Razorbacks No. 2 in rankings, add six top 10 performances
NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas is ranked No. 2 this week in the USTFCCCA indoor national merit rating, after claiming the top spot last week in the initial rankings for this season. Oregon replaced the Razorbacks in that position following their performances at the Razorback Invitational.
Among national top 10 performances, Arkansas added six new entries with Jalen Brown in the 400 (46.56), Kieran Taylor in the 800 (1:48.66) and Gilbert Boit in the 3,000m (7:53.62). The three other Razorback additions came in one event, the heptathlon, as Markus Ballengee, Etamar Bhastekar and Daniel Spejcher contested their first multi-event of the season.
The Razorbacks currently have a dozen national top 10 performances through three weeks of competition.
Last week marked the first time since the USTFCCCA started a rating system in 2008 that Arkansas men and women were ranked No. 1 in the same week. Previously, both programs were No. 1 in 2016, but not on the same week.
Oregon takes over at No. 1 this week with a point total of 187, followed by Arkansas (160), LSU (139), Texas Tech (112), and Florida State (110). The rest of the top 10 includes Mississippi, North Carolina A&T, Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas A&M. Other SEC schools among the top 25 include Alabama (15) and Kentucky (22).
Arkansas men | National top 16 marks
| 60: | 12) 6.66 Roman Turner |
| 400: | 10) 46.56 Jalen Brown; 12) 46.71 James Milholen |
| 800: | 7) 1:48.66 Kieran Taylor |
| Mile: | 3) 3:58.26 Amon Kemboi; 13) 4:02.74 Gilbert Boit |
| 3000: | 6) 7:53.62 Gilbert Boit |
| 60H: | 7) 7.84 Tre’Bien Gilbert; =13) 7.87 Carl Elliott, III; =13) 7.87 Markus Ballengee |
| 4×400: | 13) 3:09.72 Arkansas |
| PV: | =6) 17-8.5 Etamar Bhastekar |
| LJ: | 7) 25-6.25 John Baker |
| TJ: | 9) 52-4.5 Ryan Brown |
| Wt: | 8) 71-4.25 Ruben Banks |
| Hept: | 2) 5,827 Markus Ballengee; 5) 5,680 Etamar Bhastekar; 9) 5,508 Daniel Spejcher |
