Razorback Jelani Watkins moved to No. 2 on the UA all-time 200m list with a career best victory in 20.43 seconds during the second day of the Tyson Invitational which had a crowd of 2,379 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback Jelani Watkins moved to No. 2 on the UA all-time 200m list with a career best victory in 20.43 seconds during the second day of the Tyson Invitational which had a crowd of 2,379 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
It marked the second event in which Watkins has the No. 2 mark in Arkansas history after posting a 6.52 in the 60m on Friday.
An indoor debut by Tyrice Taylor in the 800m broke the Jamaican national indoor record with a winning time of 1:46.11 and Rivaldo Marshall ranks No. 2 among Jamaicans with his runner-up time of 1:46.30. The previous Jamaican national record was 1:46.61 set by Tarees Rhoden in 2023.
The pair of career best efforts had Taylor and Marshall placing 1-2 with times that rank Taylor No. 3 on the UA all-time list and Marshall No. 4. They finished ahead of Florida’s Miguel Pantojas (1:46.49) and Penn State’s Niko Schultz (1:46.53).
Racing at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Washington, Ernest Cheruiyot placed third in the 5,000m with a career best of 13:17.48, which ranks No. 3 on the UA all-time list. Florida’s Kelvin Cheruiyot won the race in 13:15.57 while Elsingi Kipruto of Louisville finished second in 13:15.74.
Improving his previous 200m best of 20.78, Watkins delivered the fastest 200m on the day, including the winning time of 20.56 by Noah Lyles in the Championship 200m.
Joining Watkins with a career best in the 200m was teammate Tevijon Williams, who posted a 20.56 and moved to No. 5 on the UA all-time list. Dapriest Hogans won a section on 20.73 while Jamarion Stubbs finished second in another section at 20.72.
Lyles entertained the enthusiastic crowd at the Tyson Center and they responded with a Hog Call for the Olympic 100m gold medalist following his first indoor 200m race since 2021. Lyles ran 20.56 in defeating Cheickna Traoure (20.63) and Randolph Ross (20.78).
Arkansas closed out the meet with a 3:03.40 effort in the 4 x 400m relay to place third behind Florida’s world-leading 3:02.15 and Tennessee’s 3:02.46 in the first section.
The Razorback foursome included Zyaire Nuriddin (47.48), Jordan Pierre (45.12), Zander Cruzan (45.93), and Devyn Wright (44.87). LSU claimed the second heat in 3:03.05 to place third overall and bumped Arkansas into fourth overall.
The anchor split by Wright ranks No. 3 among Razorbacks behind Chris Bailey (44.14) and James Benson II (44.65).
Abraham Johnson placed seventh in the Championship triple jump with a mark of 52-10.75 (16.12) while Scottie Vines finished 10th in the Championship high jump with a clearance of 7-1 (2.16).
