Razorbacks looking to build on streaks of 10 consecutive women’s team victories and five straight individual wins at meet’s 35th edition at Agri Park in Fayetteville; Men’s program pursuing back-to-back triumphs for first time since winning six in a row from 2013-18 in rematch with Tulsa

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Arkansas will look to sweep the men’s and women’s team titles for the second year in a row when the 35th edition of the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival returns Friday and Saturday to Agri Park at the Arkansas cross country course in Fayetteville.

The Razorback women, ranked No. 20 in Division 1, are seeking an 11th consecutive team victory since an 85-89 setback to Texas in 2011. Arkansas prevailed with a 27-point performance last year.

Arkansas is also looking to extend its streak of individual victories to six in a row. Isabel Van Camp became the fifth straight Razorback female competitor to prevail in the 5-kilometer race last season.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST SEPT. 29-30 OF CHILE PEPPER CROSS COUNTRY FESTIVAL ON RUNNERSPACE

Arkansas is the only Division 1 nationally ranked program in the second and faster women’s section, recognized as "Harter’s Habanero 5K" scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Sixth-ranked Western Colorado and No. 23 Missouri Southern are the elite Division 2 national programs expected to compete, as well as Butler Community College in Kansas, No. 7 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 rankings.

The No. 22 Arkansas men secured the team’s first Chile Pepper victory since 2018 with a 61-point effort last season.

The Razorbacks had won six in a row at Agri Park from 2013-18, before Texas triumphed in 2019 and Colorado School of Mines emerged victorious in 2021, with the event not being held in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arkansas is expected to race four athletes from No. 20 Tulsa in the "McDonnell Memorial 8K" at 5 p.m. CDT, in addition to facing a trio of Division 2 ranked men’s programs in No. 14 East Central of Oklahoma, No. 15 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 30 Missouri Southern.

Butler Community College is ranked No. 11 in NJCAA Division 1.

The Razorbacks return five female athletes who finished in the top 40 in last year’s race, led by fourth-place competitor Sydney Thorvaldson and sixth-place performer Mia Cochran.

Thorvaldson was victorious Sept. 1 for Arkansas in the 3-kilometer race at the Cowboy Preview at Oklahoma State.

Mary Ellen Eudaly was 14th, Nyah Hernandez secured 21st and Heidi Nielson took 38th for the Razorbacks, who are expected to have Bradley transfer Tiana LoStracco in the lineup, as well as freshmen Paityn Noe, Olivia Pielemeier, Camryn Kirkland and Audrey Hill.

Noe finished second behind Thorvaldson in her collegiate debut at Oklahoma State, as the Razorbacks swept the top four spots, including Ole Miss transfer Laura Taborda, who competed in indoor and outdoor track for Arkansas, but is racing in her first cross country season in Fayetteville.

Isabela Ross, who placed 15th last season, returns for Southern Mississippi, which finished runner-up last year behind Arkansas.

Erin O’Brien and Gabi Barrera, who were 24th and 30th at last season’s event for Oklahoma, return for the Sooners, who are looking to improve on a fourth-place finish a year ago.

Abigael Kemboi of East Central in Oklahoma was 27th last year.

Nebraska-Kearney secured sixth, Abilene Christian earned eighth and Arkansas State took 10th in last year’s women’s race and are all expected to compete Friday.

Johanna Wistokat, a former Division 2 All-American from Christian Brothers representing Germany, finished second in the open race last year and is scheduled to compete unattached Friday.

Patrick Kiprop, runner-up in last year’s 8-kilometer race, is one of five Arkansas male athletes who finished in the top 30 last season expected to make his season debut Friday.

Lexington Hilton, who took third last year, as well as sixth-place finisher Ben Shearer, 19th-place competitor Myles Richter and 29th-place performer Josh Shearer are all scheduled to race for the Razorbacks, who are also expected to have South Alabama transfer Kirami Yego participate.

Ben Shearer won the 5-kilometer race Sept. 1 at the Cowboy Preview at Oklahoma State and fellow sophomore Reuben Reina was second for the Razorbacks, who prevailed by a 26-34 margin against Tulsa.

Former Arkansas standout Cameron Griffith was competing unattached when he prevailed at Chile Pepper in 2019. The last Razorbacks competitor to triumph in the featured men’s race was Alex George in 2017.

Gidieon Kimutai of Missouri Southern was seventh last year and is expected to compete Friday, along with 11th-place athlete Amos Pkiach of East Central in Oklahoma and 14th-place competitor Colin Caso from Oklahoma.

Aspel Kiprob, who secured 16th last year for Iowa Central Community College, is scheduled to compete Friday for East Central, along with 20th-place performer and new teammate Oliver Kiptoo.

Myles Bach, who took 26th last season for Nebraska-Kearney, is also expected to compete, along with reigning NCAA Division 2 800-meter champion Wes Ferguson.

Maxamillian Wheeler of Oklahoma Baptist, who finished second in the open race last season, is also entered in the fast section.

Trinidad State, the top-ranked men’s program in NJCAA Division 1, is scheduled to participate in the Prairie Fire Pepper 3:45 p.m. CDT section, along with No. 10 Iowa Central, No. 16 Crowder of Missouri and No. 24 Neosho County from Kansas.

The 3:15 p.m. CDT Prairie Fire Pepper women’s race is highlighted by four programs ranked in NJCAA Division 1, with No. 11 Trinidad State, No. 12 Iowa Central, No. 18 Crowder and No. 21 Highland of Kansas all entered.