NCAA Championships opening day features Razorback pair in 10k final

Shawn Price June 7, 2022

EUGENE, Oregon – Arkansas begins the first day of the NCAA Championships on Wednesday at Hayward Field. Featured events for the Razorbacks include the start of the decathlon along with the final of the 10,000m.

Ayden Owens-Delerme and Daniel Spejcher represent Arkansas in the decathlon, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. (PT). They square off against current collegiate record holder Kyle Garland (8,720), the 2021 NCAA silver medalist, and 2019 NCAA gold medalist Johannes Erm, both of Georgia.

In the 10,000m, the Razorbacks will have Amon Kemboi and Patrick Kiprop among a field of 24 racing over 25 laps. Season best times for the pair include a 28:02.24 for Kemboi and 28:21.11 for Kiprop from his debut in the race.

“Amon and Patrick are in the final for us,” noted Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “This will be Patrick’s first go at a national championship but he has competed in what’s nearly a national championship in two SEC meets so far, and has competed well and even won two of those titles.

“I just feel confident with those two guys. They’re in good spirits and have been conserving energy. They are going to need it tomorrow night, because that’s a tough race. I’m looking forward to those guys competing.”

The 10k, which starts at 7:08 p.m. (PT), features four athletes who have produced sub-28-minute times this season in Adriaan Wildschutt of Florida State (27:28.54), Stanford’s tandem of Charles Hicks (27:40.16) and Cole Sprout (27:42.42), and Harvard’s Matthew Pereria (27:45.77) all from the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford.

Last year’s 10,000m bronze medalist, Northern Arizona’s Abdihamid Nur, won 2022 NCAA Indoor titles in the 3,000m and 5,000m. Hicks and Wildschutt finished seventh and eighth in last year’s NCAA 10,000m.

Owens-Delerme, the 2021 NCAA bronze medalist while competing for Michigan, set a Razorback record of 8,528 points this season to win the Mt. SAC Relays decathlon. His score also bettered the wind-legal NCAA standard of 8,484 set by Georgia’s Karel Tilga in 2021.

In their previous meeting this season, Owens-Delerme defeated Garland for the NCAA Indoor heptathlon title.

“I just hope that they are both at their best,” noted Bucknam of the two recent collegiate record holders. “That obviously will bring out the best in each of them. We’re excited to watch that duel and the spotlight will be on them. We’re about scoring points and as many points as we can get from Ayden and Daniel will be huge for us, because our scoring opportunities are limited.

“I have great faith in Daniel, who is really a great competitor. That’s what it really takes at this meet. Can you line up and compete? All the marks are out the window, now it’s lining up and competing. Daniel is one of the best competitors we have on our team.”

Another first day final includes the long jump with Ryan Brown, who is the third jumper among 12 in flight 2, at 6 p.m. (PT).

Semifinal races on the first day of NCAA Championship action include the 110m hurdles with Tre’Bien Gilbert and Matthew Lewis-Banks as well as the Razorback 4 x 400 relay.

ESPN Streams | NCAA Championships | Wednesday | June 8 | CT listed

2:25 p.m. Decathlon 100m, long jump

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ac917ef7-6902-4e30-8dfb-29ec924811f8

3:10 p.m. Decathlon long jump

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/06ee8431-517a-41bc-9c85-f0ba375f0613

4:25 p.m. Decathlon shot put

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ea9e01a3-0767-4f20-8ee1-8356c9383192

5:40 p.m. Decathlon high jump

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2c45071a-8b91-4a7d-a4fa-91ac3ca42599

6:30 p.m. Men’s day 1

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/90c7d3c4-476f-4fbe-a192-4889da54234c

8 p.m. Men’s Long Jump