No. 1 Razorbacks have 19 entries at NCAA meet

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 1 University of Arkansas men’s track and field team will have 19 scoring opportunities at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships this weekend in Fayetteville. The NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Committee released its accepted entries list Monday evening. The Razorbacks’ 19 entries will be spread among 13 of 17 events at the two-day national meet.

Seniors Tarik Batchelor and Leoman Momoh enter the NCAA weekend ranked as the No. 1 performer in their respective events. Batchelor leads the country in the triple jump with his personal-best mark of 16.53m/54-2.75 at the SEC Championships. At the Arkansas Final Qualifer last weekend, Momoh clocked in at 1:46.07 for 800 meters for the fastest time by a collegiate runner since 2001 and eighth fastest in NCAA history.

The Razorbacks have multiple entries in four events, including four in the 800-meter event. Momoh will be joined in the four-lap race by teammates Tomas Squella, Patrick Rono and Anthony Lieghio. Arkansas will have two entries each at 200 meters with Akheem Gauntlett and Marek Niit, in the long jump with Raymond Higgs and Jarrion Lawson and in the triple jump with Batchelor and Anthony May II. Gauntlett was the national runner-up at 200 meters in 2012.

May, the only Razorback entered in two individual events, will also compete in the high jump. Arkansas will also be represented by Anton Kokorin at 400 meters, Kemoy Campbell at 3,000 meters, Stanley Kebenei at 5,000 meters, Caleb Cross in the 60-meter hurdles, defending NCAA champion Andrew Irwin in the pole vault and Kevin Lazas in the heptathlon.

Arkansas will also have scoring chances in the 4x400-meter and distance-medley relays. The Razorbacks are the defending NCAA champion in the 4x400-meter relay. Last year, the team had 10 national entries at the NCAA meet contested in Nampa, Idaho.

The 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships will be streamed live by ESPN3.com Friday beginning at 5:25 p.m. (CT) and Saturday beginning at 5:50 p.m. Early portions of the meet not covered by ESPN3 will be streamed at NCAA.com and ArkansasRazorbacks.com, beginning with the start of competition each day. A tape-delay broadcast of the national meet will air March 17 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Arkansas will host the NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center for the 11th time in program history. For tickets, visit the Razorback Ticket Center on Razorback Road by Baum Stadium, log on to the online ticket center at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or call 800-982-HOGS (4647). Keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field with the team’s RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.

2013 NCAA Championships Entries

200 Meters
4. Akheem Gauntlett – 20.73
6. Marek Niit – 20.76

400 Meters
12. Anton Kokorin – 46.31

800 Meters
1. Leoman Momoh – 1:46.07
3. Tomas Squella – 1:46.76
8. Patrick Rono – 1:47.66
14. Anthony Lieghio – 1:48.56

3,000 Meters
15. Kemoy Campbell – 7:53.61

5,000 Meters
12. Stanley Kebenei – 13:42.15

60m Hurdles
4. Caleb Cross – 7.65

4x400m Relay
3. Gauntlett/Kokorin/Southard/Braddy – 3:06.26

Distance-Medley Relay
8. Rono/Southard/Lieghio/Campbell – 9:30.22

High Jump
13. Anthony May II – 2.23m/7-3.75

Pole Vault
2. Andrew Irwin – 5.60m/18-4.5

Long Jump
3. Raymond Higgs – 7.95m/26-1
8. Jarrion Lawson – 7.84m/25-8.75

Triple Jump
1. Tarik Batchelor – 16.53m/54-2.75
11. Anthony May – 16.02m/52-6.75

Heptathlon
2. Kevin Lazas – 6,042 points