Hogs cap NCAA Prelims on strong note for NCAA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On the final day of the NCAA West Prelims, Arkansas secured three individual and two relay spots to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.

Kenzo Cotton, Larry Donald, and Cameron Griffith, as well as the men’s sprint and mile relay teams, will represent the Razorbacks at Hayward Field June 6-9.

In the opening event on the track, the 4-x-100-meter relay, the combination of Kristoffer Hari, Kemar Mowatt, Kevin Harris and Kenzo Cotton carried the baton to the tune of 39.56Q winning section two and posting the fifth-fastest time in the event on the day to punch their ticket to NCAA’s.

Saturday night was the first time this season that Arkansas had run that combination.

Cameron Griffith will make a trip to Eugene in the 1,500-meters after earning an auto-Q to the NCAA meet Saturday afternoon. Griffith crossed the line in 3:43.14Q to finish third in his heat and fifth overall.

Larry Donald will make his first appearance at the NCAA Championships in the 110-meter hurdles after a gutsy run in the quarterfinal.

Donald, who ran in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA meet back in 2016, will make a return trip to the great northwest running the high hurdles. The senior earned a spot to the big show as the fastest time-qualifier sprinting to a time of 13.88q.

Kenzo Cotton, who punched his ticket to the championships earlier in the day as the anchor leg of the sprint relay and yesterday in the 100-meters, added another event to his schedule in Eugene with a birth to the semifinal of the 200-meters running 20.74Q finishing runner-up in his section and eighth-overall.

The final event of the meet, as is traditional in track & field, was the 4-x-400-meter relays that featured the Razorbacks of Arkansas.

The Hogs took the first heat in 3:04.51Q to earn an auto-Q trip to Eugene where they were runner-up last season. On the carry for Arkansas were Jamarco Stephen, Kemar Mowatt, Hunter Woodhall and Obi Igbokwe.

All-in-all, Arkansas advanced nine individuals and both relays as well as decathlons Gabe Moore and Derek Jacobus who will all compete in the NCAA Championships.

The NCAA Championships will be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. June 6-9.

For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.

NCAA West Preliminary
Saturday Results

Men’s 4-x-100-meter relay
5. Arkansas – 39.56Q – Advanced to NCAA’s

Men’s 1,500-meters
5. Cameron Griffith – 3:43.14Q – Advanced to NCAA’s

Men’s 110-Meter Hurdles
10. Larry Donald – 13.88q – Advanced to NCAA’s

Men’s 200-meters
8. Kenzo Cotton – 20.74Q – Advanced to NCAA’s
16. Roy Ejiakuekwu – 20.96

Men’s 5,000-Meters
15. Gilbert Boit – 13:56.34
17. Austen Dalquist – 13:56.73
34. Jack Bruce – 14:19.02
39. Cameron Griffith – 14:36.92

Men’s 4-x-400-Meter Relay
7. Arkansas -3:04.51Q – Advanced to NCAA’s

Men’s Javelin
29. Alex Springer – 61.74m (202?-7?)

Men’s High Jump
40. Brendon Rivera – 2.01m (6?-7?)
— Rubin Owens – NH