Beckford, Pinnock, Edwards debut outdoors at LSU Invitational

BATON ROUGE – No. 9 Arkansas will be among a 10-team field competing in the LSU Invitational on Saturday, April 27, held at Bernie Moore Stadium.

The host Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the recent national ratings index and the field includes No. 4 Florida, No. 13 Georgia, and No. 18 Auburn. Additional teams include Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indian Hills CC, McNeese State, and Ole Miss.

“Our hands will be full this weekend in a good meet,” said Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “It’s a good setup and we’re looking forward to competing against a lot of other good schools.

“It’s going to be a good meet for us. It’s the second to last step heading into the SEC Championships. Championship season is approaching and it’s going to last a month, starting with the SEC meet all the way to nationals. To get some additional regional marks the next three weeks is really important.”

Live results for the LSU Invitational will be available here: https://live.deltatiming.com/meets/32800. No live streaming is available.

Scheduled to make their outdoor season debuts are a pair of Razorback national champions in Romaine Beckford (high jump) and Wayne Pinnock (long jump).

“We open up a few more guys who haven’t competed outdoors yet this season,” noted Bucknam. “Wayne Pinnock is one of them along with Romaine Beckford and Apalos Edwards. They will open up in the long jump, high jump and triple jump.

“Our national champions and guys in these ballistic events are on a pitch count. This will be their first meet. The main thing is to get them into their outdoor routine for the first time. They’ve been training really well.”

Pinnock, the 2023 World Champs silver medalist, has been the world leader in the long jump since the 2023 outdoor season, with a leap of 28-0.25 (8.54) from the World Championships qualification round, as well as the 2024 indoor season with a mark of 27-6.75 (8.40) from winning the NCAA Indoor title.

Beckford has claimed the past three NCAA high jump titles, twice indoors (2023, 2024) and once outdoors (2023). His winning height of 7-5.25 (2.27) at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships, to complete a second consecutive indoor season undefeated, matches his outdoor career best he established in winning the 2023 NCAA Outdoor title.

Edwards, who transferred to Arkansas from LSU, will return to a familiar venue. His last competition at Bernie Moore Stadium occurred at the 2023 SEC Championships, where he finished fifth with a leap of 52-6.5 (16.01) after placing second at the LSU Alumni Gold meet with a mark of 53-5 (16.28) that season.

Kason O’Riley, who set a career best of 7-2.5 (2.20) as runner-up in the Arkansas Spring Invitational earlier this season, joins Beckford in the high jump at LSU.

John Scott Kendricks is entered in the pole vault, while Link Lindsey joins Edwards in the triple jump. Jack Turner and alum Daniel Spejcher are in the shot put.

Turner and Spejcher will also race in the 110m hurdles with a Razorback crew that includes Tai Brown, Elijah Morris, and Brevin Sims. William Spencer and Grant Williams are entered in the 400m hurdles.

Contesting the 100m and 200m are the Arkansas trio of Lance Lang, Connor Washington, and Tevijon Williams.

Alum Chris Bailey, who will be part of Team USA at the World Relays in the Bahamas next weekend, is featured in the 400m. Razorbacks in the 400m field include James Benson II, Steven McElroy, TJ Tomlyanovich, and Brandon Battle.

Riley Wells leads a crew of Razorbacks in the 800m that includes Elias Schreml, Ethan Carney, Isaac Carney, Luke George, Jaydon Bartholomew, and Wyatt Green. The 1,500m field includes Tommy Romanow, Myles Richter, and Jack Williams, who will also compete in the 3,000m steeplechase.

International Competition

Arkansas alums competing at the next Diamond League meet, held in Suzhou, China, on Saturday will include a trio of Razorbacks in the men’s long jump with Jarrion Lawson, Carey McLeod, and LaQuan Nairn.

On Sunday, at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix, Jaydon Hibbert makes his season debut in the triple jump, which will also include Jah-Nhai Perinchief.