Track Hogs hunt for SEC title

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 8 Arkansas Razorback men’s track and field will compete in the SEC Outdoor Championships, Thursday-Sunday, May 14-17, in Gainesville, Fla.

Head coach Chris Bucknam and the Hogs will be in the hunt for Arkansas’ 93rd conference title overall (cross country, indoor and outdoor), its 24th conference outdoor title and its 15th SEC outdoor title. The Razorbacks have won four of the last five SEC Outdoor team titles with the loss coming in 2007 when the Hogs finished third.

Also competing at Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium this weekend will be Alabama, No. 13 Auburn, No. 2 Florida, No. 20 Georgia, No. 25 Kentucky, No. 12 LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, No. 7 South Carolina and Tennessee.

Returning to the SEC Outdoor Championships this weekend, Arkansas sports four defending champions in individual events and is also the defending team champion. In 2008, Alain Bailey won the long jump, Nkosinza Balumbu the triple jump, Luke Laird the javelin and James Strang won the 5,000 meters.

Razorback student-athletes hold the top spot in the SEC in four events: 3,000-meter steeplechase (Scott MacPherson), 5,000 meters (Shawn Forrest), 10,000 meters (Forrest) and the triple jump (Balumbu).

Arkansas has made a habit of topping the awards stand at league cross country and track and field championships. The Razorbacks have won a combined 92 conference crowns (41 cross country, 28 indoor and 23 outdoor). Since the Hogs joined the SEC in time for the 1991-92 season, Arkansas has won 47 of 53 league championships in the three sports. The Hogs have captured 17 of 18 cross country titles, 16 of 18 indoor crowns and 14 of 17 outdoor championships in that time span.

Freshmen Tarik Batchelor, Rick Elliott, Justin Holmes, Marek Niit, Travis Nollsch, Andrew Pennington, Ben Skidmore, Jake Stephens, along with transfer Dorian Ulrey, will make their SEC Outdoor Championship debut this weekend.

Live results can be found at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. A complete meet recap will be available at ArkansasRazorbacks.com shortly after the final event each day of competition. Fox Sports will televise a tape-delayed broadcast of the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships Saturday, May 23, 5-7 p.m. CST.

For more information on the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com or GatorZone.com.

Download: Meet_Program_x4.pdf