Razorbacks running back Chase Hayden says he’s fully healthy after injury suffered during last season.
Hays on dropping weight under new coaches, offense
Arkansas center Dylan Hays talking about being down to 295 and being “in best shape of his life” under new staff.
Curl on making switch from cornerback to safety
Razorbacks safety Kamren Curl on how move to safety from cornerback is progressing through the spring drills.
Photos from Hogs’ practice before Saturday scrimmage
[rev_slider alias=”hogs031018″]
Post-practice video from Coach Chad Morris, coordinators Joe Craddock and John Chavis along with interviews with players will be at HitThatLine.com this afternoon.
Barford, Gafford pace Hogs on to semis at SEC
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Behind a big night from Jaylen Barford and Daniel Gafford, No. 6 seed Arkansas defeated No. 3 Florida, 80-72, Friday night, advancing to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the third time in the last four years.
Using a 16-2 run in the second half, the Razorbacks gained control of the game and defeated the Gators for the first time since 2013.
From the tip, the pace of the game was at one Arkansas feels comfortable with.
Thanks to their hot shooting early, the Gators led 13-10 at the first media timeout and eventually extended it to eight. The Gators drilled six of their first 10 3-point attempts, but Arkansas answered, eventually cutting the Gator lead to 1.
With less than three minutes left in the first half, Florida stretched it back to 7, hitting two of its seven first-half 3-pointers.
Turning up the defense, Arkansas weathered the storm and held Florida scoreless for the final 4:54 of the first half. The Hogs went on an 8-0 run to take a 30-29 lead into the break.
The second half, much like the first, was an absolute battle.
The teams traded baskets for the first couple of minutes before Arkansas ran off a 7-0 run to take its largest lead at that point at 5. The Gators clawed back and to even the score with 12 minutes left.
The Razorbacks would go on a 16-2 run over the next five minutes, scoring 12 straight to take a 14-point lead.
Barford would pick up his second double-double of the season, finishing a point shy of a career high with 27 points and tying his career high with 10 rebounds.
Gafford earned his second double-double of the season, adding 16 points and tying his career high with 12 rebounds and one monster windmill to cap it off.
Daryl Macon posted 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Anton Beard added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Arkansas owned the paint, out-rebounding Florida, 43-28, and scored 30 points around the basket.
Game Notes
• Arkansas has advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament in three of the last four years.
• The Razorbacks improve to 26-25 all-time in the SEC Tournament.
• Arkansas is 6-6 in the SEC Tournament since the league went away from divisions after the 2010-11 season, with two victories coming in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
• During the Mike Anderson era, Arkansas is 125-7 in games it led at the half, including 40 consecutive victories. This year, the Razorbacks have led by an average of 9.7 points at the break in 23 wins.
Van Horn not pleased with Hogs’ play in second game
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn wasn’t happy after the second game against Kent State where the Hogs didn’t play well and lost, 10-4, to split with the Golden Flashes.
Brooks’ best performance takes NCAA individual title
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 2 Arkansas wasted no time making its presence felt Friday evening in College Station as redshirt senior Taliyah Brooks opened up the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships for the Hogs, capturing the pentathlon national title with a season best performance.
“We are right on schedule if not ahead,” head coach Lance Harter said. “I’m super pleased obviously for Taliyah Brooks to finally get to be at the top of the podium. She was in the shadows of a great athlete and NCAA record-holder but now she got the opportunity to be on top.”
Golden Again
“Two-times a bridesmaid, now a bride,” the announcer said as Brooks crossed the finish line, completing the final pentathlon event of the day, the 800-meter run. The Wichita Falls, Texas native had finished second at the SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships two-consecutive years prior but 2018 proved to be her year for gold. The moment was a historic one for the program as Brooks became the first Razorback combined events performer to ever finish first at a national championships. Her season best gold-meriting performance (4,572 points) earned 10 points towards Arkansas’ team total. Brooks finishes her collegiate indoor stead as the fourth-highest career scorer at the NCAA championships in pentathlon.
