No. 7 Arkansas Hosts John McDonnell Invitational
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Following three weeks of competition on the road the No. 7 Arkansas men’s track and field team returns to Fayetteville on April 21-23 as the hosts of the John McDonnell Invitational.
The Razorbacks are one of 11 Southeastern Conference teams ranked among the top-25 best programs in the nation and look to progress into the second half of the outdoor season even stronger.
Date/Time: Friday, April 21, 12 p.m. CT | Saturday, April 22, 4 p.m. CT | Sunday, April 23, 10 a.m. CT
Venue: John McDonnell Field
Tickets: $5 for Adults, 17 and under free
Important Links: Meet Schedule | Entries/Heat Sheets | Live Results | SEC + (Sat. only)
Head coach Chris Bucknam’s squad will be lining up against student-athletes from Arkansas Baptist, Coffeyville, Kansas State, Missouri, Missouri Southern, Missouri State, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
Events to Watch
100/200 Meters
Veteran sprinter Kenzo Cotton will headline the short sprints for the Razorbacks in search for an improvement on his current 100 seasons’ best of 10.20 and an NCAA West qualifying mark in the 200. The 2015 NCAA 4-x-100-meter relay champion may get a chance to race his former relay teammate Jamaican Olympian Omar McLeod, whom would be sure to pull Cotton out to a fast performance.
400 Meters
All-American quarter-milers Obi Igbokwe and Eric Janise face off against 2016 SEC Indoor 400 champion Kahmari Montgomery of Missouri. Janise heads into the race with the strongest time of the three so far this season, currently ranked 35th in the NCAA with 46.61.
1,500 Meters
Fresh off joining the NCAA 5K elite last weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays, Brisbane, Australia native Jack Bruce will get in some speed work alongside several of his teammates. Bruce earned All-SEC honors in 2016, following his third-place finish at the SEC Championships. Another 5K high-ranking Razorback Alex George will also line up in the event, scheduled to go off at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Jumps
Two-time NCAA triple jump champion Clive Pullen will make his outdoor debut on Friday evening. The meet will also see the return of three-time All-American Danish long jumper Andreas Trajkovski who will open up his final collegiate outdoor season on Saturday afternoon. 2016 SEC outdoor high jump runner-up Ken LeGassey will complete the Razorback elite jumps trifecta looking to post his first clearance over seven feet on Saturday evening.
Decathlon
The combined events competition will feature Arkansas’ four decathletes including Lane Austell, Brad Culp, Derek Jacobus and Gabe Moore in a head-to-head battle with Wisconsin’s multi squad. Jacobus heads into the meet with the best 2017 mark (7,437 points), which he secured at the Arkansas Spring Invitational. Culp and Jacobus both earned NCAA Honorable recognition last year for their efforts at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Moore heads into the event as the lone multi All-American from his 12th-place finish in the heptathlon this past March at the national indoor meet.
The John McDonnell Invitational will be the second of three home outdoor meets for coach Bucknam’s squad. The Razorbacks will close out their regular season at home with the Arkansas Twilight on Friday, May 5.
Indoor Home Slate
Arkansas Spring Invitational, Friday and Saturday, March 24-25
John McDonnell Invitational, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 21-23
Arkansas Twilight, Friday, May 5
*Upcoming meet
Promotions
Fastest Kid in Fayetteville – Saturday, April 22, 3 p.m. CT
ASG Student Giveaways: PS4 Console, Apple Watch and Beats by Dre Head phones – Saturday, April 22, 4-7 p.m. CT
Free Posters and T-Shirt Tosses – Saturday, April 22, 4-8 p.m. CT
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
