Razorback Roundup -- Jan. 25

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPJan. 25, 2010LIFT UP AMERICA: For the third year in a row, Arkansas student-athletes and administrators participated in the Lift Up America event to unload food for distribution to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and partner agencies. This year’s event was Saturday outside the Broyles Center. According to Lift Up America representatives, Arkansas set a university record for student-athlete participation at a single event with 134 student-athletes loading and unloading around 38,000 pounds of food for the food bank and more than 50 area agencies. BASEBALL: The Razorbacks are ranked No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I preseason poll. Arkansas opens its season Feb. 19 with a three-game series against Ball State at Baum Stadium.MEN’S BASKETBALL (8-11, 1-3): The Razorbacks went 0-2 on the week with a tough loss at home to Florida before going on the road at Kentucky. Over the two games, sophomore point guard Courtney Fortson continued his strong play with a double-double against the Gators and an average of 17.5 points and seven assists per contest. Sophomore Rotnei Clarke averaged 15.0 ppg and buried seven three-point baskets. Freshman Marshawn Powell and senior Mike Washington also averaged double-digit scoring with 11.5 ppg and 11.0 ppg, respectively. The Razorbacks return to the court on Thursday in a rematch with Mississippi State, this time at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas lost to the Bulldogs, 82-80, in Starkville on Jan. 14. Arkansas then travels to Oxford, Miss., on Sunday to play Ole Miss.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (9-11, 1-6): The Razorbacks picked up an overtime win in Alabama, 66-62, Sunday in a game televised by FSN. Freshman Dominique Robison went 8-for-8 from the free throw line late in the game and senior Charity Ford hit four consecutive points in the overtime period, securing the win. Arkansas is off on Thursday, returning to the court Sunday to host No. 21 Vanderbilt at 2 p.m.FOOTBALL (8-5): The 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl between Arkansas and East Carolina saw an increase in television viewership of 65 percent. The increase was the third-largest among all bowls from the previous season. This week, UA offensive lineman Mitch Petrus will represent the Razorbacks at the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl. Kickoff for the 61st game is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT) on Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Petrus was one of eight Arkansas players to earn his degree this past December. Arkansas won the Liberty Bowl, 20-17 in overtime, over East Carolina. MEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks are off until Feb. 14-16 when they compete at the Battle at the Beach in Newport Beach, Calif.WOMEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks are still idle from competition, but have been busy. The team recently participated in a celebration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and took part in Lift Up America event on Saturday. The Razorbacks are idle until the Central District Invitational Feb. 22-23 in Parrish, Fla. GYMNASTICS (1-2, 0-2): After two straight road meets against top 10 opponents, the Razorbacks are back home this week when Arkansas hosts Kentucky on Friday at 7 p.m. in Barnhill Arena. After opening the season with a win over No. 20 Arizona, the Razorbacks have losses at No. 8 Florida and at No. 3 Alabama. Last week at Alabama, senior Casey Jo Magee won the individual beam title with the third-best score in school history — 9.925. Arkansas also recorded season-best team scores of 49.000 on vault and 48.950 on beam.SOFTBALL: The Razorbacks open the season Feb. 12-14 at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. SWIMMING AND DIVING (5-2, 2-1): The swimming and diving team returns to action Saturday after a week off from competition. The Razorbacks host Utah at Arkansas Natatorium at 1 p.m. in their final dual meet of the 2009-10 season. A pre-meet ceremony will honor seniors Yi-Ting Siow, Leah Pierce, Lynette Ng and Kristen Keith along with Megan Haskins. WOMEN’S TENNIS (2-0): Arkansas swept a doubleheader against Oklahoma State and Saint Louis University, 7-0 and 6-1, respectively, Saturday at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center. The Razorbacks won 17 of 18 matches on the day. The Razorbacks return to action on Friday when they play their first match of the ITA Kick-Off Classic against the Washington Huskies. They play two more matches as part of the tournament on Saturday against Michigan and South Carolina. Friday’s match begins at 3 p.m. at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center.MEN’S TENNIS (0-2): The Razorbacks fell to the No. 8 Texas Longhorns at home on Friday, 6-1. Standout sophomore Nikolas Zogaj had the lone win at the No. 6 spot over No. 85 Daniel Whitehead of Texas, 2-6, 7-6(5), 1-0(10-3). At the top singles spot, No. 81 Chris Nott and No. 5 Dimitar Kutrovsky exchanged the advantage in a two-hour match. Kutrovsky eventually won, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. The Hogs travel to Oxford, Miss., this weekend for the ITA National Indoor Kick-Off Classic. First serve is set for Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels at 10 a.m.MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Sophomore Terry Prentice set the UA record in the heptathlon for the No. 5 Razorbacks at the Razorback Invitational last weekend. Prentice finished third with 5,350 points, which is personal best, an NCAA provisional qualifier and ranks No. 3 in the NCAA and SEC. Freshman Drew Butler clocked a personal-best and NCAA provisional-qualifying 800-meter time (1:50.15). His time ranks No. 4 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the SEC. He has the top time by a freshman in the NCAA. Freshman Caleb Cross clocked a personal-best 60-meter hurdle time (7.93), which ranks No. 3 in the SEC and first among freshmen. It is also No. 4 in UA history. Freshman Drew Butler (2:59.91, 1,200 meters), freshman Chris Muncie (49.16, 400 meters), freshman Omar Abdi (1:53.86, 800 meters) and sophomore Rick Elliott (4:12.83, mile) clocked the fastest time in the SEC and the NCAA’s No. 4 time to win the DMR (9:55.75). Freshman Cobi Hamilton bettered his collegiate best in the 200 meters (21.24). His time ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 6 in the NCAA. The Razorbacks compete next at the Texas A&M Challenge this weekend in College Station, Texas.WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Freshman Stephanie Brown, sophomore Tina Sutej and junior Shelise Williams recorded some of the best marks in the NCAA in their respective events for the No. 17 Razorbacks at the Razorback Invitational last weekend. Williams won the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 52.72. She bettered her NCAA provisional qualifier, ranks No. 2 in the NCAA and leads the SEC. Her time also ranks No. 4 in the world and No. 2 on UA’s all-time list. Senior Karen Thomas (55.03), Williams (52.23), junior Edina Brooks (54.79) and freshman Regina George (52.77) won the 4×400-meter relay in a time of 3:34.80. Their clocking is No. 1 in the world, NCAA and SEC, and is the No. 4 time in Arkansas school history. Sutej finished second overall and first among collegians in the pole vault (14-2). Her height is a personal best, ranks No. 1 in the NCAA and SEC, and betters her Slovenian national record. Brown won the 800 meters in a personal-best time (2:05.08), which ranks No. 3 in the NCAA and the SEC. The Razorbacks compete next at the Texas A&M Challenge this weekend in College Station, Texas.