“I’ve been working real hard for this,” Brooks said. “Coaches, medical staff, everyone has put in so much effort to get me to where I am, I’m so happy I could win for them, more than for myself. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen for people in Wichita Falls. To be able to represent them and win for them makes me happy.”
Program Record for Payton
Her twitter handle once was pay_multis but she now goes by pay_hurdles — a fitting name for the new Arkansas program record-holder in the 60-meter hurdles, Payton Chadwick. Transitioning into open event competition for the Hogs this season proved to be a successful endeavor for the Springdale, Arkansas native who qualified for the NCAA meet in three different specialties. She opened her national campaign clocking a program record of 7.93 in her signature short hurdles before hustling to the center of the oval for the long jump. She is the only hurdler in Arkansas history to record a sub-8 second performance in the event.
NCAA Finalists
- Janeek Brown – 60-meter hurdles (8.11) Had the third-fastest non-autoqualifying time of the day.
- Payton Chadwick – 60-meter hurdles (7.93) Fastest time of the day; program record performance.
- Nikki Hiltz – Mile (4:40.56) Finished among the top-four runners in heat two for auto-qualification.
“Our hurdlers had a fantastic day today,” Harter said. “Huge PR for Payton; Janeek Brown she just continues to be a great competitor. Freshman aren’t supposed to be NCAA finalists, so she raised the standards for us. Nikki Hiltz also took care of business casually in the mile and now it’s just a matter of our three pole vaulters taking care of business as they always do.”
Saturday Scoring Opportunities
Arkansas’ pole vault crew headlined by two-time NCAA champion Lexi Jacobus will lead the scoring charge on the final day of competition at the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. Jacobus is one of only two vaulters this year with a 15-foot clearance this season and will look to return to the top of the podium for the third time in her career. Away from the field events, Harter will rely on upperclassmen heavy hitters Payton Chadwick (60-meter hurdles) and Nikki Hiltz (mile) to carry the Arkansas banner on the track. Along with Chadwick, the Razorbacks will have the opportunity to score more points in the hurdles from freshman Janeek Brown. The two-day event will be live streamed on ESPN3 with Saturday’s stream beginning at 4 p.m.
NCAA Indoor Championships
Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
March 9, 2018
Team Scores
1. Georgia – 33
2. Florida – 13
3. New Mexico – 12
T4. North Carolina – 10
T4. Arizona State – 10
T4. Missouri – 10
T4. Arkansas – 10
60 Meters Semifinal
8. Jada Baylark – 7.28
200 Meters Semifinal
13. Payton Chadwick – 23.25
400 Meters Semifinal
15. Morgan Burks-Magee – 53.45
Mile Semifinal
10. Nikki Hiltz – 4:40.66
60 Meter Hurdles
1. Payton Chadwick – 7.93
7. Janeek Brown – 8.11
Long Jump
9. Payton Chadwick -6.14m/20-1 3/4
14. Taliyah Brooks – 5.95m/19-6 1/4
Pentathlon
1. Taliyah Brooks – 4,572 pts.
(1) 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.05, 1118 pts.
(2) High Jump – 1.84m/6-0 1/2, 1029 pts.
(9) Shot Put – 12.16m/39-10 3/4, 672 pts.
(1) Long Jump – 6.36m/20-7, 934 pts.
(14) 800 Meters – 2:22.44, 791 pts.
Razorbacks tie for third place at Oklahoma Quad meet
NORMAN, Okla. — Tenth-ranked Arkansas tied for third at the OU Quad Friday night inside the Lloyd Noble Center, recording a 195.700.
The Razorbacks fell back after the second rotation, but tallied scores of 49.050 in each of the final two rotations to make up ground, and tie Arizona State for third place.
