Arkansas’ McLeod takes a flyer, wins steeplechase

FAYETTEVILLE — For a man who hadn’t even practiced operating the three,000-meter steeplechase till Thursday, College of Arkansas redshirt junior Jacob McLeod had a formidable racing debut within the occasion.

McLeod, a scorer at SEC meets in cross nation and the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, received the steeplechase Friday on the John McDonnell Invitational in 9:07.60 for the No. 1-ranked Razorbacks.

“Jacob got here as much as me this week and stated, ‘Hey, I believe I can do the steeple,’ ” Arkansas males’s Coach Chris Bucknam stated. “It’s just a little late within the season to be beginning a brand new occasion, however I stated, ‘OK, we’ll go over just a few hurdles and water obstacles and test it out.’

“He was just about a pure, so we determined to race him [on Friday]. He jumped in there and had a superb opener.

“It’s not his most important occasion, however that is one thing we predict he can do on the SEC meet. He’s run 7:54 within the open 3,000. He simply wants some work going into the hurdles, however he’d actually by no means achieved it.”

Bucknam stated he was happy with how McLeod attacked a difficult occasion.

“That takes some braveness to step on the market and do one thing just like the steeplechase, which is usually a disastrous race when you don’t be careful,” Bucknam stated of runners tripping and falling. “You concentrate on the very fact he is going on the market and operating over 30 obstacles and water jumps, that’s type of courageous.”

Arkansas took the highest three spots within the 200 with junior Lance Lang profitable in 20.58, adopted by sophomore Connor Washington (20.61) and junior James Benson (20.71).

“Lance Lang did an impressive job, however he’s definitely obtained much more within the tank,” Bucknam stated. “He’s a giant piece for us. He’s obtained plenty of expertise and nice vary from the 100 to the 400.”

Arkansas’ 1,600 relay of senior Chris Bailey, Benson, Lang and Washington received in a meet-record 3:04.35. Bailey, operating his solely race of the meet, ran 44.7 on the leadoff leg.

Former Arkansas All-Individuals Omar McLeod, Jarrion Lawson, Marqueze Washington and Kemar Mowatt, competing as Trackwired Elite, received the 400 relay in 39.17.

The Razorbacks’ 400 relay of senior Carey McLeod, Lang, Washington and Benson took second in 39.68.

Arkansas took the highest three spots within the 110 hurdles with Phillip Lemonious profitable in a season-best 13.77, adopted by senior Matthew Lewis-Banks (13.90) and sophomore Brevin Sims (14.05).

Arkansas senior Roje Stona and sophomore Ralford Mullings received the shot-put and discus, respectively, and set meet information.

Stona had a personal-best 65-10 1/2 profitable mark and Mullings had with a throw of 199-2.

Razorbacks sophomore Jordan West took third within the shot-put (62-3 1/4) and fourth within the discus (172-10).

Devontie Archer, a redshirt freshman for the Razorbacks, received the 400 hurdles in 51.50.

Arkansas obtained second-place finishes from juniors John Baker within the lengthy soar (24-2 1/4), Tomas Ferrari within the excessive soar (6-11) and freshman Reuben Reina within the 1,500 (3:46.45).

“We obtained some stuff achieved,” Bucknam stated. “I believe we made a optimistic step ahead.”

In girls’s competitors, Arkansas junior Britton Wilson had this weekend off after profitable the 400 meters in a collegiate-record 49.51 seconds final week in Gainesville, Fla., however the Razorbacks nonetheless dominated the occasion Friday.

The No. 3-ranked Razorbacks took the highest 5 spots within the 400, led by junior Nickisha Pryce profitable in a meet document and personal-best time of 51.47 seconds that ranks No. 8 on the UA’s all-time checklist.

Pryce, a switch from Iowa Western Group Faculty, was adopted within the high 5 by Arkansas senior Paris Peoples (52.19), sophomore Aaliyah Pyatt (53.36) and juniors Tiana Wilson (53.41) and Amber Anning (54.46).

“Coach Johnson has achieved a unbelievable job with all of the sprinters, however the 400 are type of the hub of that crew,” Arkansas girls’s Coach Lance Harter stated of assistant coach Chris Johnson. “If any person has a time without work, we now have others to step ahead.

“We’re relying on them to be a weapon for us. They proved it indoors, and I believe they could possibly be even higher outdoor.”

Pryce broke the earlier meet document of 51.71 run by Wilson in 2021. Wilson missed final yr recovering from a torn Achilles tendon she suffered throughout the 2021 NCAA Outside Championships.

“Each meet, each exercise is necessary to Tiana,” Bucknam stated. “She is aware of she’s behind due to the restoration from Achilles surgical procedure, however she’s making good headway.”

Razorbacks junior Ackera Nugent received the 100 in a meet-record 11.13. Sophomore Rosey Effiong received the 200 in 23.03 with former Razorback Jada Baylark second in 23.14.

“That was a unbelievable effort for Ackera within the 100,” Harter stated. “She was nonetheless accelerating the final 30 meters, which simply exhibits that her power and energy continues to escalate.”

Razorbacks freshman Ariane Linton completed third within the 100 (11.31) and 200 (23.16).

Arkansas senior Kaitlyn Banas and junior Mackenzie Hayward every cleared 13-9 to take 1-2 within the pole vault. Razorbacks junior Amanda Fassold, a two-time NCAA champion getting back from a wrist damage, was third with a clearance of 13-5.

Mackenzie Rogers, an Arkansas freshman competing unattached, received the ladies’s steeplechase in 10:59.36.

Arkansas junior Gracie Hyde ran a personal-best 4:19.20 to take second within the 1,500.

“Actually happy with Gracie,” Harter stated. “These have been large steps for her.”