National Relay
The first National Relay Championships went well enough last year that the University of Arkansas is hosting the event again this weekend at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville. The event will showcase many of the nation’s top collegiate track and field teams.
FAYETTEVILLE — The first National Relay Championships went well enough last year that the University of Arkansas is hosting the event again this weekend at John McDonnell Field.
The concept is to hold a meet showcasing college teams with the long-running Drake and Penn relays having a heavy focus on high school and professional athletes.
“Nothing’s easy when you start something new like this,” said Chris Bucknam, coach of Arkansas’ No. 15-ranked men’s team. “It’s a building process.
“We’ll continue to make adjustments as we go, but if you look at the [performances] from last year, it was arguably one of the best track meets in the country.
“The relay portion of it was thin in some events, and that will continue to be so for a little bit. But we’re going to keep working through it.”
Along with Arkansas, teams competing at the National Relay Championships this year will be Texas, Kansas, Stanford, Washington, TCU, Mississippi State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Kansas State.
Mississippi State is the only SEC team in the field along with Arkansas because other conference teams didn’t want to have an additional trip to Fayetteville with the Razorbacks hosting the SEC indoor and outdoor championships
this year.
“We’re trying to include more teams from around the country,” Bucknam said. “Bringing more people into Fayetteville.”
The event opened Thursday with Arkansas senior Erich Sullins winning the hammer throw with a toss of 215-8.
Today’s competition includes primarily individual events, along with the 6,000 and distance medley relays.
Saturday’s events — including four relays each for the men and women — will be run from 10 a.m. to noon to fit a two-hour television window for the SEC Network.
Harter’s Razorbacks, who won the NCAA indoor championship, moved up to No. 1 from No. 3 this week in the coaches poll for the outdoor season.
“I was kind of enjoying laying in the weeds a little bit,” Harter said.
“But I know [last weekend] we posted so many good marks that they’ve got to pay attention.”