No. 2 Razorbacks collect four wins, NCAA lead

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The No. 2 University of Arkansas men’s track and field team opened its outdoor season Saturday with four wins and an NCAA-leading performance at the Texas State Elite in San Marcos, Texas. The meet marked the Razorbacks’ first competition since winning the NCAA indoor team title earlier this month. In the scored event that also featured No. 5 Texas, No. 12 UCLA, UT-San Antonio and host Texas State, Arkansas finished fourth with 84.5 points.

The Razorbacks opened the day with a 1-2 finish in the javelin, led by a first-place performance by Jeff Woods. In round four—the final round of the day—he got the implement out to a personal-best mark of 63.08m/206-11. Teammate Pete Mirocke, in his Arkansas debut, finished second in the event with a throw of 60.21m/197-6 on his final attempt of the competition.

Anthony May II added the team’s second win of the day with his performance in the long jump. Dealing with a headwind, the Razorback junior had a day’s best mark of 7.11m/23-4 to secure first place. Saturday’s meet marked the outdoor debut for May at Arkansas. He was an indoor All-American for the Razorbacks in the high jump and triple jump.

Arkansas swept with vertical jumps with Andrew Irwin taking first in the pole vault and Dwayne Golbek and Noah Kittelson trying for first in the high jump. Based on marks entering the weekend, Irwin’s winning performance of 5.60m/18-4.5 is the national leader. Saturday’s meet is the first for the Mount Ida, Ark., native since winning the NCAA indoor title on March 8. In the high jump, Golbek and Kittelson were among of a group of four competitors with a first-place clearance of 2.10m/6-10.75.

The Razorbacks capped their efforts Saturday with a victory in the 4x400-meter relay. The foursome of Caleb Cross, Neil Braddy, Tomas Squella and Anton Kokorin out-performed the competition with a winning time of 3:09.92. Based on time entering the weekend, the time for Arkansas represents the fourth-fastest mark in the NCAA through the early stages of the season.

Including Mirocke’s performance in the javelin, the Razorbacks totaled six more top-five showings. On the track, Jarrion Lawson ran to a second-place finish at 200 meters. The Arkansas freshman finished second overall with a time of 21.48. In the first running event of the day, the 4x100-meter relay team of Lawson, Cross, Braddy and Kokorin combined for a third-place finish in 40.53.

Top-five efforts in field events included a trio of fifth-place finishes in the high jump, long jump and shot put. Brede Ellingsen tied for fifth place in the high jump with a final clearance of 2.05m/6-8.75, Golbek—in his second event—finished fifth in the long jump and Devin Randall had a best throw of 15.86m/52-0.5 in the shot put for the team’s third fifth-place result.

Arkansas returns to action next weekend with the team split between its home Spring Invitational and the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. For more information regarding Razorback track and field or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Fans can also keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field through the team’s sport-specific RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.

Saturday Results

100 Meters
4. Neil Braddy – 10.86 [4 points]
 
200 Meters
2. Jarrion Lawson – 21.48 [8 points]
8. Neil Braddy – 21.86
12. Anthony May II – 22.71
 
400 Meters
10. Nathanael Franks – 49.23
12. David Wren – 49.58
15. Auston Chen – 52.13
 
800 Meters
7. Drew Butler – 1:52.73 [1 point]
 
1,500 Meters
12. Anthony Lieghio – 3:57.09
14. Andrew Pisechko – 4:05.01
16. Leoman Momoh – 4:15.05
 
110m Hurdles
7. Matt Kirbos – 15.85
9. Noah Kittelson – 16.15
 
4x100m Relay
3. Cross/Lawson/Braddy/Kokorin – 40.53 [6 points]
 
4x400m Relay
1. Cross/Braddy/Squella/Kokorin – 3:09.92 [10 points]
7. Wren/Franks/Momoh/Lieghio – 3:22.43
8. Sommer/Pisechko/Butler/Bourke – 3:30.02
9. Kirbos/Chen/Kittelson/Ellingsen – 3:38.34
 
High Jump
1. Dwayne Golbek – 2.10m/6-10.75 [7 points]
1. Noah Kittelson – 2.10m/6-10.75 [7]
5. Brede Ellingsen – 2.05m/6-8.75
 
Pole Vault
1. Andrew Irwin – 5.60m/18-4.5 [10 points]
 
Long Jump
1. Anthony May II – 7.11m/23-4 [10 points]
5. Dwayne Golbek – 6.83m/22-5 [1.5]
7. Brede Ellingsen – 6.66m/21-10.25
 
Shot Put
5. Devin Randall – 15.86m/52-0.5 [2 points]
12. Deatrich Wise, Jr. – 13.88m/45-6.5
 
Discus
12. Deatrich Wise, Jr. – 41.69m/136-9
14. Nathanael Franks – 39.41m/129-3
15. Auston Chen – 39.06m/128-1
18. Matt Kirbos – 31.43m/103-1
--. Devin Randall – NM
--. Julius Sommer – NM
 
Javelin
1. Jeff Woods – 63.08m/206-11 (PR – prev: 202-11) [10 points]
2. Pete Mirocke – 60.21m/197-6 [8]