Razorbacks debut distance medley relay at Arkansas Qualifier
FAYETTEVILLE – Hosting the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday inside Randal Tyson Track Center offers individuals and relay teams an opportunity to improve performances for upcoming conference meets and national championships.
A total of 36 schools will have portions of their respective teams competing. They include Alabama, Azusa Pacific, BYU, Central Arkansas, Central Missouri, Drury, Emporia State, Harding, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas City, Kentucky, Lincoln (Mo.), Memphis, Missouri Southern, Missouri State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Paradise Valley, Pittsburg State, South Dakota State, Southwest Baptist, TAMU – Commerce, TAMU – Texarkana, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Virginia, Washington, Washington State, and Wichita State.
A live stream of the meet begins at 2 p.m. on Friday with the start of the distance medley relays on SEC Network + (https://es.pn/3lFieKS). Live results will be available at this link: https://results.flashresults.com/2023_02-17_ArkQualifier/index.htm.
“We have some guys who have some work to do, and we will also rest some people,” said Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “We have a distance medley relay team that we will run and that’s pretty important. We’re hoping that we can be one of the 12 teams that qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships.
“Last year we qualified on this same weekend. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”
Expected to race for the Razorbacks in the distance medley relay are Ben Shearer (1,200m), James Benson II (400m), Leroy Russell III (800m), and Elias Schreml (1,600m).
Joining the Razorbacks in the field for the distance medley relay are Oklahoma State, Virginia, Iowa State, Alabama, and a pair of teams from Washington.
Currently the 12th best school this indoor season has a time of 9:44.41, while the average over the past four years of the 12th best time is 9:30.73.
Virginia is the current collegiate leader for 2023 with a 9:27.80 followed by a 9:29.08 for Oklahoma State.
The 60m hurdles will have an array of Razorbacks racing, led by Tre’Bien Gilbert, Phillip Lemonious and Matthew Lewis-Banks. Competing in the 60m is Lance Lang while Connor Washington takes a full tour of the track in the 200m.
Another crew of Razorbacks are entered in the 400m with Jeremy Farr racing in the final of nine sections. The eighth section includes Devontie Archer and TJ Tomlyanovich while section seven has Brandon Battle and Tristan LaVan. Phillip Anderson races in section six.
The 800m will have Ricardo Banks and Ethan Carney racing a trio of runners from Iowa State in the fourth section.
Arkansas alum Amon Kemboi is scheduled to compete in the mile and will be joined by Razorbacks Jacob McLeod and Reuben Reina in the final section.
Jordan West currently ranks No. 2 on the UA all-time shot put list and No. 5 on the 2023 colleigate list with a career best of 66-5.75 (20.26). This week he will contest the weight throw, where he has a best of 60-6 (18.44) from the 2020 season. West placed 12th in the 2020 SEC Indoor in the weight throw.
Arkansas alum Andrew Irwin returns among a pole vault field of 20, which includes Razorback Rhett Nelson along with a trio of multi-eventers in Daniel Spejcher, Marcus Weaver, and Noah Swaby. Carey McLeod and Lindsey Link compete in the triple jump while John Baker and Ryan Brown are entered in the long jump.
