Razorbacks answer challenge once again, complete SEC Triple Crown
Oxford, Miss. – Arkansas answered the challenge presented by Alabama to secure the team title at the SEC Outdoor Championships by six points, 120-114, on Saturday at the Ole Miss Track & Field Complex.
The Razorback victory earned the team a second consecutive SEC Triple Crown after claiming league titles in cross country and indoor track and field this season. It’s the 17th time in program history to achieve the conference Triple Crown.
In winning the SEC Outdoor title for the 21st time, Arkansas utilized points from various areas on the final day of its three-day adventure.
Opening the day with a 39.24 silver medal finish in the 4 x 100 relay, the Razorbacks added 21 points in the 110m hurdles with four Arkansas hurdlers in the final.
Another bulk of points occurred in the 5,000m, the second to last event in the meet, as a Razorback 1-2-3 sweep totaled 24 points to counter the 10 scored by Alabama with a 4-5-8 finish.
Patrick Kiprop, who claimed the Commissioner’s Trophy as the men’s high point scorer with 18 points, won the 5,000m in 13:41.05 with Amon Kemboi runner-up in 13:43.02 and Emmanuel Cheboson third at 13:43.66.
In the 1,500m, Kemboi placed third in 3:39.93 while Elias Schreml picked up a pair of points in seventh with a 3:43.94.
Running on the 4 x 100 relay for Arkansas were Roman Turner, Connor Washington, Ayden Owens-Delerme, and Phillip Lemonious.
Lemonious led the Razorback charge in the 110m hurdles, placing second in 13.56 behind a 13.28 for LSU’s Eric Edwards. Tre’Bien Gilbert placed third in 13.60 while Owens-Delerme finished fifth in 13.84 and Matthew Lewis-Banks placed sixth in 14.01.
Washington also added a point in the 200m final as he finished eighth in 20.60.
Going into the 4 x 400 relay, the Razorbacks held a 10-point advantage 118-108.
Racing in the first of two sections against Missouri, Arkansas posted a time of 3:06.83 with a crew of Owen-Delerme (47.4), Brandon Battle (45.9), Leroy Russell III (47.8), and James Milholen (45.7). They placed seventh overall while Alabama finished third in 3:02.31.
Russell also supplied five points from the 800m where he finished fourth in 1:47.39 to better his previous best of 1:47.89.
SEC Outdoor final team scores: 1. Arkansas 120, 2. Alabama 114, 3. Tennessee 84, 4. Florida 78, 5. Georgia 75, 6. Texas A&M 71, 7. LSU 70.