Team Scores:
1. No. 1 Oklahoma- 198.100
2. No. 15 Denver- 196.525
T-3. No. 10 Arkansas- 195.700
T-3. No. 12 Arizona State- 195.700
First Rotation: Arkansas Bars: 49.175
Arkansas tallied four scores over 9.800 in the first rotation. Freshman Sarah Shaffer posted a 9.825 in the two spot, her ninth-straight meet with a 9.800 or higher on bars. Senior Braie Speed followed her career high 9.950 against Arizona last week with a 9.900 to lead the Razorbacks. It’s her third meet in a row with a 9.900 or higher on the event. Fellow senior Amanda Wellick posted a 9.800 while sophomore Hailey Garner recorded a 9.875 in the six spot.
Second Rotation: Arkansas Beam: 48.425
After a 9.875 to start the rotation from sophomore Jessica Yamzon, the Razorbacks were forced to count a fall on the beam, but rebounded with two big scores in the final two spots. Garner posted a career high 9.925, while sophomore Michaela Burton posted a 9.850 as the anchor.
Third Rotation: Arkansas Floor: 49.050
A pair of freshmen anchors recorded Arkansas’ highest scores on the floor as Sarah Shaffer and Sophia Carter recorded scores of 9.875 each. Shaffer has tallied a 9.875 or higher in eight of the last nine meets, including five scores over 9.900. Yamzon scored a 9.800 to round out the Razorbacks’ best as she has tallied a 9.800 or higher in all but two meets this season.
Final Rotation: Arkansas Vault: 49.050
Speed again led the Razorbacks with a 9.900 in the final rotation. Speed has not scored below a 9.850 on vault all season as she notched her second score of 9.900 of the day. Arkansas’ first four competitors in the rotation all recorded over a 9.800, including a 9.875 from Shaffer to tie her career high. Wellick tallied a 9.825 while Yamzon posted a 9.800 to round out Arkansas’ best on the event.
Yamzon recorded a 39.200 while Garner posted a 39.175 in the all-around, to set a new career high.
Arkansas returns to the Barnhill Arena for the final time this season next Friday for a rematch against Denver and a matchup against Iowa State. The Razorbacks will honor seniors Braie Speed and Mia Bargiacchi, as well as student-assistant coach Leah MacMoyle. The meet is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m.
Moore paces Hogs on first day at NCAA Indoor
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Day one of the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships saw No. 4 Arkansas open strong with South Plains transfer Gabe Moore posting a record first day in the heptathlon Friday afternoon in College Station.
Moore kickstarted the day in phenomenal fashion for the Hogs, scoring the best first-day heptathlon total of his career with 3,343 points. Moore began the event with a personal record in his first three events, racing to 6.94 in the 60, marking 7.33m/24-0 3/4 in the long jump and heaving the shot put out 14.38m/47-2 1/4. He capped the day in fifth position overall after a solid clearance of 1.99m/6-6 1/4 in the high jump.
NCAA Finalists
- Kenzo Cotton – 200 meters (20.63) Top runner in heat one; had the fifth-fastest time of the day.
Saturday Scoring Opportunities
Arkansas’ first opportunity to pick up points on Saturday will come from Gabe Moore in the heptathlon, beginning at 12 p.m. with the 60-meter hurdles. The Razorbacks will also have chances to score with Kenzo Cotton in the 200, Cameron Griffith in the 3,000 and will close out the meet with the 4-x-400-meter relay. The two-day event will be live streamed on ESPN3 with Saturday’s stream beginning at 4 p.m.
NCAA Indoor Championships
Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
March 9, 2018
60 Meters Semifinal
10. Kenzo Cotton – 6.66
200 Meters Semifinal
5. Kenzo Cotton – 20.63
400 Meters Semifinal
14. Obi Igbokwe – 46.67
Rhayko Schwartz – DNF
5,000 Meters Final
12. Jack Bruce – 14:18
Long Jump
11. Laquan Nairn – 7.52m/24-8 1/4
Heptathlon (4 of 7)
5. Gabe Moore – 3,343 pts.
(3) 60 Meters – 6.94, 904 pts.
