Hogs challenged in Harter’s last SEC meet

Lance Harter, Arkansas' women's cross country and track and field coach, speaks Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, during a press conference to announce his retirement in 2023.

Lance Harter hopes his last SEC cross country championship meet today as the University of Arkansas women’s coach goes as well as the first one 32 years ago.

Harter’s Razorbacks won their SEC meet debut in 1991 in Athens, Ga., with 30 points while host Georgia took second with 80. It was the start of a dominant run for Arkansas.

The Razorbacks have won 22 of a possible 31 SEC women’s cross country championships since joining the conference, including the past nine. Florida was the last team other than Arkansas to capture the SEC women’s cross country title, winning in 2013.

The Gators’ six SEC championships are second to Arkansas, and Florida first ran in the meet in 1983.

Harter, who also is Arkansas’ track and field coach, has announced his retirement effective at the end of the outdoor track season. Today in Oxford, Miss., is his SEC cross country farewell.

“I think my focus is trying to get these kids to rally around the idea that we’ve won nine consecutive SEC titles,” Harter said. “Now can we put up a good fight to chase Alabama?”

For a change, Arkansas isn’t the favorite. Alabama, led by two-time SEC champion Mercy Chelangat, is ranked No. 7 nationally.

The Razorbacks are ranked No. 21 and counting heavily on freshmen behind junior All-American Isabel Van Camp, who finished 10th in a loaded field at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational two weeks ago when Arkansas was 19th as a team.

“We struggled a little bit at Wisconsin, which was a huge preview of the NCAA meet,” Harter said. “That was a wake-up call. Just because you put the [Arkansas] uniform on, the opposition doesn’t lay down. They’re going to fight you just that much more because of our tradition.

“The last two weeks got their attention, and hopefully we can make (today’s) race a real battle.”

The women’s 6,000-meter race starts at 10:08 a.m. at the Ole Miss Golf Course and will be televised live on SEC Network.

Van Camp finished 10th at last year’s SEC meet and senior Julia Paternain was 28th among returnees for Arkansas. Sophomore Taylor Ewert, who was injured last year, took 10th in 2020.

Razorbacks running in the SEC Championships for the first time are transfers Katie McCune and Nyah Hernandez, and freshmen Mia Cochran, Mary Ellen Eudaly, Heidi Nielson, Mackenzie Rogers and Sydney Thorvaldson.

“We’re dealing with the departure of four seniors that were keys for us in years past and we’ve replaced them with freshmen,” Harter said. “It’s kind of learn by doing, so I think a lot more of my attention has been trying to get this team to jell and be ready to fight the good fight at the SEC meet.

“A lot of kids came to Arkansas because of the great traditions that we’ve established over the years. But this young crew is still trying to figure the whole process out.

“They’ve very, very talented, but experience is a huge advantage at the SEC meet.”