No. 2 Razorbacks lead entries for NCAA Indoor with 15 in 10 events
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas, the defending national indoor champions, will have the most entries with 15 for the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships and will contest the most events as the Razorbacks are entered in 10 events for the meet that will be held in Boston, March 7-9.
Arkansas moved up to No. 2 in the national ratings following the conference championship weekend. Texas Tech returned to the No. 1 position while Northern Arizona dropped from first to No. 3. The rest of the top 10 includes Florida, Washington, USC, Texas, Nebraska, Alabama, and Houston.
The Razorbacks won a fifth consecutive SEC Indoor Championship with a total of 163 points, the most scored over the past 11 years since the league expanded in 2013. The previous top score was 152.5 by Arkansas in 2013.
The 15 entries by Arkansas is its highest total since 18 in 2021. Under Razorback head coach Chris Bucknam the highest number of entries occurred in 2013 with 19 when Arkansas won the NCAA Indoor championship.
Texas Tech follows with 14 entries while Florida will have 11 as Northern Arizona and Washington have 10 each. Arkansas will contest a leading 10 events in Boston with Florida following with nine while Washington and Texas are in eight each.
The Razorbacks are the lone school to qualify for both relay events and this marks the sixth consecutive year Arkansas has qualified in both the 4 x 400m relay and distance medley relay.
This marks the 14th consecutive year for the Razorbacks to qualify in the 4 x 400m relay, following 19 consecutive years for Texas A&M. It will be the eighth consecutive year for Arkansas to race in the distance medley relay, following eight consecutive years for Indiana.
Four Razorbacks are entered in the heptathlon, marking a leading eighth consecutive year Arkansas has qualified an athlete for the event. Iowa and Texas have each qualified a heptathlete the past five years.
This will be an equal leading fifth year for the Razorbacks to have a long jumper in the NCAA Indoor field, sharing the distinction with Florida State.
Wayne Pinnock, the 2022 NCAA Indoor long jump champion, is the world leader at 27-4.5 (8.34) and won the SEC Indoor title with a leap of 27-2 (8.28). Another Razorback collegiate leader this season is Romaine Beckford, the defending NCAA Indoor high jump champion, with a career best of 7-5.25 (2.27).
NCAA Indoor | Arkansas entries
15 Entries, 10 Events, 19 Athletes
| 60 | =15) | Jordan Anthony |
| 200 | 8) | Lance Lang |
| 5,000 | 8) | Peter Maru |
| 12) | Kirami Yego | |
| 16) | Patrick Kiprop | |
| 60 Hurdles | =9) | Tai Brown |
| 4 x 400 Relay | 3) | Arkansas (TJ Tomlyanovich, Lance Lang, William Spencer, Steven McElroy) |
| Distance Medley | 7) | Arkansas (Reuben Reina, TJ Tomlyanovich, Riley Wells, Ben Shearer) |
| High Jump | 1) | Romaine Beckford |
| Long Jump | 1) | Wayne Pinnock |
| Shot Put | 5) | Rojé Stona |
| Heptathlon | 5) | Yariel Soto Torrado |
| =6) | Jack Turner | |
| 9) | Marcus Weaver | |
| 10) | Daniel Spejcher |