Shawn Price January 26, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A pair of SEC weekly honors were collected by Razorbacks as Amon Kemboi shared Runner of the Week accolades while Ruben Banks shared Freshman of the Week honors, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
Banks broke the Arkansas school record in the weight throw with a final round heave of 71 feet, 4.25 inches (21.75) to shatter the previous mark of 69-6 (21.18) set in 2019 by Erich Sullins. He ranks sixth on Great Britain’s all-time list and is currently 10
th on the 2021 world list.
In addition, Banks produced one of the top marks by a freshman in the event over the past 30 years. He ranks 10
Shawn Price January 22, 2021
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Another team victory for the Razorbacks during the Wooo Pig Classic on Friday featured a school record by freshman thrower Ruben Banks and a sub-four-minute mile by Amon Kemboi at Randal Tyson Track Center.
Arkansas totaled 113 points to top a field of national caliber teams which included Southern California (84), Kentucky (81.5), Texas (60.5), LSU (54), Missouri (24), and Oklahoma State (6).
“We’re not really putting a line-up together to score maximum amount of points,” said Arkansas men’s coach Chris Bucknam. “It’s everyone’s second meet of the season, and everybody is kind of doing the same thing we are. We’re feeling out where kids are best at and not over doing it. It’s been a long time since we competed.
Oklahoma finished as team runner-up with 104 points, followed by Arkansas State (95) and Central Arkansas (54).
In seeing the Razorbacks compete for the first time in over 10 months, Arkansas head coach Chris Buckman was satisfied with the performance.
“It was huge getting back into competition,” said Bucknam. “Even the week leading up to this was different. I was pleased with some of the performances we had.
“It was a very good meet for us. Anytime you win a meet that’s great. We’ve got a longways to go, but certainly we jumped into the deep end and everything is good.”
A spirited race among the Razorbacks occurred in the 1,000m as Amon Kemboi delivered a winning time of 2:23.49 with Kieran Taylor runner-up in 2:23.98, the fifth and sixth best times ever among marks in the Arkansas Invitational.
Shawn Price January 14, 2021
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Starting the 2021 indoor season on Saturday with the Arkansas Invitational, the Razorbacks will host Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Harding, Oklahoma, UA-Pine Bluff and UA-Little Rock in a scored meet inside Randal Tyson Track Center.
It will mark the first indoor track and field competition for Arkansas since winning the SEC Indoor championship last February, a span of 322 days.
“It’s a baby step for us,” said Razorback men’s head coach Chris Bucknam, in his 13
th season at Arkansas. “We have been training in the fall, trying to have a normal fall training period for our non-distance runners.