Razorbacks Qualify West-Best 37 For NCAA Preliminary
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – With all eyes set on the NCAA Championships, the No. 9 Arkansas men’s track & field team will head to Sacramento, Calif. next weekend with a passel of Hogs entered in the NCAA West Preliminary meet slated to run May 24-26 at Hornet Stadium hosted by Sacramento State University.
The NCAA West Preliminary meet is one of two regional events, which serve as the first round of the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Athletes gain entry into the competition by having one of the top-48 best marks of the region (East or West) in their respective events. In order to advance to the final round in Eugene, Oregon an athlete must finish among the top-12 best (per region) in their respective events.
Razorback Entries
Arkansas will make the cross country trek to the 2018 NCAA West Prelims with 37 entries (in 18 of 21 events) – the most of any men’s program in the country for the third-consecutive year.
Two of those entries, combined events performers Derek Jacobus and Gabe Moore, automatically pass on through to Eugene off their best decathlon scores from earlier this season. This is the second-straight season for Moore to advance to the NCAA meet in the decathlon, and the third-straight for Jacobus who punched his ticket to the show in his lone appearance this season at the SEC Outdoor Championships this past weekend. Arkansas will boast two or more decathletes at NCAA Championships for a third-straight year (fifth-time since 2012 – 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013, 2012) and is the ninth-straight year that the Razorbacks will be represented in the decathlon.
Arkansas also has multiple entries in the 200-meters, 400-meters, 1,500-meters, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000-meters, 10,000-meters,110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump including five entries in 10k. Arkansas is also one of 16 schools to qualify both the 4-x-100-meters and 4-x-400-meter relays for the regional meet this year and have accomplished the feat every year of regional format that began in 2010.
Year-by-Year Entry Count (National Finish)
• 2018 – 35 (TBD)
• 2017 – 35 (4th)
• 2016 – 41 (2nd)
• 2015 – 17 (3rd)
• 2014 – 29 (T-9th)
• 2013 ¬ 29 (3rd)
• 2012 – 38 (8th)
• 2011 – 26 (T-10th)
Relay Royalty
In the current regional format that began in 2010, Arkansas is one of only four programs that have advanced a 4-x-100-meter relay and 4-x-400-meter relay to the prelim every year. The other schools who have accomplished the feat are Florida, LSU, and Texas A&M.
Five Events with Three Hogs
At the West prelims, five out of the 18 events in which Arkansas has entries will feature three Razorbacks on the line or on the runway. Head coach Chris Bucknam’s crew boasts tremendous depth in the 200-meters, 5,000-meters, 10,000-meters, 400-meter hurdles, and long jump.
Returning NCAA Qualifiers (Final Round)
Ten Razorbacks from the 2017 NCAA outdoor fourth-place team return to guide a new group towards national success. Qualifiers from last years outdoor championships include Kenzo Cotton, Roy Ejiakuekwu, Obi Igbokwe, Jack Bruce, Travius Chambers, Kemar Mowatt, Jamarco Stephen, Harrison Schrage, Derek Jacobus, and Gabe Moore.
2018 NCAA West Preliminary Event Breakdown
100-meters
Kenzo Cotton
200-meters
Kenzo Cotton
Roy Ejiakuekwu
Kevin Harris
400-meters
Obi Igbokwe
Jamarco Stephen
1,500-meters
Cameron Griffith
Ethan Moehn
5,000-meters
Jack Bruce
Gilbert Boit
Ryan Murphy
Cameron Griffith
Austen Dalquist
10,000-meters
Austen Dalquist
Gilbert Boit
Andrew Ronoh
Matt Young
Ryan Murphy
110-meter hurdles
Shakiel Chattoo
Larry Donald
400-meter hurdles
Kemar Mowatt
Travius Chambers
Larry Donald
3,000-meter steeplechase
Kyle Hosting
Carter Persyn
4-x-100 meter relay
Roy Ejiakuekwu, Kemar Mowatt, Kevin Harris, Kenzo Cotton
4-x-400 meter relay
Jamarco Stephen, Obi Igbokwe, Ejiakuekwu, Mowatt
High Jump
Rubin Owens
Brendon Rivera
Long Jump
Harrison Schrage
Rubin Owen
Laquan Narin
Triple Jump
Rubin Owens
Discus Throw
Erich Sullins
Hammer Throw
Erich Sullins
Javelin
Alex Springer
Decathlon (Through to NCAA’s in Eugene)
Derek Jacobus
Gabe Moore
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
