Arkansas takes second at SEC Championships behind Tide

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Entering its final day of competition at the 2018 SEC Championships in fourth, No. 3 Arkansas surged to a second-place finish, helped along by two event champions and a number of additional podium finishers.

Arkansas finished the weekend with a final score of 88, edged about by Alabama by a two-point margin.

Fifteen-time All-American Kenzo Cotton was the first Razorback to podium on Sunday afternoon, etching his name in the program and conference record books as the first Hog to ever win the 60-meter dash at the SEC indoor championships.

Cotton matched his season best, clocking 6.59 to earn a gold medal and contribute 10 points to the team total.

Cotton returned just as dominant in the 200 final, running a personal best of 20.61 to score eight more points for Arkansas and earn a silver medal.

His 200-meter performance moved him up from No. 4 to No. 3 in program history.

Cotton was named the SEC Cliff Harper Trophy award winner as the meet’s top individual scorer.

Arkansas junior Gabe Moore, earned a silver medal for his efforts in the heptathlon, finishing with a two-day total of 5,650 points.

Following a solid day one effort, Moore opened day two forcefully, placing first in the hept. 60-meter hurdles with 8.14.

He closed out the day with a pair of top-five finishes in the pole vault and 1,000-meter run, capping the event a mere 66 points behind the top finisher.

Razorback distance medley relay team of Jack Bruce, John Winn, Chase Pareti and Cameron Griffith won Arkansas’ third gold of the weekend, racing to a first-place finish in 9:37.01.

Returning from their night of success in the 3,000 the team was led off by Bruce who ran 1,200 meters and anchored by Griffith who ran 1,600 meters.

Griffith split a 3:59.98 on his leg of the relay, running down Robert Domanic of Ole Miss to seal the deal for the Hogs.

The weekend came to a close following an exciting 4-x-400-meter relay which saw team of Rhayko Schwartz, Obi Igbokwe, Jamarco Stephen and Kemar Mowat finish in third-place off a season best performance of 3:04.53.

The performance qualified the quartet for the national championships, positioning the Hogs as the fifth-fastest team in the NCAA.

Notables:

• Larry Donald scored the first points of the day for Arkansas, placing fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in 7.84.

• Kyle Hosting added two points to Arkansas’ team total off a seventh-place finish in the mile.

• Kieran Taylor raced to an eighth-place finish in the 800 in his SEC debut, contributing one point to team’s total.

• Laquan Nairn and Rubin Owens combined to produce nine points for Arkansas in the triple jump, placing fourth and fifth, respectively.

SEC Scorers (A-Z):

• Jack Bruce (3K – 2nd , DMR – 1st): 10.5 points
• Kenzo Cotton (60m – 1st, 200m – 2nd): 18 points
• Larry Donald (60m – 5th): 4 points
• Roy Ejiakuekwu (200m – 8th): 8 points
• Cameron Griffith (3K – 1st , DMR – 1st): 12.5 points
• Kyle Hosting (Mile – 7th): 2 points
• Obi Igbokwe (400m – 5th, 4-x-400 – 3rd): 5.5 points
• Kyle Levermore (3K – 8th): 1 point
• Gabe Moore (Heptathlon – 2nd): 8 points
• Kemar Mowatt (400m – 8th, 4-x-400 – 3rd): 2.5 points
• Laquan Nairn (Triple Jump – 4th): 5 points
• Rubin Owens (Triple Jump – 5th): 4 points
• Chase Pareti (DMR – 1st): 2.5 points
• Jah-Nhai Perinchief (High Jump – 7th)
• Harrison Schrage (Long Jump – 6th): 3 points
• Rhayko Schwartz (4-x-400 – 3rd: 1.5 points
• Jamarco Stephen (4-x-400 – 3rd): 1.5 points
• Kieran Taylor (800m – 8th): 1 point
• John Winn (DMR – 1st): 2.5 points

Up Next

The Razorbacks will break from action next weekend, returning to College Station March 9-10 for the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

SEC Indoor Championships
Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
Feb. 25, 2018

Team Standings
1. Alabama – 90
2. ARKANSAS – 88
3. Florida – 83.5
4. Texas A&M – 75.5
5. Georgia – 71
6. Kentucky – 45
7. Tennessee – 43
8. Auburn – 36
T9. South Carolina – 34
T9. Ole Miss – 34
11. LSU – 30
12. Mississippi State – 20
13. Missouri – 13

60 Meters Finals
1. Kenzo Cotton – 6.59

200 Meter Finals
2. Kenzo Cotton – 20.61
8. Roy Ejiakuekwu – 21.22

400 Meters Finals
5. Obi Igbokwe – 46.21
8. Kemar Mowatt – 46.74

800 Meters Finals
8. Kieran Taylor – 1:53.11

Mile Finals
7. Kyle Hosting – 4:10.75
9. Ethan Moehn – 4:13.25

5,000 Meters
10. Kyle Levermore – 14:32.95

60 Meter Hurdles Finals
5. Larry Donald – 7.84
Distance Medley Relay
1. Arkansas A: Bruce, Winn, Pareti, Griffith – 9:37.01

4-x-400-Meter Relay
3. Arkansas A: Schwartz, Igbokwe, Stephen, Mowatt – 3:04.53

Triple Jump
4. Laquan Nairn – 15.57m/51-1
5. Rubin Owens – 15.35m/50-4½

Shot Put
13. Sam Kempka – 17.12m/56-2

Heptathlon
2. Gabe Moore – 5,650 pts.
(3) 60 Meters – 7.03, 872 pts.
(3) Long Jump – 7.04m/23-1 1/4, 823 pts.
(4) Shot Put – 13.83m/45-4 1/2, 718 pts.
(5) High Jump – 1.88m/6-2, 696 pts.
(1) 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.14, 947 pts.
(5) Pole Vault – 4.55m/14-11, 775 pts.
(5) 1,000 Meters – 2:44.93, 819 pts.