Kiprops are from Kenya — Patrick from Eldoret and Victor from Iten — but they are not related.
Patrick Kiprop took the lead with 800 meters to go, but Victor Kiprop ran the final 400 in 56.4 seconds to pull away for the victory.
The Razorbacks scored 16 points in the 10,000 — with sophomores Myles Richter finishing third in 20:29.38 and Jacob McLeod seventh in 30:03.22 — and are third in the team race through three finals being scored.
Alabama leads the men’s team race with 29 points. Georgia is second with 17 points.
Arkansas' women’s team also scored well in the 10,000 with 10 points from sophomore Isabel Van Camp and freshman Sydney Thorvaldson.
Van Camp finished third and ran 34:18.31. Thorvaldson was fifth in 34:51.06.
The Razorbacks are in fifth place in the women’s team race through three finals scored.
Alabama junior Mary Chelangat, the 2020 NCAA cross country champion, won her second consecutive SEC 10,000 title and ran 33:15.66. Ole Miss junior Skylar Boogerd was second in 34:11.87.
Auburn leads the women’s team race with 23 points followed by Alabama (22), Ole Miss (17) and Texas A&M (12).
Arkansas sophomore Britton Wilson ran 54.23 in the 400-meter hurdles to break her own school record, improve her collegiate-leading time for this season and lead all qualifiers into the final. It ranks No. 8 on the all-time collegiate list.
Wilson, who transferred to Arkansas this year from Tennessee, ran her old UA record of 54.37 at the Texas Relays to open this season.
In the 200, Arkansas freshman Rosey Effiong (23.20) and senior Jada Baylark (23.25) both advanced to the final.
Arkansas junior Daniel Spejcher is third through five of the decathlon’s 10 events with 3,998 points.
Spejcher capped his first day by running the 400 in 49.35. In other events he ran the 100 in 10.99, long jumped 22 feet, 10 3/4 inches, high jumped 6-3 1/4 and tossed the shot put 47-6 1/2.
Razorbacks junior Noah Swaby is ninth in the decathlon with 3,677 points.
Arkansas sophomore Leroy Russell ran a personal-best 1:47.86 in the 800 to advance to the final.
Razorbacks freshman Connor Washington ran a personal-best 20.60 to advance to the 200 final.
Georgia senior Johannes Erm leads the decathlon with 4,2248 points. Tennessee sophomore Yariel Soto is second with 4,066 points.
Alabama scored 15 points in the men’s hammer with junior Bobby Colantonio winning (236 feet, 2 inches) and senior Kieran McKeag taking fourth (228-4).
Auburn senior Madi Malone won the women’s hammer (222-8).
Florida junior Sterling Lester leads the heptathlon through four of seven events with 3,537 points. Mississippi State junior Asia Poe is second with 3,417 points.