Razorback Invitational features elite fields

FAYETTEVILLE – This year’s edition of the Razorback Invitational features 15 teams and elite fields across the board. Competition begins Friday and concludes on Saturday at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Teams entered in the high caliber meet include six squads from the SEC: Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Additional teams include Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Florida State, Iowa, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, and USC.

Live streaming of the Razorback Invitational will start at 6 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday via SEC Network +.

Friday, January 27: steam link

Saturday, January 28: stream link

“We have a great competition this weekend with a lot of great teams from all over the country,” noted Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “We have six SEC teams here and teams from each of the Power 5 conferences. It’s a phenomenal track meet and it gets real this weekend. It’s game on now.

“We’re excited about competing and going against some of the best athletes in the country.”

In addition to the collegians, the professionals competing include Bowerman winners Christian Coleman in the 60m and 200m along with Trey Cunningham in the 60m hurdles.

Arkansas will have a crew including a pair of newcomers competing in the heptathlon while jumper Carey McLeod makes his Razorback debut in the long jump.

“We’ll sprinkle a few more athletes in from where we started a couple weeks ago when we had about 80% of our team competing,” noted Bucknam. “We will see Carey McLeod for the first time in the long jump on Friday night.”

After setting a career best in the mile with a 3:58.70 victory at the Arkansas Invitational, Lexington Hilton moves up to the 3,000m this weekend. The strong field includes Stanford’s Charles Hicks, the individual national champion in cross country this past fall.

Joining Hilton in the final section of the race is teammate Patrick Kiprop. Razorbacks competing in other sections of the 3,000m include Jacob McLeod, Ben Shearer, Josh Shearer, Myles Richter, Ryan Murphy, and Jack Williams.

“Lex is kind of an unknown and has been doing a lot of training over the past year,” said Bucknam. “The 3,000m race on Saturday is probably going to be an incredibly fast race with the Stanford kids in there.

“I think he’ll stick his nose in there and run with the best guys in the country. How it ends we’ll see. He’s been a huge boost to our program.”

Hicks finished third in the 3,000m at the 2022 NCAA Indoor while teammate Cole Sprout placed eighth. During the NCAA cross country meet last November, BYU’s Casey Clinger finished seventh while Stanford’s Ky Robinson was 10th.

Among the 18 entrants in the heptathlon the Razorbacks competing include Yariel Soto Torrado, Daniel Spejcher, Noah Swaby, and Marcus Weaver. Meanwhile, Ralford Mullings makes his Arkansas debut in the shot put joining teammates Jordan West and Rojé Stona, who finished first and third at the Arkansas Invitational.

While a competitive distance medley relay caps Friday’s competition, the 4 x 400m relay will conclude the meet on Saturday.

“The 4 x 400 will be a precursor to the NCAA final,” Bucknam stated.

The final section of the 4 x 400m relay features Baylor, Arkansas, Florida, and USC. The fifth of six sections will include Texas A&M, Kentucky, Iowa, and LSU. Seven of those eight schools placed among the top 12 at the 2022 NCAA Indoor, with LSU the lone team missing out.

Prior to the 4 x 400 action, Razorback Chris Bailey races in the 400m after debuting in the 600m two weeks ago with a time of 1:15.18 that ranks No. 10 on the all-time world list. While sporting an outdoor career best of 45.25, Bailey’s indoor best is 47.81 from 2019.

Scheduled to join Bailey in the 400m are teammates Ayden Owens-Delerme and Devontie Archer as well as Arkansas alum Hunter Woodhall.

Professionals competing in the meet, with Arkansas alums in bold: