SEC Triple Crown recognized by Chancellor

FAYETTEVILLE – In celebration of its 2012 Southeastern Conference outdoor title, the University of Arkansas men’s track and field team was honored Tuesday evening with a reception hosted by Chancellor G. David Gearhart at the Wallace W. and Jama W. Fowler House. The on-campus recognition was also in honor of the Razorbacks’ SEC Triple Crown during the 2011-12 season.

Gearhart and his wife, Jane, in conjunction with Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long, formed the initiative to recognize Razorback teams that have won an SEC Championship with a ceremony at the Fowler House, home of Chancellor and Mrs. Gearhart.

“There are not many teams that achieve this kind of success and I want you to know we are very proud of you and what you have done for the University of Arkansas,” Gearhart said while addressing the team. “Congratulations all the way around, for your athletic pursuits and for your academic pursuits. Congratulations on the Triple Crown. Your University couldn’t be more proud of you.”

In addition to the Razorback track and field student-athletes, coaches and staff were joined by members of the University administration for the ceremony. After comments from Chancellor Gearhart, Long and head coach Chris Bucknam, members of the team were presented with a Chancellor’s Award medal for their accomplishments during the season.

Arkansas completed its 13th SEC Triple Crown with a victory at the 2012 SEC Outdoor Championships in Baton Rouge, La. During the season, the Razorbacks had also won the conference cross country and indoor titles. At the outdoor event, the team collected eight event titles and scored 196 points to outdistance the competition, finishing 78 points clear of runner-up LSU. The win also marked the program’s 17th SEC outdoor team crown.

“This is a special group,” Bucknam said. “We are continuing to push forward and strive to get better, but we don’t want to skip over the accomplishments of what this team did last year. Winning never gets old. Having these visits never gets old. Just like the professionals will say they’re going to Disneyland, when our guys win they know they’re going to see the Chancellor.”

Dating back to their team title at the 2011 SEC Outdoor Championships in Athens, Ga., the Razorbacks have won four consecutive conference events. The team hosts the 2013 SEC Indoor Championships on Feb. 22-24 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

Currently ranked No. 22 in the nation, the Arkansas men’s cross country team returns to competition Saturday morning for the Virginia/Panorama Farms Invitational in Earlysville, Va. The race is scheduled for a 9 a.m. (CT) start on the University of Virginia home course. The Razorbacks will look to defend their conference crown Oct. 26 in Nashville, Tenn., at the SEC Championship.

For more information regarding Razorback cross country and track and field or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Fans can also follow the latest concerning Razorback cross country and track and field with its sport-specific RazorbackTF Twitter and Facebook pages.