Path To The Podium Starts Wednesday
EUGENE, Ore. – On Wednesday afternoon the No. 5 Arkansas men’s track and field team will embark on its final challenge of the season, matching their talents against the best programs in the country at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The ESPN family of networks will live stream and televise the four-day event, beginning Wednesday, June 7 at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU. Fans are encouraged to participate in the event on social media by using the hashtag #NCAATF.
2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships | Eugene, Oregon
Date/Time: Wednesday, June 7, 6:30 p.m. | Thursday (Dec. Only), June 8, 6:30 p.m. | Friday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Hayward Field
Important Links: Meet Schedule | Start Lists | Live Results
Watch Live Wednesday: Session One (ESPNU) | Session Two (ESPN2)
Watch Live Thursday: Session One (ESPN2)
Watch Live Friday: Session One (ESPN) | Session Two (ESPN3)
*All times listed in CT
Scoring Opportunities (Wednesday)
Arkansas’ first chance to put points on the board will come in the long jump on Wednesday evening. Freshman Harrison Schrage and senior Andreas Trajkovski will represent the Razorbacks on the runway, looking to jumpstart Arkansas’ quest for an NCAA podium spot.
The national meet will also serve as a homecoming for Schrage who hails from Portland. Schrage won two gold medals (long jump, triple jump) and two silver medals (100, 200) at Hayward Field last year as a prep at the 2016 Oregon State Championships. He is one of six freshman among 24 entries to qualify for NCAAs in the long jump.
Last year saw Trajkovski finish just out of scoring contention at the outdoor national meet, placing ninth with a best mark of 7.58m/24-10 1/2. This week Trajkovski and his young teammate will look to fill the void left by all-around athlete Jarrion Lawson who led Arkansas to a national runner-up finish with individual victories in three events, including the long jump. The Razorbacks are one of two teams (Florida) with two national entries in the long jump.
Survive and Advance
Away from the field, Arkansas will work to advance 10 entries out of the semifinal rounds on the track.
Junior sprinter Kenzo Cotton will lead that charge, entered into two events individually (100 and 200) and as a member of Arkansas’ 4-x-100-meter relay. Cotton scored points for the Hogs in all three events last year, contributing 7.5 points to the Razorbacks national runner-up finish.
Two other Hogs prepared to work double time for Arkansas, Obi Igbokwe (400) and Kemar Mowatt (400H) will both take on the difficult task of advancing through to finals in their individual events and return back to the oval at the end of the day to assist the Razorbacks’ 4-x-400-meter relay team. Kept out of the 4-x-400-meter relay finals last year due to running .40 seconds slower than conference rival Tennessee, Arkansas will attempt to advance comfortably this time around and ensure a chance to close out its weekend with points on the final day of competition.
Three Season All-American
In the hunt for his third All-America honor this year, Arkansas’ lone representative in the distance events, junior Jack Bruce will contest the 5,000-meter run on Friday evening. Current Nike professional athlete Stanley Kebenei was the last Hog to reach NCAA elite status in all three seasons, placing sixth at NCAA cross country, eighth in the DMR at NCAA indoors and second in the steeplechase at NCAA outdoors in 2014-15.
Arkansas will kick off the NCAA Outdoor Championships on Wednesday, June 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT with Derek Jacobus and Gabe Moore in the decathlon. The decathlon competition will be live streamed on ESPN3, beginning 10 minutes prior to the start of the first event (decathlon 100).
Arkansas Qualifiers (16)
100 Meters – Kenzo Cotton
200 Meters – Kenzo Cotton, Roy Ejiakuekwu, Josh Washington
400 Meters – Obi Igbokwe
800 Meters – Carlton Orange
5,000 Meters – Jack Bruce
400-Meter Hurdles – Travius Chambers, Kemar Mowatt
4-x-100 Meter Relay – Ejiakuekwu, Mowatt, Washington, Cotton
4-x-400 Meter Relay – Stephen, Schwartz, Mowatt, Igbokwe
Long Jump – Harrison Schrage, Andreas Trajkovski
Triple Jump – Clive Pullen
Decathlon – Derek Jacobus, Gabe Moore
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
