No. 1 Razorbacks Enter Championship Season
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 1 Arkansas men’s track and field team will compete at the 2016 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 26-27 at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The competition will feature the top four men’s programs in the country including No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 LSU.
Since joining the conference in 1991, Arkansas has won 20 SEC indoor titles out of a possible 24 competitions. The Razorbacks last earned the trophy in 2013 when they scored 152.5 points in front of their home crowd.
SEC LEADERS
400m: Marqueze Washington – PR 45.72 | 2016 Best 45.72
A 2015 transfer from Arkansas Baptist, Marqueze Washington finish fifth in the 400-meter dash last season during his first SEC indoor meet with a time of 46.46. Washington went on to earn second-team All-America honors in the event at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Not just a solo contributor, Washington amassed three first-team All-America honors last year for his efforts on Arkansas’s indoor and outdoor 4×400-meter relay teams and the Razorbacks’ NCAA championship winning 4×100-meter relay team. A senior hailing from West Monroe, La., Washington ran the 2016 SEC and NCAA leading time in the 400-meter dash at the Razorbacks’ final regular season indoor meet at the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday, Feb. 19.
High Jump: Ken LeGassey – PR 2.20m/7-2.50 | 2016 Best 2.19m/7-2.25
A member of the 2013 SEC Indoor All-Freshman team for his third place performance in the high jump, junior Ken LeGassey has been one of the best high jumpers in the conference since his first season as a Razorback. The two-time All-American earned second team All-SEC honors in the event at last year’s conference indoor championship in Lexington, Ky. LeGassey jumped his personal best mark of 2.20m/7-2.50 at the 2015 NCAA Division I West Preliminary Round in Austin, Texas. LeGassey’s season best mark of 2.19m/7-2.25 ranks eighth in the nation and was secured at the 2016 Tyson Invitational.
Long Jump: Jarrion Lawson – PR 8.39m/27-6.5 | 2016 Best 8.17m/26-9.75
Bowerman Watch List member Jarrion Lawson is the 2016 NCAA co-leader in the long jump with his mark of 8.17m/26-9.75. The No. 1 high school horizontal jumper in 2012, Lawson qualified for the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships during his first season as a Razorback placing fourth in the long jump. The 12-time All-American returned to the national indoor championships during his sophomore season, jumping his PR of 8.39m/27-6.5 to win the gold medal in the long jump. In 2015 Lawson placed inside the top five at both the SEC indoor and outdoor championships before claiming silver medals in the event at the national level.
ALL EYES ON…
Arkansas sophomore Kenzo Cotton is one of two Razorbacks individually ranked in multiple events. The four-time All-American, known for his contributions to Arkansas’s relays, has emerged as one of the best sprinters in the nation. His performances this season in the 60 (6.64) and 200 (20.78) meter dashes place him inside the SEC top five of both events.
2015 USATF Junior 800-meter champion Carlton Orange has transitioned into collegiate competition seamlessly. The freshman out of Memphis, Tenn. qualified for the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships in his 800-meter debut with a time of 1:47.38 at the Razorback Invitational. Orange heads into his first SEC meet as the third best performer at 800 meters in the conference.
A two-time SEC All-Freshman team selection (3K and 5K) in 2015, sophomore Alex George has raced back into the top of the conference at 3,000 meters. George recorded a huge PR of 7:55.51 in the event at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 12. His time is the second best in the SEC this season.
Northwest Arkansas native Gabe Gonzalez holds the second best time in the conference at 5,000 meters following a lifetime best performance of 13:45.98 at the Iowa State Classic. The time marked Gonzalez’s first sub-14:00 race in the 5K since 2014 when he ran 13:59.65 to earn second team All-SEC honors at the 2014 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Three-time All-American triple jumper Clive Pullen jumped into the NCAA top five with his personal best mark of 16.54m/54-3.25 from the Tyson Invitational. A product of Kingston, Jamaica, Pullen’s PR performance at Tyson places him at No. 2 in the conference as the Razorbacks prepare for this weekend’s SEC championships.
All-session tickets for the 2016 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships are now on sale. All-session ticket prices are $35 for reserved seating and $25 for adult general admission. Youth and general admission student tickets are available for $15.
Tickets will be available online, or by calling the Razorback Athletics Ticket Center at 800-982-4647. You can also visit the Ticket Center in person at 1295 S. Razorback Road, just east of Baum Stadium.
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
