Eddie in Clarksville rings the bell early, Nick Mason reacts to the rule changes, Scott Tabor joins and more!
Hoggard takes NCAA title in women’s pole vault Thursday
AUSTIN, Texas — A career’s worth of hard work and tireless dedication paid off for senior Tori Hoggard who is the newest National Champion in the pole vault following Thursday night’s action at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Starting with the women’s pole vault. Arkansas added another National Champion to the history books as Tori Hoggard forever etched her name in stone as the 2019 NCAA pole vault champion.
Hoggard entered the meet having cleared a season-best 4.50m (14-9) in a runner-up finish at the Texas Relays. Hoggard left with a new outdoor PR of 4.56m (14-11.50) and an NCAA title.
The title for Hoggard is the first of her career and the fifth for Arkansas over the last four years adding to the four individual titles by Lexi Jacobus.
Jacobus, who competed in this competition, finished T-9th clearing 4.20m (13-9.25) alongside teammate Desiree Freier who cleared an identical height to tie for ninth as well.
“I just came into today wanting to have fun,” said Hoggard. “It’s my last NCAA Championship and I’m a senior. I told myself just go have fun and whatever happens, happens and I think that played to my advantage. I went in with calm nerves, and when I found out I won it was a flow of emotions. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. Obviously, I’ve seen Lexi do it four times, am I was just really excited to have my chance,” Hoggard continued.
Taylor Werner earned First-Team All-American honors in the 10K as she stormed down the homestretch to take fourth-place.
Werner was amongst the lead pack for the entire duration of the race and with 800-meters to go looked as if she could challenge for the title.
New Mexico’s finished as the NCAA Champion running 33:10.84 while Werner crossed the line just a short while later in 33:20.68
Devin Clark advanced to the final of the 3,000-meter steeplechase running a time of 9:54.93Q to automatically advance grabbing a top-five finish in her heat.
This is the second straight NCAA Steeplechase final, third-overall, for Clark who earned Second-Team All-American honors last season.
The Razorback 4×100-meter relay of Tamara Kuykendall, Payton Chadwick, Janeek Brown and Kiara Parker combined to run 42.65Q, a new school record.
The semifinal featured a new combination for Arkansas as Kuykendall replaced Parker on the leadoff leg while Parker moved to anchor to replace Kethlin Campbell who usually totes the baton across the line.
Janeek Brown put together a phenomenal day Thursday afternoon at Mike. A. Myers Stadium. She got the day started with the aforementioned 4×100-meter relay, running a burner of a third leg to propel the Razorbacks to the final.
She continued her day with a new NCAA-Leading time of 12.53 in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time finished as a facility record, school record and lifetime-best for the sophomore.
With her final run, Brown narrowly missed the best single-day 100H/200 double in world history. The Kingston, Jamaica native needed to run 22.47 to topple Jackie Joyner-Kersee, ended up clocking a 22.51Q to advance in the event.
She will compete in three events on Saturday afternoon.
Payton Chadwick, who handed the baton to Brown on the 4×100-meter relay found herself advancing in the 100-meter hurdles as well.
The 2018 60-meter hurdles National Champion ran a time of 12.84 to advance on time posting the seventh-best performance in the semifinal.
A USATF finalist in the 100-meters last year, Kiara Parker can add ‘NCAA Finalist’ to her resume as the senior grabbed a spot in the final of the 100-meters that has eluded her over her career.
Parker exploded out of the blocks running with the lead through the first 20-meters before settling in the pack and crossing the line in 11.14, missing her lifetime-best by one one-thousandth of a second (0.01).
The SEC Champion at 400-meters, Kethlin Campbell will compete for an opportunity at an NCAA title in the quarter-mile after finishing her semifinal in 51.95 seconds to advance to the final. Campbell’s time was the seventh-fastest in the semifinal.
Paris Peoples, Parker, Chadwick, and Campbell automatically advanced to the final of the 4×400-meters running 3:31.18 for a second-place finish in the opening heat of the semifinals. Arkansas finished with the fourth-fastest time on the night.
G’Auna Edwards took 15th-place earning Second-Team All-American honors in the long jump with a best leap of 6.18m (20-3.50).
