Hog Calls

No crying, but UA athletes stand tall

Sandi Morris competes during the women's pole vault final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Sunday, July 10, 2016, in Eugene Ore. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Sandi Morris competes during the women's pole vault final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Sunday, July 10, 2016, in Eugene Ore. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

FAYETTEVILLE -- If they seceded from their countries to compete as Razorbacks again, the University of Arkansas would field a formidable track team in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Fifteen who have competed for the Razorbacks' men or women will represent six countries in Rio.

"Quite a haul," Arkansas women's Coach Lance Harter said. "What an exceptional cadre of people, especially considering a lot of countries won't have that type of representation. It's pretty cool."

Arkansas men's Coach Chris Bucknam expresses equal pride.

The 15 Olympians include six competing for the United States: Long jumper Jarrion Lawson and sprinter Tyson Gay (400 relay) for the men, and for the women pole vaulters Lexi Weeks and Sandi Morris, Chrishuna Williams (800 meters), and Taylor Ellis-Watson (1,600 relay).

Returning Razorbacks senior-to-be triple jumper Clive Pullen, and former Razorbacks Omar McLeod (110 hurdles), and Kemoy Campbell (5,000) compete for Jamaica's men.

Veronica Campbell-Brown (200 dash and 400 relay) competes for Jamaica's women.

Former Razorbacks becoming 2016 women Olympians include Dominique Scott (10,000) and Christine Kalmer (marathon) for South Africa; pole vaulter Tina Sutej of Slovenia; Sparkle McKnight of Trinidad (400 hurdles; and Regina George of Nigeria (1,600 relay).

Other than Gay, who ran for retired Razorbacks' men's coach John McDonnell, and Campbell, sprinting for Harter's 2004 Lady Razorbacks when now Purdue Coach Lonnie Greene coached sprinters, all the UA Olympians were directly coached either by distance coaches Bucknam and Harter, or men's field events coach Travis Geopfert, men's sprints coach Doug Case or women's sprints coach Chris Johnson or women's field events coach Bryan Compton.

An outstanding team effort cooperatively compiled by coaches of outstanding teams.

Both teams won SEC cross country-indoor-outdoor triple crowns in 2016-2017. Nationally Bucknam's men finished sixth in cross country and second in both indoor and outdoor track while Harter's women were ninth in cross country, second indoors, and NCAA Outdoor champions.

Some of their accomplishments are truly historic.

Lawson, a finalist and should be favorite for the Bowerman Award, college track's equivalent to football's Heisman, became the first since Ohio State legend Jesse Owens in 1936 to win the NCAA Outdoor 100 and 200-meter dashes and long jump in the same year.

Freshman Weeks of Cabot becomes the youngest ever U.S. women's Olympic vaulter and perhaps the first to be told "there is no crying in track."

Harter got a TV kick watching Compton and Weeks on TV interact as she sobbed upon making the team at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, Ore.

"On TV you can see after she makes it that she's on the mat crying and looks at him and he says, 'Quit crying!" Harter said. "And you can hear her say, 'OK' and take a deep breath."

And then cry some more.

"An hour later we are still crying," Compton said, likely having fought his own emotions seeing Morris and Weeks make the U.S. team. "That was pretty special."

Sports on 07/13/2016

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