The 2003 NCAA Cross Championship event returns to Iowa, the State where the last Irish Individual Champion was crowned. Providence College's Keith Kelly (Boyne AC) captured the honour in 2000 in unbearable weather conditions at Iowa State University. Coincidentally, the overwhelming preseason favourite was another Irishman, Alistair Cragg. Cragg declared for Ireland two years ago from South Africa and made an immediate impact. He placed 8th at last year's European Cross Country Championships. He had a stellar indoor and outdoor campaign winning individual and team titles for his Arkansas Razorback squad. Unfortunately his cross country season began with what he thought was a niggling injury that resulted in hernia surgery on 26th September.

Cragg made his return to competition today at the Southeast Conference Championships in Athens, Georgia. John McDonnell, from Crossmolina, Co. Mayo who coaches Cragg said before the race, "Alistair is not where we'd like him to be, because of the operation. He's a gifted athlete and advanced quickly. He'll be in the chase for the individual title."

Cragg placed a courageous third - a brilliant performance considering he hasn't raced since the first week of June and hasn't competed in a cross country competition since last November! Cragg helped McDonnell's eighth-ranked Razorback cross country team win its 30th-consecutive league crown and 13th-straight SEC title. The Hogs won 17 in a row while they were members of the Southwest Conference. The Razorbacks tallied 33 points, with six runners in the top 12 to finish first in the 8,000-meter race on the University of Georgia golf course. Cragg covered the 8066-kilometre course in 25.08.2. Thomas Morgan, a senior for the University of Kentucky won the event 24.59.3.

"Winning conference is big for us, because we had such a young group this year," Arkansas head coach John McDonnell said. "They had to run great to get the win and they did it on a very tough course. Alistair laid it on the line. So many guys ran great. All the way through the top seven was outstanding."

"I had expectations of winning, but realistically I didn't know how my legs were going to hold up," Cragg said. "It helped a lot when Jason (Sandfort) was up with me. He kept a good pace. I couldn't have hung in there if Jason had not stayed up with me."

The Arkansas men and women's teams return to action on November 15 at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships in Waco, Texas on 15th November. Irish Runner.com will be on hand to cover the meet.