Bucknam Announces 2019 Schedule

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas men’s track & field team look to follow up their solid 2018 outing with an exceptional 2019 campaign set to tackle a loaded schedule that features 18 days of home competition in the Track Capital of the World. The Razorbacks hosted 14 days of competition in 2018, the most among power-5 conference schools.

“We think we have the best home schedule in the United States this year, welcoming many of the nation’s top teams to our home tracks,” said men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “It should be really exciting for our community and fans. The road to the NCAA Championships certainly runs through Arkansas during both the indoor and outdoor seasons. For the first time in our program’s history, we will host both the SEC Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships – the best team-scored meet in the world. The teams and individuals at both championships will be the main contenders at the NCAA Championships later on in the season, with many advancing on to the World Championships later next summer. During the indoor season, we will welcome top teams and individuals at both the Razorback and Tyson Invitationals to the Randal Tyson Track Center and the Fastest Track in the World. The National Relay Championship will once again be a highlight the outdoor season – last year’s meet produced some of the top marks in the country and we expect the same for 2019.”

Among those 10 Fayetteville-based meets is the return of the best regular season meet in the country, the second annual National Relay Championships, scheduled for April 26-27 at John McDonnell Field. Last year’s relays propelled teams to exceptional finishes at the NCAA meet. On the women’s side, nine of 14 teams at the National Relay Championships finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while on the men’s side, eight of 16 teams at the National Relay Championships finished in the top 25. Modeled after the flourishing, biennial IAAF World Relays, the National Relay Championships aims to invoke a spirited rivalry among the most competitive and historical college programs in track and field in advance of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Prior to the National Relay Championships, Arkansas will host five meets during the indoor season, culminating with the SEC Indoor Championships Feb. 23-24 at the Randall Tyson Track Center. For Arkansas, this will be the ninth time hosting at Randal Tyson Track Center since 2000 (2016, 2013, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2005, 2002, 2000) with Arkansas’ men taking home the title on all eight occasions.

Following the SEC Indoor Championships, Arkansas will then focus its attention on adding to its NCAA trophy collection (41), traveling to Birmingham, Ala. March 8-9 for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Arkansas Indoor Home Meets

• Arkansas Invitational
• Razorback Invitational – The ONLY national televised regular season college track meet in the country.
• Tyson Invitational – A meet which has seen some of the best indoor marks in the world.
• Arkansas Qualifier
• SEC Indoor Championships – Ninth time in program history to host the SEC Indoor meet.

The outdoor season will feature an additional five home meets that once again will climax with the SEC Championships. Always in pursuit of a Triple Crown, Arkansas will open the outdoor championships season in the hunt for their 20th SEC outdoor title May 9-11 at home in Fayetteville. The SEC meet returns to John McDonnell field for the third time in history (1994, 2006), with Arkansas’ men walking away the winner both times. Following a stop at the NCAA West Preliminary Round (May 23-25) in Sacramento, California, Bucknam’s squad will close out the year going for more team gold at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas (June 5-8).

Arkansas Outdoor Home Meets

• Arkansas Spring Invitational
• John McDonnell Invitational
• National Relay Championships – The best regular season meet in the country returns to Fayetteville.
• Arkansas Twilight
• SEC Outdoor Championships – Third time in program history to host the SEC Outdoor meet.

For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.