Arkansas senior Lane Boyer has the nation's fastest 3,000-meter run time this season with his time of 8:15. Photo by Logan Webster.

Lane Boyer kicked off his senior season in a big way.

The distance runner ran to a first-place finish and five important points in the 3,000-meter run, helping key No. 2 Arkansas’ 89-81 season-opening win against No. 10 Texas.

Though it’s early in the year, Boyer’s 8:15 time is the best mark in the nation this season and gave the Razorbacks a lift late in the meet.

“It’s a big step for me,” Boyer said. “It’s nice to have a national leading time. Nothing really matters until later in the season, but its good and it’s a good start.”

Arkansas senior Michael Chinchar actually took the lead in the run, setting the pace for Boyer and keeping a lead for the Razorbacks throughout most of the run.

Boyer took over with a few laps left, passing Chinchar and taking the lead, leaving everyone behind him. Chinchar finished five seconds behind Boyer and Texas’ top runner, freshman Will Nation, didn’t finish until 8:21, six seconds behind Boyer and his record-setting time.

“It’s big for me and my teammate Michael Chinchar,” Boyer said. “He really helped me out there, setting the pace for the first whole 2K. It’s a good start and we’re in a really good spot, this was a good meet to set things off.”

Boyer was a 10-time state champion in high school, has earned numerous academic all-region and All-American honors at Arkansas and has experience in three indoor SEC Championships, but has high expectations for himself and his team in his final collegiate season.

The Razorbacks’ No. 2 ranking is their highest to open a season since being No. 1 in 2009. The Hogs finished second at the SEC Championships, eighth at the NCAA Championships.

Arkansas has the potential to have a better season this year, Boyer said.

“We can win the national championship,” Boyer said. “We’re a really good team, we could be the national champions and that’s our goal.”

Individually, Boyer expects a lot from himself, too. Despite his impressive early-season victory, his time was well short of his career-best 8:00.25, a mark he wants to improve on as he tries to ready himself to compete for a spot to represent his country.

“I’m looking on down the road to this June, to the Olympic trials in Oregon for the U.S. national team,” Boyer said. “That’s the whole goal for outdoors is to run under the Olympic qualifying time and make the team.”

Boyer’s plans are to pursue the Olympics, but he still plans on focusing on this year, his final year in track, with a national championship the goal.

Arkansas is off to a 2-0 start, also winning its other meet, the Arkansas Invitational, the week before its dual meet against Texas.

The Razorbacks’ next meet is the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 27.