BATON ROUGE -- Highlighted by a top-25 individual finish by Tiger senior Drew Haro, both the LSU men's and women's cross country teams recorded ninth-place finishes at the SEC Championships on Saturday at Highland Road Park.
Arkansas swept the team competition at men won their 16 consecutive conference title and the women won their 11th in program history and their first since the 2002 season.
The Hogs scored 21 points on the men's side and were followed by Florida (73) and Alabama (75) in the top three.
The Lady'Backs finished with a near-perfect 17 team points as all five of their scoring runners finished among the field's top six. Georgia and Tennessee rounded out the top three with 61 points and 67 points, respectively.
The Tigers finished the day with 240 team points while Lady Tigers totaled 250.
"On the men's side I think half the guys ran real well and the other half didn't do as well, but I am still pleased with their overall performance," said LSU cross country coach Mark Elliott.
Haro paced the Tiger squad finishing 23rd with a season-best time of 25:04.33 over the 8K course.
"Drew Haro ran extremely well," said Elliott. "To be in the top 25 in the SEC, that kind of validates everything he's been doing for the last four years."
Trailing Haro and also scoring for the Tigers were freshman Brett Borne (53rd, 26:08.34), junior Matt Guy (58th, 26:15.36), freshman Michael Florek (59th, 26:21.28) and sophomore Jeffrey Parker (65th, 26:32.51).
On the women's side, juniors Rachael Graham and Megan Broussard once again led the Lady Tigers across the finish line.
Graham placed 39th overall after completing the 6K course in a season-best 21:45.01. Broussard also posted a season-best, finishing 55th with a time of 22:22.69.
Others scoring for the Lady Tigers included junior Lindsay Day (62nd, 22:29.41), senior Erin Vandivort (22:34.94) and sophomore Jennifer Stark (65th, 22:39.32).
"I believe most of the women ran their personal best on this course so I can't be too displeased with what they did," said Elliott. "They finished ninth and I think that based on the way they performed that's where they should be."
Freshmen picked up both the men's and women's individual championships as Arkansas' Brooke Upshaw won the women's race in 20:14.90 and Ole Miss' Barnabas Kirui won the men's competition in 23:53.24.
Up next, the LSU men's and women's team will take next weekend off as they prepare for the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Waco, Texas on Nov. 11.
SEC Cross Country Championships
Oct. 28, 2006 l Baton Rouge, La. l Highland Road Park
POST-MEET QUOTES
John McDonnell (Head Coach), Arkansas
On the race...
"I feel a lot better after it's over. I felt we were ready to run. We knew that Alabama and Florida had very good teams with front runners. We felt we were a better, a deeper team than both Alabama and Florida. It was a tremendous race. We took them hard in the beginning and made them run and it paid off."
On their winning tradition...
"We've been fortunate, getting the right type of kids, and always having people to fill in when guys graduate."
On winning 33 conference championships in a row...
"That's special. I tell people all the time that we've won 42 national championships, but they haven't been in a row. When you win 33 of anything in a row, there's nothing more special than that. Even though it's only a conference championship, in my heart that's my greatest achievement as a coach."
Barnabas Kirui, Ole Miss – Men's Champion
On if he got out to an early lead...
"I did not go real early. I was waiting to see the guys, how they were responding. I wasn't technically sure, but I said, 'Let me just try to take a lead and see how it goes.' I was impressed that nobody was really close, and that motivated me to push it more."
On if we was surprised to be leading so early...
"I didn't expect to be that in the lead the last two miles, so I was really expecting to take the lead from one and a half miles. But in really pulling away I just wanted to try so that I could go back and see from around. When I made that move, it worked out, so I decided just to go."
On how it feels to win the SEC championship as a freshman...
"I feel so great. If there's one thing I've longed for, it's to hear that somebody from Ole Miss wins the SEC because I find that to be a pride for my school, just winning and being the fastest. I've always been telling me teammates that is one thing I long for and to hear the words 'And the winner from Ole Miss,' and I'm glad I heard that today."
Lance Harter (Head Coach), Arkansas
Opening Statement
"LSU did a great job of hosting this event. Obviously the weather didn't cooperate, but everything else that was within their power was great. They did a fantastic job, there's a great crowd out here and we're pleased to be able to have a part in it."
On having seven finishers in the top ten...
"I know they ran really well. One of the weapons that we've had all year is that we've had interchangeable parts. Somebody will say 'Who will be the front runner today?' and I say 'I have no clue.' It could be any one of five. Our ten just rotate amongst each other. The toughest part now is trying to figure out who's going to be my seven to go to the regional meet and the national meet, because they run so close together. We're all freshmen and sophomores; our first junior was eighth for us. It's a young crew, all freshmen and sophomores and they're really excited about the future. So am I."
On the first place finisher, Arkansas runner Brooke Upshaw...
"She's really special. We knew that in high school when we recruited her. She and her teammate Miranda Walker are both very unique individuals in the respect that I think that they're long term futures are very bright. I'm talking about long, long term; they've both got great weapons to add to USA Track and Field. I think that what we saw today was just the tip of the iceberg. They're going to do some great things, maybe in the next couple of weeks, hopefully, then on into track and field and obviously through the years to come in cross country."
Brooke Upshaw, Arkansas – Women's Champion
On the track conditions...
"It was a little muddy, but the weather was very nice. It was great."
On how she felt going into the race...
"I felt pretty good, tired because it was a race. But I felt good today."
On if she led from the outset...
"I tried to get out. I got a little bit behind, but I just tried to work up with the rest of my team because they all got out there. I just tried to run with them because I knew if we ran in a pack we would be in good shape, so I just wanted to run with the rest of my team."
On how it feels to know her team as a whole finished well...
"It's very good. That's definitely what we wanted to do, so we wanted to all run as a pack. We knew we would be in good shape if we could do that."
On if she expected to win as a freshman...
"No, not at all."
Mark Elliott (Head Coach), LSU
On LSU's performance in the meet...
"The women, based on personal bests, I think most of them ran their personal best on this course. In cross country, it's all relative to the course. I think we got ninth in the women, personally I think that's where we should have been based on the way they performed, so I can't be too displeased with what they did. Men, I know Drew Haro ran extremely well. To be in the top 25 in the SEC, that kind of validates everything he's been doing all his four years here. I think he went well. I think half of the guys ran well, the next didn't do so well."
On competing against Arkansas...
"They are really tough. Each university has their niche. Were always known as a sprint school, Arkansas is always known as a distance school. You carve your niche out. I think they are beatable if each school puts the money in there to compete against them, but I won't take anything away from them. They're extremely good on both sides."
BATON ROUGE -- Highlighted by a top-25 individual finish by Tiger senior Drew Haro, both the LSU men's and women's cross country teams recorded ninth-place finishes at the SEC Championships on Saturday at Highland Road Park.
Arkansas swept the team competition at men won their 16 consecutive conference title and the women won their 11th in program history and their first since the 2002 season.
The Hogs scored 21 points on the men's side and were followed by Florida (73) and Alabama (75) in the top three.