‘Collective effort’ puts UA in hunt for double-double

The University of Arkansas men’s and women’s track and field teams are going for a historic double-double at the NCAA Indoor Championships today and Saturday in Boston at the New Balance World Headquarters.

Last year, Arkansas became the fourth college to sweep men’s and women’s national titles indoors along with LSU (2004), Arizona State (2008) and Oregon (2014 and 2016).

No school ever has swept NCAA Indoor titles in backto-back years, but it’s a realistic goal for the Razorbacks, considering their men’s and women’s teams both are ranked No. 1 in the coaches polls.

“It was cool when it happened last year,” Arkansas men’s Coach Chris Bucknam of the Razorbacks’ national indoor sweep. “Do we want to regain that feeling? Absolutely.”

Arkansas has separate coaching staffs for its men’s and women’s teams, but their offices are located side by side at John McDonnell Field and their athletes often train together and sometimes travel on the same chartered airplane.

“They cheer for us and we cheer for them, and we want what’s best for them,” said Chris Johnson, in his first year as the Razorbacks’ women’s coach after 12 years as an assistant. “It’s one Arkansas as it pertains to our teams.

“As a collective effort, I think our staff and Buck’s staff work well together. It’s motivating to see them do well, and I’m sure it’s motivating for them to see us do well. It keeps us all accountable.

“There wouldn’t be anything better than to walk away with a double national championship for the University of Arkansas back to back. That would be history, and it would be nothing short of phenomenal as well.”

Arkansas’ women’s team will have 17 entries with 14 athletes competing in nine events. Texas is second with 11 entries in eight events and Oregon has 10 entries in nine events.

The Razorbacks have the top four times in the women’s 400 meters this season with Amber Anning, Nickisha Pryce, Kaylyn Brown and Rosey Effiong. Anning, Pryce and Effiong also are in the 200.

“Obviously it’s a big ask for them to do the 400 and 200, and we understand that,” Johnson said. “But we’ve trained them and prepared them to do that.

“These kids have bought into our team and winning the championship. They’re motivated and they’re excited to go out there and compete.

“This is for Arkansas and the legacy of the program.”

The Razorbacks’ women’s team, which has won four NCAA Indoor titles since 2019, also has the top qualifying mark in the 1,600 relay and the No. 3 high jumper in Rachel Glenn.

“We feel good about the amount of bodies that we’ve got in the meet, but those bodies have got to go out and do the work,” Johnson said. “That’s the most important thing.

“We’ve got to be able to execute on these two days and see if we can get out of there with a W.”

Arkansas’ men’s team has 15 entries and 19 athletes competing in 10 events. Texas Tech is second in entries with 14. Florida, Northern Arizona and Washington each have 11 entries.

The Razorbacks have two national leaders with Wayne Pinnock in the long jump and Romaine Beckford in the high jump.

Four Razorbacks — Jack Turner, Yariel Soto Torrado, Marcus Weaver and Daniel Spejcher — are in the heptathlon.

Arkansas has three entries in the 5,000 with Peter Maru, Karami Yego and Patrick Kiprop. The Razorbacks are the only men’s team with entries in both the 1,600 and distance medley relays.

“Obviously in this meet, firsts, seconds and thirds are really important,” Bucknam said. “Scoring 10, 8, 6 points is big.

“We do have a lot of entries. It’s just a question of how dialed in our guys are and how sharp we are mentally. We have to really take advantage of the events we’re in, and we have to compete like crazy.”

Arkansas’ women’s team was ranked No. 3 going into last year’s NCAA Indoor meet, but edged No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Florida for the title. The Razorbacks won with 64 points, while Texas was second with 60 and Florida third with 45.

“You’ve got to go out and earn [the championship],” Johnson said. “It’s not given just because you’re ranked No. 1.”

The Razorbacks’ men won last year’s national championship with 64 points with Georgia second with 40 and Florida third with 34.

It was the 21st NCAA Indoor title for Arkansas’ men and second in Bucknam’s 16year tenure along with winning in 2013 at home at the Randal Tyson Center.

“There are five or six teams that could all be within a few points of each other,” Bucknam said. “Let’s hope we can go out there and get it done.”

Two weeks ago, Arkansas’ women’s and men’s teams celebrated sweeping SEC Indoor titles for the fifth consecutive year. After the trophy presentations, Razorbacks from teams posed together for photos.

“Nobody instructed those kids to do that, they did it on their own,” Bucknam said. “One team feeds off the other, and we’re going to continue to try to do that.”