Three collegiate transfers sign with Razorbacks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas men’s track and field had three collegiate athletes sign a national letter of intent with the Razorbacks on national signing day, with two of the three transfers joining the program in January.
The trio includes Shakwon Coke, of Kingston, Jamaica; Noah Swaby of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Ricardo Banks of Houston, Texas. Joining the Razorbacks in January are Swaby and Banks.
Coke, who will be with Arkansas in the fall of 2022, is a long and triple jumper at Barton County who was named the 2021 NJCAA National Field Athlete of the Year in 2021. He has won five of six NJCAA titles contested, with three long jump victories and a pair of triple jump titles. In addition, he produced the third-best long jump in NJCAA history with a 26-9 ¼ (8.16) leap as well as the fourth-best triple jump, in all-conditions, with a wind-aided 54-9 ½ (16.70).
As a prep in Jamaica, Coke attended St. Andrew Tech and Kingston College. Coke is the latest of a long lineage of Kingston College athletes to come to Arkansas – a storied list, which includes Olympians and World championships competitors Tarik Batchelor, Alain Bailey, Omar McLeod and Clive Pullen.
The talented group boasts an Olympic gold medalist, world championship gold medalist, a combined 11 SEC titles, 19 first-team All-America performances and seven NCAA titles among them.
Swaby, a decathlete from Penn State who went to high school at Taylor Allderdice, has qualified for the NCAA Championships decathlon twice and earned a bronze medal in the 2019 Big 10 decathlon. He has produced career best scores of 7,517 in the decathlon and 5,292 in the heptathlon.
Banks, a middle-distance runner at Little Rock who went to Cypress Falls high school in Texas, equaled the Little Rock school record in the 800m with a 1:50.82 during the Sun Belt Conference Championships. Banks finished fourth twice in 2021 at the indoor and outdoor conference meets in the 800m.
National Signing Day | Future Razorbacks
Shakwon Coke Barton CC | Kingston College | St. Andrew Kingston, Jamaica
2021 NJCAA National Field Athlete of the Year. Produced third-best long jump in NJCAA history with a 26-9 ¼ (8.16), as well as fourth-best triple jump, in all-conditions, with a wind-aided 54-9 ½ (16.70). Swept long jump (24-10 ¼ | 7.58) and triple jump (50-10 ¾ | 15.51) during 2021 NJCAA Outdoor Championships. Won 2021 NJCAA Indoor long jump and finished second in the triple jump. Finished third in long jump at 2021 Jamaican Championships and won NACAC U22 long jump title.
In 2020, swept NJCAA Indoor long jump and triple jump with then career best marks of 25-6 ¼ (7.78) and 53-1 ½ (16.19).
Noah Swaby Penn State | Taylor Allderdice HS Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Two-time qualifier for NCAA Championships in the decathlon, and 2019 bronze medalist in the Big 10 Championships decathlon. Has produced career best scores of 7,517 in decathlon and 5,292 in heptathlon. Finished 13th in 2021 NCAA decathlon to earn second team All-America honor.
Ricardo Banks Little Rock | Cypress Falls HS Houston, Texas
Placed fourth in the Sun Belt Conference 800m twice during 2021 season, indoors and outdoors. Equaled outdoor school record of 1:50.82 in prelims of conference meet. Also competed on 4×400 and distance medley relays in Sun Belt Championships. Collegiate best times also include 50.02 (400m), 4:05.90 (1,500m), and 4:28.38 (Mile).
