Skip to main content
All Hogs

The Daily Hog: Maria José Marín Wins East Lake Cup Individual Title

Maria José Marín captured the individual title at the East Lake Cup, Arkansas soccer extended its unbeaten SEC streak and cross country prepares for the conference championships
Jackson Semingson|
Arkansas cross country runner Syndey Vaught finished in the top 15 of Saturday's NCAA Championship race.
Arkansas cross country runner Syndey Vaught finished in the top 15 of Saturday's NCAA Championship race. | Arkansas Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Maria José Marín added another milestone to her Arkansas career Monday, winning the individual title at the East Lake Cup as the Razorbacks opened match play at one of college golf’s premier fall events.

The senior golfer finished five under par for Monday’s round at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, birdieing the final hole to secure a two-shot victory. The win marked the seventh collegiate victory of Marín’s career and added another accomplishment after she won the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Marín’s performance headlines the latest developments across Arkansas’ Olympic sports programs, with women’s golf continuing its fall schedule, soccer carrying momentum into its regular-season finale and cross country preparing for the Southeastern Conference Championships.

Marín Delivers Again at East Lake

Marín’s victory came during the opening stroke-play round of the East Lake Cup, which features the four women’s teams that reached the semifinals of the previous season’s NCAA Championship.

Arkansas earned its invitation after reaching the NCAA semifinals for the first time in program history last spring. The Razorbacks defeated Oklahoma State in the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to USC in the semifinals.

Monday’s individual competition gave Marín another opportunity to showcase the form that has made her one of college golf’s top players. She finished two shots ahead of a group tied for second that included USC’s Jasmine Koo and Kylie Chong and Oklahoma State’s Louise Depadt.

Arkansas coach Shauna Taylor praised Marín’s leadership and work ethic after the victory.

“Most times players teach us more than we teach them, and María has been such a great leader and great person. She has such tremendous work ethic and I’m so proud of the mark she’s left on our program,” Taylor said, according to Golf Channel.

The team competition continues Tuesday, when Arkansas faces Eastern Michigan in match play. The event concludes Wednesday, with the remaining teams competing for the East Lake Cup.

The tournament is Arkansas’ final fall event and provides an early opportunity to measure the team against programs that also advanced deep into the NCAA postseason last year.

Soccer Extends SEC Unbeaten Streak

Arkansas soccer continued its late-season surge Friday with a 3-1 road victory over Oklahoma in Norman.

The No. 23 Razorbacks received goals from Zoe Susi, Kyndal Ewertz and Bella Field to extend their unbeaten streak in SEC play to seven matches. The victory improved Arkansas to 7-4-4 overall and 5-1-3 in conference play, putting the team in position to carry momentum into the postseason.

Susi opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 15th minute after a successful coach’s challenge. Ewertz and Field added goals as Arkansas pulled away from the Sooners.

The win continued a strong run for the Razorbacks, who have found ways to collect results during the final stretch of the regular season. Their seven-match SEC unbeaten streak is their longest since Arkansas went nine consecutive conference matches without a loss across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Arkansas has one regular-season match remaining, a road contest against Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Razorbacks will then turn their attention to the SEC Tournament, which begins Nov. 8 in Pensacola, Florida.

The SEC’s official recap provides the full breakdown of Friday’s victory.

Volleyball Falls Short in Five Sets

Arkansas volleyball came close to completing another comeback Sunday but ultimately fell to Mississippi State in five sets in Starkville.

The Razorbacks lost the opening two sets 25-16 and 25-14 before responding with wins of 25-22 and 25-14 to force a deciding fifth set. Mississippi State regained control in the final set, winning 15-7 to take the match.

Freshman outside hitter Paisley Pavliska made the most of an expanded opportunity, recording a career-high 14 kills and nine digs. Senior Lakin Laurendine also finished with 14 kills, hitting .364, while middle blocker Journey Peppers contributed five kills and a team-high three blocks in her first appearance since Sept. 12.

The loss dropped Arkansas to 10-10 overall and 2-7 in SEC play. Although the Razorbacks showed resilience after falling behind, they will need to turn those comeback efforts into complete-match performances as conference play continues.

Arkansas returns home Friday, Oct. 30, to host Oklahoma at Barnhill Arena. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

The complete match numbers are available in Mississippi State’s official box score.

Cross Country Turns Toward SEC Championships

Arkansas cross country now enters championship week, with the men’s and women’s teams scheduled to compete at the SEC Championships Friday, Oct. 30, in Columbia, Missouri.

The Razorbacks will look to translate their fall-season results into strong conference finishes before the NCAA regional and national championship meets in November. The men’s and women’s teams have both competed in multiple invitationals this season, building toward the championship portion of the schedule.

The SEC meet will be followed by the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 13 in College Station, Texas. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The official Arkansas schedule lists the upcoming championship dates and locations.

For Arkansas, the week brings a mix of individual success, postseason preparation and opportunities to build momentum. Marín’s East Lake Cup victory provides the latest headline, soccer is carrying a strong conference run toward its finale, volleyball looks to rebound at home and cross country prepares for its first major championship test of the season.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published
Jackson Semingson
JACKSON SEMINGSON

Share on XFollow gq_jackson23
Home/Hogs News