10k record broken by Cheruiyot, Watkins leads UA 200m sweep

WALNUT, California – An Arkansas school record in the 10,000m by Ernest Cheruiyot at the Bryan Clay Invitational kicked off the weekend for the Razorbacks while Jelani Watkins led a Razorback 1-2-3 sweep in the 200m at the Mt. SAC Relays.

Cheruiyot broke the UA record as he set a career best of 27:41.59 as runner-up in the race. Cheruiyot’s previous PR of 27:45.65 was set in 2025 also at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The previous Arkansas record of 27:52.10 was set in 2009 by Shawn Forrest.

Louisville’s Elsingi Kipruto won the race with a collegiate-leading 27:29.83 that ranks No. 10 on the all-time collegiate list. In third place with a 28:02.83 was Alabama’s Dennis Kipruto.

Watkins sped to a 20.35 (1.6 wind) in leading the Arkansas sweep in his first 200m of the outdoor season. Teammates Jamarion Stubbs (20.61) and Tevijon Wiliams (20.71) finished second and third as they raced in adjacent lanes.

The time for Watkins ranks equal No. 9 on the UA all-time list and No. 3 among collegians for the 2026 outdoor season.

During the indoor season Watkins improved his career best to 20.11 in the NCAA Indoor prelims and challenged the UA record of 20.10 held by Wallace Spearmon, Jr. Outdoors,

Watkins holds an outdoor PR of 20.24 set at the 2025 NCAA East meet while with LSU. His previous best opening 200m of the outdoor season was 20.61 this same weekend last year at Florida’s Tom Jones Memorial.

A pair of victories in the Collegiate division of the Mt. SAC Relays included Cooper Williams in the high jump and Josh Rammage in the 800m.

Williams cleared 6-10.75 (2.10) for the high jump win, as fewer misses in his series broke a tie with Iowa State’s Tyson Seeser.

Rammage ran 1:50.14 for the 800m victory with teammate Wyatt Green finishing fifth in 1:52.05. UTSA’s Victor Charo placed second in 1:50.46.