Through five events scored, Arkansas leads the way with 15-points.
| PLACE | WOMEN [5 out of 21 scored] | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Arkansas | 15 |
| 2 |  |
Arizona State | 12 |
| 2 |  |
Washington | 12 |
| 4 |  |
Ohio State | 11 |
| 5 |  |
California | 10 |
| 5 |  |
New Mexico | 10 |
| 5 |  |
Oregon | 10 |
| 5 |  |
Florida | 10 |
Arkansas returns to action on Saturday as the Razorbacks compete on Championship Saturday looking to add another championship to the program.
Fans cautiously optimistic as Hogs face roadblock to Omaha
When the NCAA baseball brackets came out before last week’s regionals, Arkansas fans could only sigh when they saw that if everything played out like it has, Ole Miss would be coming to town.
Dave Van Horn knew getting this team back to Omaha for another College World Series was not going to be easy.
He probably would have preferred someone from a different conference, but has refused to complain about being the only team in the SEC to draw a conference opponent in a Super Regional.
Many fans just shrug and consider it the Hogs’ luck.
Oh, the fans are optimistic. Eddie in Clarksville has probably already predicted victory, but most are, for lack of a better term, cautiously optimistic.
It’s those pesky Rebels that keep this from being an overwhelming crisis of over-confidence. They were the only league team to come into Baum-Walker and win a series, taking the last two games of the series back at the end of March.
Arkansas has ace Isaiah Campbell starting Saturday morning’s opening game. Van Horn likes to start fast in these short series and that’s the best way to go against the Rebels. He did slow down the Rebels back in March.
But if Ole Miss’ bats get hot as they have done at the end of the season, well, things may get really interesting quick.
The key to this all-important series that sends one team to Omaha is going to be whether the Razorbacks can get their bats going. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Rebels are going to be able to get runs on the board.
The Hogs had some mysterious lack of production at times at the end of the season while Ole Miss has appeared to be on a hot streak at the plate.
The Rebels pushed 23 runs across in the five games with the Hogs this season, including the SEC Tournament. Arkansas scored 20 runs in the five matchups with the Rebels this year.
The numbers say we may be looking at some close games.
Two well-matched teams that are very familiar with each other means there are few surprises between the two teams. Both coaches know what the other wants to do and tends to do.
How is it going to play out?
You’ll get no prediction from this corner. We’re talking baseball here. There is some strategy and decision-making to do and Van Horn is about as good as it gets in that area.
As he says frequently, though, baseball is a funny game. It’s a game of inches at times … literally.
Which is why this series on the road to yet another trip to Omaha should be a good one
???? Thursday Halftime Pod — Featuring Bob Holt
Phil & Tye hit on Jack Kenley’s “primetime” comments, interview Bob Holt, plus Halftime Homework!
Fassi captures Honda Sport award for golf; finalist for top woman athlete
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Maria Fassi won the Honda Sport Award for Golf, announced Thursday by Chris Voelz, executive director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Award.
With her win, Fassi is now a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Honda Cup, which will be presented live in Los Angeles on June 24.
The show will air on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m.
Fassi is just the second Razorback ever to win a Honda Sport Award, and the first to do so in nearly 20 years.
She joins Amy Yoder-Begley, who won Cross Country’s Sport Award back in 2000. Arkansas Women’s Golf Head Coach Shauna Taylor has produced several finalists for the award, including Gabriela Lopez (2015), Emily Tubert (2012), Kelli Shean (2011) and Stacey Lewis (2007 & 2008), but Fassi becomes the first winner in Arkansas Women’s Golf history.
“For Maria to win this award, it says a lot about her impact on the college game and on our program here at Arkansas,” Taylor said. “From the day I met Maria, I knew she was going to change the game and accomplish so many amazing things.
“She has been a model student-athlete on and off the golf course; winning the Honda Award is just further proof of that. I am so proud of the way she has led our team, but I am even more proud of the woman she has become.”
The Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, native was spectacular in her final collegiate season, winning both the SEC and NCAA Individual Titles in her last two events played.
Fassi was also the runner-up at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April.
Due to her masterful performance in her final season in Fayetteville, Fassi won Ping WGCA Player of the Year honors, while also becoming the first golfer ever to win back-to-back ANNIKA awards.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 43 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.