(3) Long Jump – 7.33m/24-0 3/4, 893 pts.
(4) Shot Put – 14.38m/47-2 1/4, 752 pts.
(5) High Jump – 1.99m/6-6 1/4, 794 pts.
Arkansas men fall on road at Kentucky to start weekend
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Arkansas fell to 8-6 on the year and 1-2 in Southeastern Conference play Friday night, falling to Kentucky 5-2 on the road.
Kentucky took the doubles point to start the match, as Jose Salazar and Josh Howard-Tripp fell 6-1 on court 1, while Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo lost 6-0 on court two. At the clinch, Alex Reco and Pedro Alonso were tied 2-2 on court three.
To start off singles, Mesquida fell quickly to Enzo Wallart 6-2, 6-0 to put Arkansas in the hole, 0-2. The Razorbacks were able to get a point back, getting on the board with a win on court four by Reco, who defeated Trey Yates in a battle, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5. Reco improves to 8-2 this spring, including a 1-0 mark on court four. Overall this season, Reco is 11-7 and 2-1 against SEC competition.
Kentucky would run away with the match, picking up wins on courts one, two, five and six to close things out. No. 84 Salazar fell to No. 43 Ryotaro Matsumura 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead, before they would clinch it with a win on two by Will Bushamuka, who defeated Howard-Tripp 7-6, 5-7, 4-6.
Alonso would fall 6-3, 6-4 to Austin Hussey to give the Cats a 5-1 lead, before his brother Jose, would pick up Arkansas’ second point of the match, defeating Jake Stefanik 6-4, 7-5.
Arkansas returns to action Sunday in Nashville, as the Razorbacks take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at 12 p.m.
Kentucky 5, Arkansas 2
Singles Results – Order of finish (3,4,1,2,5,6)
1. #43 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. #84 Jose Salazar (AR) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
2. Will Bushamuka (UK) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4
3. Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Oscar Mesquida (AR) 6-2, 6-0
4. Alex Reco (AR) def. Trey Yates (UK) 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
5. Austin Hussey (UK) def. Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jose Alonso (AR) def. Jake Stefanik (UK) 6-4, 7-5
Doubles Results – Order of finish (1,2)
1. Cesar Bourgois/Gus Benson (UK) def. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-1
2. Enzo Wallart/Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 6-0
3. Austin Hussey/Will Bushamuka (UK) vs. Alex Reco/Pedro Alonso (AR) 2-2, unfinished
Razorbacks start weekend with loss to No. 17 Kentucky
FAYETTEVILLE — No. 17 Kentucky defeated No. 32 Arkansas 4-1 on Friday night at the George M. Billingsley Tennis Center.
The Wildcats (10-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) took a competitive doubles point and went on to win three of four finished singles matches.
After Kentucky struck first with a 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles, the Razorbacks’ (5-6, 1-1 SEC) duo of sophomore Giulia Pairone and senior Mia Jurasic returned the favor with a 6-4 victory at No. 2. The score at the top spot was tied 5-5, but the Wildcats’ No. 40 pair of Mami Adachi and Emily Fanning rallied to pick of the next two games and secure the opening point against Arkansas’ No. 30 junior Ana Oparenovic and freshman Tatum Rice. It was Oparenovic and Rices’ first setback of the spring, placing their record at 9-1.
In singles, junior Agne Cepelyte was first off the court, besting her opponent 6-3, 6-2. Kentucky won the next three matches at the No. 4, 2, and 5 positions for the overall team victory.
At the clinch, No. 66 Pairone was about to begin a third set after turning in a 6-0 win in the second set. Jurasic was battling in a third set at No. 3.
Up Next
Arkansas will host No. 4 Vanderbilt at noon CT Sunday. Admission is free. Pizza, Keurig products, popcorn and Pepsi soft drinks will be provided for fans in attendance. Fans can also follow the match via live scoring at RazorbackStats.com.
