Razorbacks collect silver, trio of bronze medals at SEC Indoor

FAYETTEVILLE – A close team battle has developed through five finals held on the first day of the SEC Indoor Championships with Arkansas currently in third place with 27 points on the Lance Harter Track at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Alabama and Ole Miss share the lead with 28 points while Tennessee is in fourth place with 20. Florida advanced a dozen athletes from six events, with four in the 400m and three in the 200m, while Arkansas was one of five schools advancing five to Saturday’s finals.

A tremendous long jump competition supplied the Razorbacks with 15 points off a 2-3-8 finish. Arkansas added six points in the 5,000m and distance medley relays with a pair of bronze medals.

Mississippi State’s Cameron Crump broke the long jump meet record of 27-4 (8.33) set by LSU’s JuVaughn Harrison with a fifth-round leap of 27-6.5 (8.39) which is equal with Arkansas alum Jarrion Lawson for No. 5 on the all-time collegiate list and ranks No. 2 in the world for 2023.

Defending NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion Wayne Pinnock held the lead in the competition with a second-round mark of 27-3.25 (8.31) but opted not to take any more attempts.

Pinnock’s mark ranks No. 9 on the all-time collegiate list, one inch ahead of Bob Beamon, and No. 3 on the UA all-time list, moving ahead of Mike Conley. Pinnock is also the second best Jamaican in the indoor long jump, behind James Beckford.

Defending SEC champion Carey McLeod finished third for the Razorbacks with a distance of 26-10.5 (8.19), moving to No. 5 on the UA all-time list ahead of Melvin Lister. Razorback Ryan Brown supplied one team point in placing eighth with a 25-5.25 (7.75).

In the 5,000m, Patrick Kiprop ran 14:13.07 for third place behind Alabama’s Victory Kiprop (14:08.19) and Tennessee’s Yaseen Abdalla (14:01.19). Razorback Myles Richter finished ninth with a 14:23.65.

A bronze medal in the distance medley relay was generated by a foursome that included Elias Schreml (2:58.06), Jeremy Farr (46.56), Ricardo Banks (1:52.07), and Ben Shearer (3:57.29). Arkansas clocked 9:33.97 behind Tennessee (9:32.75) and Ole Miss (9:33.18).

Lance Lang qualified for the 60m (6.69) and 200m (20.50) finals while 400m world leader Chris Bailey led the qualifying round with a 45.32, the third fastest time this year. They were joined by Tre’Bien Gilbert (7.70) and Phillip Lemonious (7.76) in the 60m hurdles.

The Razorback trio in the heptathlon currently have 18 points as they are stationed in 1-4-6 positions with Ayden Owens-Delerme leading the field with 3,457 points. Marcus Weaver has a tally of 3,196 with Daniel Spejcher at 3,161.

Owens-Delerme has a 181-point lead over Georgia’s Johannes Erm with Mississippi State’s Peyton Bair third at 3,199.

A time of 6.77 scored 966 points for Owens-Delerme in the 60m and he added an overall career best of 25-3.25 (7.70) in the long jump for 985 points in leading both events. Then he had a 48-5.25 (14.76) shot put for 775 points and wrapped up with a 6-3.5 (1.92) high jump for 731 points.

Spejcher launched the best shot put with a mark of 50-0.5 (15.25) for 805 points while Weaver established a career best high jump of 6-9.5 (2.07) for 869 points. They will wrap up the heptathlon with the 60m hurdles, pole vault, and 1,000m on Saturday.