Distance Medley Relay key event for No. 1 Arkansas in Qualifier
FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 1 Razorbacks host their final indoor home meet of the season with the Arkansas Qualifier on Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center and the distance medley relay will be a key event for the Razorbacks.
A total of 32 schools will be represented in the meet as teams have a final opportunity to improve marks prior to upcoming conference meets.
The Arkansas Qualifier will have a live stream on SEC Network + starting at 2:30 p.m. (CT) at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2p87kzv2. Live results are available here: https://tinyurl.com/mprcwypu.
Teams scheduled to compete include Central Missouri, Colorado School of Mines, Crowder (Mo.), Drury, East Texas A&M, Iowa State, Kansas, Little Rock, Missouri Southern, Missouri State, Murray State, Northern Colorado, Northwest Missouri, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Ouachita Baptist, Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC, Pittsburg State, South Florida, South Plains (Texas), TCU, UCLA, UTEP, Virginia, Washburn, and Wichita State.
In the distance medley relay, Arkansas lines up against Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, and Virginia. The top 12 teams nationally qualify for the NCAA Championships.
“We have a big relay with the distance medley at 2:30 p.m. on Friday,” noted Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam. “We have to do well in that relay if we are going to have that event at the national championships.
“On a relay team it’s about being dependable, making sure you get the stick around and you have to give your best effort. That’s what we talk about as we go into this last regular season meet, being a dependable teammate and do your job.”
Over the past four years (2021-2024), 14 of the top 15 collegiate times in the distance medley relay recorded on a 200m banked track have been set at the Tyson Track Center with 10 of the marks established at the Arkansas Qualifier.
Among those 14 times at Tyson, including the collegiate record of 9:16.40 set by Oklahoma State in 2023, teams registering those performances include Washington, Virginia, Oregon, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Texas. The Razorbacks produced a school record of 9:22.13 in 2023.
Rivaldo Marshall headlines the 800m field that will include Razorbacks Elias Schreml, Jadon Bartholomew, and Wyatt Green. Tommy Romanow races in the mile while Jack Williams contests the 3,000m.
In the 60m hurdles, Arkansas entries include TJ Caldwell, Karamoko Sacko and Brevin Sims. Racing in the 200m are Kevin Bello and Tevijon Williams while the 400m includes Connor Washington, Steven McElroy, Bello, and Grant Williams along with alum Lance Lang.
Joshua Blakely is the lone Razorback in the high jump while the long jump includes an Arkansas trio of Sebastian Berntsen, Juriad Hughes, Jr., and Henry Kiner as well as alum LaQuan Nairn, who holds the meet record with a mark of 26-10 (8.18) from 2022.
In the triple jump are Kiner and Link Linsdey with alum Jah-Nhai Perinchief, the meet record holder with a mark of 55-3 (16.84) from 2022.
USATF Indoor Championships
The USATF Indoor Championships will be held this Saturday and Sunday in Staten Island, New York. Racing in the 400m is Chris Bailey, the current world leader with his 44.70 victory at the Tyson Invitational.