No. 9 Razorbacks aim for fifth consecutive SEC Outdoor title

LEXINGTON – No. 9 Arkansas enters the 2025 SEC Outdoor Championships as four-time defending champions with an overall total of 23 outdoor titles in the conference.

Kentucky will serve as host for this year’s conference meet, which begins Thursday, May 15, and concludes on Saturday, May 17. Coverage of the meet is available on the SEC Network + while the finals on Saturday will air on SEC Network. Live results are available here.

In the top 25 national rankings teams within the SEC are led by No. 2 Texas A&M followed by No. 3 Tennessee, No. 5 Georgia, No. 9 Arkansas, No. 10 Auburn, No. 12 Alabama, No. 14 Florida, No. 15 LSU, No. 17 Texas, No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 21 Ole Miss, and No. 23 Mississippi State.

In conference rankings, which account for team depth, it’s Arkansas leading the SEC ahead of Alabama, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and LSU.

Arkansas has registered a pair of four-year winning streaks (2003-2006, 2021-2024) and opened its transition to the SEC with a nine-year SEC Outdoor title run (1992-2000).

Leading the SEC with 29 cross country and 27 indoor team titles, Arkansas is currently tied for second at 23 outdoor titles with LSU while Tennessee leads with 25 titles. The most recent title for LSU occurred in 2019 while Tennessee’s last title was in 2007.

Four teams scored 100 points a year ago with the Razorbacks winning with 110 points over Alabama (104), Texas A&M (103.5), and Florida (100) in Gainesville.

With 15 men’s teams in the fray this season with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam thinks a total around 110 points will prevail again this season.

“I feel like we have a shot at contending for the SEC title as we do every year it seems like,” noted Bucknam. “Again, it’s going to be close with Texas A&M ranked ahead of us nationally. I would give them the nod as the team to beat on the men’s side.

“So, we’re going to have our work cut out for us if we’re going to defend our outdoor title. We’re going to need all the points we can get for a conference championship. Certainly we will need about 110 points, I think, to win the meet. That’s hard to do with 15 teams in the league.”

At the 2025 SEC Indoor Championships, hosted by Texas A&M, the Aggies claimed the team title by a 107.5 to 102 margin over the Razorbacks.

A well-balanced Arkansas squad has scoring potential over a range of events. Jordan Anthony and Connor Washington lead the Razorbacks in the short sprints while the 400m squad includes TJ Tomlyanovich, Jaden Smith, and Steven McElroy.

An 800m combo of Rivaldo Marshall and Tyrice Taylor, who rank second and third in the SEC, along with conference 1,500m leader Reuben Reina joined by Brian Masai and Davis Helmerich seek to supply points in the middle distance events.

Longer distance races include Ben Shearer, fourth in the 5,000m in 2024, leading a crew of Razorbacks as the SEC leader in that event while Timothy Chesondin competes in the 10,000m, where he has posted the second fastest SEC time in 2025. Jack Williams looks to improve upon a ninth-place finish in the 3,000m steeplechase a year ago and ranks fifth among the league.

Karamoko Sacko and Brevin Sims represent Arkansas in the 110m hurdles, ranking ninth and 10th this season at 13.80 and 13.81.

The jumps squad will include Scottie Vines and Joshua Blakely in the high jump, while Henry Kiner and Uroy Ryan contest the long and triple jump with Link Lindsey and Juriad Hughes also in the long jump. The decathlon will include Marcus Weaver and Connor Williams.

Anthony swept the SEC and NCAA 60m titles indoors, setting a UA record with a 6.47 in the NCAA semifinal. During the outdoor season he improved his career best in the 100m to 9.98 to break the UA record.

Double winners in the SEC 60m and 100m during the same year have included Christian Coleman of Tennessee in 2017 (6.52, 9.97), Trindon Holliday of LSU in 2009 (6.58, 10.01), Richard Thompson of LSU in 2008 (6.59, 9.93), Justin Gatlin of Tennessee in 2002 (6.54, 10.11), and Leonard Scott of Tennessee in 2001 (6.48, 10.22). The 9.93 by Thompson serves as the SEC Outdoor meet record.

Reina was the high point scorer at the SEC Indoor meet this season with 20 points off a mile victory along with runner-up finishes in the 3,000m and distance medley relay.

A 1,500m victory for Reina would make him the first Razorback to complete a SEC mile and 1,500m double in the same season since Dorian Ulrey in 2009. It was also accomplished by Ryan Wilson in 1996.