Braelyn Combe’s first big Arkansas cross country finish came with a dramatic flourish, and it delivered the Razorbacks a team title at the 39th Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville.
The freshman won the women’s 5,000m by a tenth of a second, tracking down UT Arlington’s Dorcas Jepkosgei in the final stride and stopping the clock at 15:59.0. Jepkosgei, who had led in the closing stages and even raised her arms before the finish, took second in 15:59.1. Tulsa’s Kathryn Koonts was third in 16:03.7.
“This is so much fun, just getting to wear this uniform is such a blessing,” stated Combe. “Going down the homestretch I could hear Coach Burns yelling ‘you can win this thing.’
“I’ve been watching Paityn’s freshman year when she won Chile Pepper. Then I was racing next to her in this race.
When your surrounded by amazing and inspiring athletes like Paityn, she was kind of coaching me through it. With 1k to go, she said we’re going to go now.”
Combe’s finish helped Arkansas secure the team crown with 69 points. The Razorbacks packed the front end of the standings with places of 1-7-11-23-27. Mississippi State finished second with 83 points, followed by Tulsa with 89 and UT Arlington with 178.
“It’s a great team win,” stated Burns. “We were without the services today of Isca Chelangat, Gabbie Bishop, Olivia Pielemeier, and Joshine Mwaura who are four impactful people.
“So, for the team to step up and compete the way they did, top to bottom, I’m just really proud of the effort that they gave today.”
Burns was equally direct about what Combe showed in the last stretch.
“She made a big move down the hill,” said Burns. “When you make that turn it’s about 500m from the finish.
I was about 450m out, and I start yelling you can win, go win. She turned on the jets and made up a lot of ground.
“How cool is that, it’s racing 101, you don’t quit until you get to the line. The arms went up on the other girl, and Braelyn went right underneath them and got the win. That was a masterclass on how to finish a race.”
Combe’s winning time was the third fastest in Chile Pepper Festival history and the best ever by a freshman. Arkansas had already put its name all over the meet record books in recent years: Mia Cochran and Paityn Noe both ran 15:56.3 in 2024 to break the previous mark of 16:01.0 set by Dominique Scott in 2014. Arkansas’ Sydney Vaught won the 2025 race in 16:03.0.
Noe, the last Razorback freshman to win at Chile Pepper in 2023 with a 16:09.4, made her season debut after her first race since the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she was fourth in the 10,000m in 31:36.91 and sixth in the 5,000m in 15:35.81. On Saturday, she finished seventh in 16:17.8 and was Arkansas’ second runner.
Jayden Hill was 11th in 16:43.1. In her Arkansas debut, Emmaculate Chepngetich placed 23rd in 17:05.5, and Marissa Ferebee closed out the Razorbacks’ scoring five in 27th at 17:12.9. Makenna Herbst, running her first cross country race, was the sixth Arkansas runner and placed 95th in 18:30.0 among 249 finishers.
At the mile split, Noe and Combe were tied for eighth in 5:16.6. By 3.5k, Noe had nudged ahead of Combe, with Noe sixth in 11:40.8 and Combe seventh in 11:41.1. Up front, Jepkosgei and Baylor’s Ruth Kimeli shared the lead at 11:29.9 at 3.5k, just ahead of Koonts at 11:30.8.
Combe closed harder over the final 500 meters, erased the gap, and claimed the win at the line.
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