Distance medley relay featured race in Arkansas Qualifier
FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 4 Razorbacks host the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday, Feb. 16, with the distance medley relay a featured event inside the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Running events start at 2 p.m. with the distance medley relay while field events start at 12:20 p.m. A live stream through SEC Network + begins at 2 p.m. (http://tinyurl.com/ytxfyuaf) while live results are available here (http://tinyurl.com/y4mwdr5e).
Teams entered in the Arkansas Qualifier include Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Central Missouri, Harding, Iowa State, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Paradise Valley CC, Pittsburg State, South Plains, Southeast Missouri, USC, Texas, Texas A&M-Texarkana, Louisiana-Monroe, Utah, UTEP, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, and Wichita State.
“We have a great line-up of teams coming in for the distance medley relay with Washington, Texas, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Virginia, and ourselves,” noted Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “We’re all trying to make it into the national top 12 descending order list to get to the national meet.”
Currently the 12th best time on the 2024 NCAA list is 9:43.33 heading into a weekend in which numerous teams will be contesting the distance medley relay. Oregon is the collegiate leader at 9:35.90 followed by Virginia at 9:36.69 while Texas is eighth with a 9:41.92. Over the past four seasons the average time to qualify of the NCAA Indoor field is 9:29.07.
Last year in the Arkansas Qualifier, Oklahoma Stat established a collegiate record and world best of 9:16.40 while Washington followed in 9:16.65. The Razorbacks set a school record with a 9:22.13 performance.
On the collegiate all-time list the Tyson venue has produced the top 15 performances in the distance medley relay from a total of nine schools.
Ben Shearer returns from the Arkansas record line-up a year ago where he ran the opening 1,200m leg. He will likely be joined by TJ Tomlyanovich (400m), Riley Wells (800m), and Peter Maru (1,600m). After a school record debut at 5,000m in Boston, Maru will make his first appearance in a Razorback uniform inside the Tyson facility.
“It was just a phenomenal debut,” stated Bucknam of Maru. “He is somebody we recruited at mid-term from Uganda. He ran at the World Championships in Eugene a year and a half ago as an 18-year-old. After a year of being out of school he wanted to go to college and come to the U.S. We were lucky enough to get him.
“He opened up with a great run this past weekend and we’re really impressed with it. That’s his first indoor race he’s ever run. It was a confusing race for him because of all that is going on with him not used to being on an indoor track with 22 other athletes. So, considering all the chaos he did a phenomenal job.”
Apalos Edwards is scheduled to make his Arkansas debut in the triple jump that includes alum Ryan Brown and Jah-Nhai Perinchief. Alum LaQuan Nairn is entered in the long jump, which will include current Razorbacks Gabriel Emmanuel and Link Lindsey.
Edwards, a transfer from LSU, earned a bronze medal in the 2023 SEC Indoor triple jump and finished fifth at the 2022 NCAA Indoor. His best mark indoors measures 55-3 (16.84).
Arkansas will have a crew of six scheduled to compete in the 400m that includes Brandon Battle, Lance Lang, Steven McElroy, William Spencer, Tomlyanovich, and Connor Washington. Contesting the 800m are Ethan Carney, Isaac Carney, Luke George, Wyatt Green, Reuben Reina, and alum Leroy Russell.
Reina is also scheduled to race in the mile, which includes a total of seven Razorbacks – Jacob McLeod, Myles Richter, Tommy Romanow, Elias Schreml, Jack Williams, and Kirami Yego – as well as alum Austen Dalquist.
After posting times of 7.74 twice in the 60m hurdles last weekend, Tai Brown leads an Arkansas hurdle squad that includes Elijah Morris, Brevin Sims, and William Spencer.
