Razorbacks Leap Into Top 10
NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas men’s track and field jumped up three spots to No. 8 in the national rankings following a decisive team win at last weekend’s Razorback invitational. The new national team rankings were announced by the USTFCCCA Monday morning.
Arkansas rose to the occasion at the Razorback Invitational — which featured seven nationally ranked programs — and collected 122.2 points to finish in first place as a team.
Two-time NCAA national champion Jarrion Lawson captivated audiences and coaches alike by jumping an NCAA and world-leading mark in the long jump with 8.17m/26-9.75. A member of the Bowerman Watch list, Lawson has not competed in the event since June 2015.
Lawson earned more accolades with his 6.62 performance in the 60-meter dash to finish in second place behind NCAA leader John Teeters, of Oklahoma State. The Arkansas senior’s time gave him the program record in the event over former Razorback standout J-Mee Samuels.
In addition to Lawson, four other Razorbacks made moves in the NCAA event rankings with their solid efforts from the weekend.
Underclassmen Kenzo Cotton, Jamarco Stephen and Carlton Orange showcased their talents at 200, 400 and 800-meters, respectively.
Cotton finished second at 200 meters in 20.78 to slide into the No. 5 spot on the NCAA performance list.
Stephen raced to a new personal best of 46.85 in the 400-meter dash to go from unranked to the thirteenth-best collegian in the country.
Orange dominated his first collegiate 800-meter run winning in 1:47.34 to become the second best freshman in the event in the country as well as the sixth best collegian overall.
The Razorbacks will return to action at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 12-13 at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Tickets are just $5 for adults and children 17-and-under get in free.
Arkansas will host the 2016 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships on Feb. 26-27. All-Session tickets for the 2016 SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships are now on sale. The two-day, all-session ticket prices are $35 for reserved seating and $25 for adult general admission. Tickets can be purchased by logging on to arkansasrazorbacks.com or calling 800-982-HOGS.
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings (Top 25)
1. Florida
2. Texas A&M
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. LSU
6. Oregon
7. TCU
8. Arkansas
9. Tennessee
10. Georgia
11. Washington
12. Stanford
13. Colorado
14. Texas Tech
15. Nebraska
16. Alabama
17. Southern California
18. Virginia
19. Syracuse
20. Oklahoma State
21. Penn State
22. Portland
23. Southern Illinois
24. Kansas State
25. NC State
