FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Zouhair Talbi from Oklahoma City University raced to the No. 3 time by a college runner ever in the 3,000 meters Friday in the Arkansas Qualifier at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Talbi, a junior from Tighassaline, Khenifra, Morocco, set the meet record with a time of 7 minutes, 40.39 seconds. Talbi captured the 5,000-meter national championship in the 2021 NAIA indoor championships as well as the past two NAIA men's cross country individual crowns. Talbi is a four-time all-American in cross country and track & field.

Talbi's mark assured him of an A-standard time in the event for the NAIA indoor track & field championships March 3-5 in Brookings, S.D. Talbi's time ranks No. 1 among the NAIA this season, while his teammate Shimales Abebe turned in the second-best time of 8:03.58 on Feb. 11 in the Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Talbi took first in the 3K, while Arkansas' Amon Kemboi finished second with a time of 7:42.29. Kemboi's mark ranks fifth in the 3,000 meters by a collegian. Wesley Kiptoo of Iowa State came in third with a 7:43.61 to rate 10th on the all-time list. Washington's Isaac Green grabbed fourth (7:49.74), while Bryce Grahn of Pittsburg State (Kan.) rounded out the top five (8:20.43) on Friday.

The previous week, Talbi turned in a landmark time in the 5,000 meters of 13:18.17 to stand eighth in that event among college runners Feb. 12 in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. Talbi's 10,000-meter time of 27:20.61 run May 14, 2021 in Irvine, Calif., ranks No. 2 on the college list.