Ayden Owens prepared to threaten school heptathlon record

FAYETTEVILLE – Impressive performances were the norm during the first day of the Razorback Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center with more anticipated during Saturday’s action.

Ayden Owens is currently second in the heptathlon as he battles Georgia’s Kyle Garland with the Arkansas school record of 6,175 set by Kevin Lazas in 2013 within his sights. In the sprints, a career best in the 200m placed James Benson II third among a field of fast times.

“Ayden is the real deal and is on school record pace for us in the heptathlon,” said Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “He and the kid from Georgia are probably the two best heptathletes in the country. It’s going to be a good battle tomorrow. We’ll see what happens in the final three events of the hept tomorrow.”

“I wish James was in the faster heat, he may have run a little faster. It’s ok, though, he ran good and set a personal best. He’s more of a 400m runner, so this 200m PR is good sign for his 400m tomorrow.”

Georgia’s Garland, who overcame two fouls in the long jump, leads the first day of the heptathlon with 3,628 points. After a 24-0.75 (7.33) long jump, Garland set a career best of 53-2.25 (16.21) in the shot put and cleared 7-1 (2.16) in the high jump. He is projected to score a career best of 6,213 as he chases the meet record of 6,114 set by former Bulldog Johannes Erm in 2017.

Owens is currently in second place with 3,476 points and is projected to set a career best of 6,141, which would better his Puerto Rican national record of 5,995.

Owens, who led the field of 13 after the first two events, set a meet record in the 60m as his 6.82 (947 points) bettered a 6.85 set in 2017 by Georgia’s Karl Saluri. An indoor personal best of 24-4.25 (915 pts) followed in the long jump and a 48-4.5 (774) shot put. Owens closed out day one with a career best high jump of 6-8.25 (840).

Arkansas is also currently in fifth and sixth place in the heptathlon with Daniel Spejcher scoring 3,023 while Etamar Bhastekar produced 3,012.

The top three finishers in the pole vault all cleared the same height of 16-10.75 (5.15), with Razorback Rhett Nelson tying for first place with Stanford’s Max Manson. In a jump-off, neither made a height with Nelson retiring at the third height. Garrett Brown placed third.

Nelson produced his best height as a collegian, clearing the 16-10.75 mark on his first attempt to improve upon the 16-6.75 (5.05) he set last season in placing seventh at the SEC Championships.

The first height in the jump off was 17-2.75 (5.25), which is Nelson’s career best from high school. Nelson and Manson both missed three attempts at that height and then a fourth attempt as well.

Ryan Brown (25-8|7.82) and John Baker (25-4|7.72) finished third and fourth in the long jump. Georgia’s Matthew Boling won the event at 26-5 (8.05) with Mississippi State’s Cameron Crump runner-up at 25-9.5 (7.86).

Boling then lowered his world-leading time in the 200m to 20.27, breaking the meet record of 20.36 set by Razorback Wallace Spearmon in 2005. USC’s Kasaun James was runner-up in 20.82 with Benson third in a career best of 20.95 while teammate Connor Washington finished seventh in 21.27.

In the high jump, Tomas Ferrari set an indoor best of 6-9 (2.06) to place fifth. Missouri’s Robert Vilches equaled the meet record of 7-5 (2.26) set by Edgar Rivera-Morales of Arizona in 2013 to defeat USC’s Earnie Spears (7-2.25) and professional Darryl Sullivan (7-1).

Arkansas alum Erich Sullins claimed the weight throw with a toss of 72-9.25 (22.18) while Ruben Banks placed ninth with a season best effort of 64-6 (19.66).