All nominees were chosen through a combination of their NCAA Championship finishes and national golf rankings.
Cronin not focused on draft selection, but advancing in NCAA
Razorbacks’ reliever Matt Cronin was taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft Tuesday, but is focused more on finishing this season with the championship as the goal.
Kostyshock on being selected by Colorado on second day of draft
Razorbacks pitcher Jacob Kostyshock on Wednesday after being selected in the eighth round of the MLB draft by the Rockies, previewing Super Regional.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Thursday
John & Tommy discuss Jimmy Buffett weekend, changes in college basketball, interview Richard Davenport and more!
Scroggins on being picked by Red Sox in MLB draft
Hogs pitcher Cody Scroggins talked Wednesday morning about his journey from infielder to Tommy John surgery to pitcher and being taken in the ninth round of the draft Tuesday.
Fletcher briefly Wednesday morning on Diamondbacks, Rebels
Arkansas center fielder Dominic Fletcher talked about being drafted by Arizona in the MLB draft and looked ahead to the Super Regional matchup with Ole Miss.
Criswell’s commitment to Tar Heels isn’t any type of warning
Earlier this week, Jacolby Criswell of Morrilton gave Mack Brown at North Carolina his commitment … and many of the Razorbacks’ Lunatic Fringe went into orbit.
Relax and come back down to earth. It’ll be okay.
Some will complain that losing the top-rated quarterback in Arkansas is a warning sign. Nothing against Criswell, but life goes on and in this day and age that doesn’t mean he’s gone forever.
The way players transfer these days, who knows what’s going to happen over the next few years, especially since Criswell’s not the highest-rated quarterback committed to Brown.
Yes, Brown landed Vince Young and rode him to a national title, but he also couldn’t land some other highly-rated quarterbacks and all this transfer stuff started after he left the Longhorns.
In recruiting coaches win some and lose some. Every coach. At every school.
The days are gone that the Hogs are going to get every player in the state. The truth is they never have gotten every single player. Remember, Clyde Scott from Smackover went to the Naval Academy and Fayetteville looked a lot better when he met a girl from Lake Village.
Even Frank Broyles lost players out of state. Chuck Latourette from Jonesboro went to Rice in 1963 and was All-Southwest Conference and All-American as a defensive back and return specialist. He led the NFL in kickoff returns in 1968.
Ken Hatfield lost several players in 1984 and 1985, just months after taking the Arkansas job. Those included MarK Hutson out of Fort Smith Northside, Eric Mitchell from Pine Bluff and one Keith Jackson out of Little Rock Parkview.
The point of all this is, quite simply, no Arkansas coach is going to get every player in the state and never will. While fans think it’s an unforgivable sin for any Hogs’ coach to lose a player out of state, the fact of the matter is they keep the overwhelming majority of the best players in Arkansas every year.
Probably the only time there’s really room for criticism is if the Razorbacks don’t recruit a highly-touted player. That didn’t happen in a few cases during a time when some remarkably high academic requirements eliminated some pretty good players that went out of state and onto lucrative pro careers.
That wasn’t the case here.
Chad Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock recruited Criswell. He just made a decision to commit to North Carolina.
It’s not about the other players on campus. Brown earlier landed a commitment from four-star dual threat quarterback Malik Hornsby from Fort Bend Marshall in Missouri City, Texas. He will face competition in North Carolina.
Many think Chandler Morris will join his dad in Fayetteville when he finishes up his senior season at Highland Park, but that decision won’t come until later in the summer (according to Chandler in recent interviews).
They also have an offer to four-star quarterback Haynes King in Longview, Texas.
But remember, it’s a crowded quarterback room for the Hogs already. They have eight in there now with only room for a couple more.
Everybody has a lot of quarterbacks on the roster these days. Injuries are part of it because the numbers show you don’t go through a season with one quarterback healthy for all 12 games. Ask Nick Saban if he’s glad he had Jalen Hurts behind Tua Tagovaila last season.
Some will leave for whatever reason.
But right now Criswell won’t be coming to Fayetteville.
And we won’t know if that’s a big deal or not for a few years.
