EUGENE, Ore. -- Arkansas Coach Chris Bucknam couldn't have asked for more from his men's track and field team.
The Razorbacks, with six individual entrants and two relay teams, scored 53 points to finish third in the team race Friday at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
MEN’S TOP 5
Final standings
TEAM;PTS.
- Oregon; 85
- Florida; 56
- Arkansas; 53
- LSU; 45
- Southern Cal;40.5
Oregon posted 85 points for a runaway victory in front of its enthusiastic fans at Hayward Field, while Arkansas' SEC rival, Florida (56), edged out the Razorbacks in the final men's event, the 1,600 relay, for second place in the team standings.
"We all went to the well, stayed dialed in to what needed to be done," Bucknam said. "I couldn't be more proud of this team. We absolutely got the most out of them.''
The day started out with a big fist pump for the Razorbacks, who surprised many by winning the 400 relay in a school-record 38.47 seconds. The team of Jarrion Lawson, Omar McLeod, Kenzo Cotton and Marqueze Washington returned for the concluding 1,600 relay, albeit in a different order, and finished sixth in 3:05.91.
In between the two relays, every athlete in an Arkansas uniform but one contributed to the cause, from McLeod and his wind-aided (3.9 meters per second) victory in the 110 hurdles in 13.01 to Lawson's similarly wind-aided (2.7) third-place finish in the 100 meters in 9.90 and Kemoy Campbell's third-place finish in the 5,000 meters in 13:49.23 that broke up a possible 1-2-3 finish by Oregon runners.
Other Arkansas points were scored by Stanley Kebenei, second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:34.28, and Clive Pullen, seventh in the triple jump with a wind-aided leap of 53 feet, 4½ inches.
Pullen, a Jamaican like Campbell and McLeod, used an expression from his island home to sum up his contribution.
"Every nickel makes a muckle,'' said Pullen, meaning that every little bit helps. "It's always an honor to be able to contribute to the cause in that chase for the national championship. I did my part.''
Individually, Lawson and McLeod were Arkansas' stars.
Lawson finished second in the long jump Wednesday with an outdoor personal-best leap of 27-4½, ran that 9.90 in the 100 meters for third behind Southern Cal's Andre De Grasse (9.75) and Baylor's Trayvon Bromell (9.88), and helped the Hogs win the 400 relay and finish sixth in the 1,600.
McLeod ran on both relays and crushed the field in the 110-meter hurdles, winning by more than two-tenths of a second.
"We competed hard," Lawson said. "We did better than anyone thought. We went out and did what we do best -- be a competitor. I feel great about it.''
Running so fast in only his fourth 100-meter final might give Lawson pause as to what really is his best event, the 100 meters or the long jump. With a legal wind reading of 2.0 or less, he probably would have broken 10-flat.
"I was very happy with it,'' he said. "Nine ninety in any conditions, that's just fast. For this to be my fourth time running it, I feel great with it.
"I know from the Olympics that historically the 100 meters and long jump is a natural double. I feel I can run faster. I don't necessarily train for the 100. I train for the long jump, which helps me in the 100. Running 9.90, it's hard not to put someone in that [event].''
McLeod will return to Jamaica for his national trials in hopes of making his country's World Championships team. He said winning the outdoor title means a lot more to his countrymen than the indoor title he won in March.
"Jamaica is all [about] outdoors,'' he said. "I really wanted to come out and show my class, and I did that.''
The 3,000-meter steeplechase final was a near-repeat from last year as Anthony Rotich of Texas-El Paso held off Kebenei on the final lap to win his third consecutive NCAA title. Unlike a year ago, Kebenei did not take a tumble over a barrier.
This time, Kebenei battled Rotich throughout the final lap and down the homestretch before Rotich edged ahead to win in 8:33.90 to Kebenei's 8:34.28.
Arkansas' Ken LeGassey cleared 7-1 in the high jump but failed to advance to the final three rounds of the high jump. He finished 13th.
Sports on 06/13/2015