The Traveler

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Chris Bryan The Razorback cross country team seeks their 34th consecutive conference title this weekend at the SEC Championships.

When it comes to Arkansas coach John McDonnell's cross country squads and conference championships, it's not exactly a sure thing, but it's as close as it gets in sports.

To put it his winning streak in perspective, the last time coach McDonnell didn't win a conference title was 1974, the year President Nixon was entrenched in the Watergate scandal, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record and Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle."

But don't bother telling that to McDonnell, who has won every Southeastern Conference meet since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991.

"This is the first year in a good while it'll be tough," McDonnell said. "Alabama's a good team. I think Florida's pretty good, too. But I don't think we have the depth in the conference that we've had in the past, team-wise."

The No. 8 Razorbacks will compete Saturday in Lexington, Ky., for a 17th-straight SEC championship. No. 12 Alabama and No. 30 Florida will look to upset the perennial powerhouse Hogs, who come on strong in late October every year and peak in November for the regional and national championships.

"We're bringing 10 athletes down there, and they're all healthy," McDonnell said. "If we do what we're capable of doing, and there's no slip up, we've got a shot at winning."

Representing Arkansas will be Shawn Forrest, Scott MacPherson, Tyler Hill, Matt Munoz, Chris Barnicle, Lane Boyer, Rio Reina, Michael Chinchar, Duncan Phillips and Daniel LaCava.

Alabama has the best chance to knock off the Razorbacks, because the Crimson Tide has four very strong runners, McDonnell said. Alabama's fifth runner is suspect, McDonnell said, because he's an 800-meter runner, not a cross country runner. The top five finishers from each school score points.

"Our sixth and seventh guys will be important, to push their fifth guy back," McDonnell said. "If our top five run the way I think they can and they have been getting together, we should be okay."

In last season's SEC meet, Arkansas placed five athletes in the top seven. Ole Miss sophomore Barnabas Kirui won the individual title as a freshman. Former UA standout Josphat Boit won the meet the two years before.

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