Case, Watkins, and Cheruiyot garner three SEC Outdoor honors

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas collected three SEC Outdoor honors as voted on by league coaches and announced by the conference office on Monday.

Doug Case received Coach of the Year honors as the Razorbacks claimed a 25th SEC Outdoor team title. Jelani Watkins earned the Runner of the Year accolade as he swept the 100m and 200m titles as well as claiming high point honors with 21.25 points. Ernest Cheruiyot was named Newcomer Runner of the Year as he scored 18 points with a victory in the 10,000m along with runner-up finish in the 5,000m.

In his first year as Arkansas men’s head coach, Case and the Razorbacks won both the SEC Indoor & Outdoor titles. Arkansas won the outdoor league title  with 110.5 points over Alabama (94.5), Florida (78), Texas A&M (64.75), and Georgia (64).

Following the event wins by Watkins and Cheruiyot, Razorbacks also won the 800m, 1,500m, and 5,000m. Arkansas produced points in 12 of the 13 events they contested.

Two distance races accounted for 28 points while the pair of middle distance races totaled 26 points. Sprints, hurdles, and relays combined for 48 team points.

Watkins sweep of the 100m and 200m included him equaling the UA record of 9.95 in the 100m and breaking the 200m record with a 19.87 victory. Jordan Anthony set the 100m record in 2025 while the 200m record of 19.89 was set in 2005 by Wallace Spearmon, Jr.

Earlier in the season Watkins won the Mt. SAC Relays 100m in a wind-aided 9.82.

Cheruiyot won the SEC 10,000m in 29:34.34 and became the first Razorback to win the event since Eric Fernandez in 2012. Earlier in the season Cheruiyot broke the Arkansas school record with a 27:41.59 performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational. That bettered the previous UA record of 27:52.10 set by Shawn Forest in 2009.

In the 5,000m, a career best of 13:15.30 by Cheruiyot became the No. 2 time on the UA all-time list behind a 13:12.74 by Alistair Cragg in 2004.