Schultz wins second title of week at SEC meet

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Freshman diver Brooke Schultz proved again Friday night why she is considered the best diver in the Southeastern Conference.

A six-time SEC Diver of the Week, Schultz won her second SEC Championship in as many events, this time claiming the three-meter title with a personal-best score of 385.65.

Entering the week, Arkansas had never had a diver win an SEC Championship. Schultz has won two since Wednesday.

Schultz becomes the ninth SEC diver ever to win the 1m and 3m titles in the same season and the first since Kahlia Warner of Florida in 2016.

After finishing second in the prelims with a score of 354.90, Schultz paced the field in finals, winning by 16.65 points.

The day began with the 400 individual medley. Two of Arkansas’ four participants clinched spots in the evening finals, as freshman Peyton Palsha and senior Chloe Hannam each qualified for the C-final.

Palsha, her second finals appearance in her SEC Championship debut, swam the eighth-fastest time in her heat, turning in a then-personal-best 4:13.29.

In the finals, Palsha broke her personal best with a third-place showing in the C-final in 4:11.41, finishing 19th overall. Hannam swam a 4:14.92 to qualify for the C-final, where she finished seventh in a time of 4:14.04 to finish 23rd overall.

Along with Hannam and Palsha, senior Jessie Garrison also turned in an NCAA ‘B’ cut time in the prelims, finishing eighth in her heat, 32nd overall, in a time of 4:19.38. Junior Madison Umberger touched sixth in her heat, 38th overall, in a personal-best 4:23.72.

Senior Olivia Weekley clocked Arkansas’ only automatic qualifying time in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.89 in her heat to finish 25th overall.

Junior Marlena Pigliacampi touched sixth in her heat in a season-best 54.73 to finish 32nd overall, while senior Taylor Weiss also recorded a season best with a time of 55.23 to finish 37th overall, fifth in her heat.

The Razorbacks had seven athletes compete in the 200 freestyle. Freshman Ayumi Macias led the way for Arkansas, finishing 28th overall, winning her heat in a time of 1:48.29.

Junior Kiera Michailoff-Russell won her respective heat as well in a time of 1:49.57 to finish 39th overall. Senior Chelsea Tatlow finished 32nd overall finish, after finishing seventh in her heat with a time of 1:48.51.

Junior Annah Carney placed third in her heat in a time of 1:49.07 to finish 35th.

Freshman Kenedy Thaman finished fifth in her heat, recording a 38th-place finish in a time of 1:49.36. Freshman Alyssa Lemon touched in a time of 1:50.91 to finish seventh in her heat and 51st overall, while junior Erin Kelly touched fifth in her heat in 1:54.42 to finish 61st.

Action will pick back up on Saturday morning from College Station at 10 a.m. with the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke.

Standings – Day Three
1. Texas A&M – 737
2. Tennessee – 544.5
3. Georgia – 543
4. Auburn – 374.5
5. Missouri – 355
6. Kentucky – 350
7. Florida – 347.5
8. South Carolina – 333.5
9. Alabama – 319
10. Arkansas – 252
11. LSU – 210
12. Vanderbilt – 120

Knight, Kjerstad, Shaddy talk about opening win

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Arkansas’ Blaine Knight, Heston Kjerstad and Carson Shaddy met with the media after the Razorbacks’ 14-2 opening-night win over Bucknell.

Cosper to be honored on Senior Day at LSU game

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Graduate student Devin Cosper and Arkansas celebrate Senior Day while welcoming LSU to Bud Walton Arena on Sunday, at 2 p.m.

Scouting Arkansas

Arkansas (12-14, 3-10 SEC) is also celebrating its annual Play4Kayday and encourages all fans to wear pink to the game to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

The game with the Tigers (17-7, 9-4 SEC) is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip on the SECN+.

A couple of bright spots for Arkansas this season continue to be the team’s ability to take care of the basketball and it’s love of the 3-point shot.

The Razorbacks have forced double-digit turnovers in 23 games while committing single digit miscues in nine contests.

Arkansas ranks second in the SEC and 18th in the country for fewest turnovers and second in the league and 13th in nation with just 11.9 turnovers per game.

Equally as impressive is Arkansas’ long-distance shooting. The Razorbacks have tallied seven games with double-figure 3-point field goals and 16 games with more makes than its opponent.

Scouting LSU

The Tigers have been giant-killers this season knocking off nationally-ranked Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas A&M.

They also have road SEC wins at Missouri, Florida, and Kentucky. Chloe Jackson leads the team in scoring averaging 18.0 points per game.

Raigyne Louis is next with 16.6 ppg. Ayana Mitchell is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.8 boards per game.

LSU is second in the SEC with 9.6 steals per game and in 3-point field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 28.8% from distance.

The SEC Tournament

If the SEC Tournament started today, Arkansas would be the 11th seed overall. They would play on the first day against 14th-seeded Ole Miss.

A win or two coupled with some help from other teams could move Arkansas up in the standings and off of the day one schedule.

Hogs holding tryout for football walkons March 1

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Hogs holding tryout for football walkons March 1

University of Arkansas Athletics Walk-On Tryout Form (PDF)
Tryout Medical Clearance Form (PDF)

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will hold a one-day tryout for enrolled students on Wednesday, March 1, at the Fred W. Smith Football Center.

The tryout is open only to full-time students at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, campus. Tryout participants must have played football in high school or college (letter of recommendation from high school and/or college coach preferred) and must bring their own football workout apparel and equipment.

Check-in and registration will be from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Fred W. Smith Football Center lobby.

To participate, students must provide the following completed forms in advance of the tryout:

  • University of Arkansas Walk-On Tryout Form
  • University of Arkansas Tryout Medical Clearance Form (No other form will be accepted)
  • Sickle Cell Test Results
  • Proof of Insurance (if any) and a current copy of insurance card.

Please email the above required documentation prior to the registration/check-in to Will Landreth, Director of Compliance: wlandre@uark.edu.

You WILL NOT be allowed to try out if the above forms are not complete and on file with the University of Arkansas Sports Medicine Staff prior to the tryout.

Hogs eye repeat title at Gator Invitational this weekend

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — No. 20 Arkansas will look to defend its team title at the SunTrust Gator Invitational this weekend, traveling to Gainesville, Florida, to compete against some of the best teams in the country at Mark Bostick Golf Course.

The Razorbacks return to the Gator Invitational for the sixth time in the last seven years after capturing the team title in 2014 and 2017 and finishing runner-up in 2015.

Arkansas is looking to become a repeat champion of an event for the first time in six years.

The 2018 version of the Gator Invite is loaded with a 16-team field, including seven nationally ranked programs.

Arkansas is joined by three other ranked SEC teams, as No. 6 Florida, No. 7 Vanderbilt and No. 26 Missouri will all tee it up in Gainesville.

The 6,701-yard par 70 course will feature 36 holes on Saturday, Feb. 17, before closing out play with the final round on Sunday, Feb. 18. Live scoring is available at Golfstat.com or via the Golfstat Live app.

Fresh off being named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list, sophomore Mason Overstreet will top the lineup after his fourth top-10 finish of the year two weeks ago.

He ranks No. 10 in the country in stroke average and finished T-12th at the Gator Invitational last year.

Senior Alvaro Ortiz returns to the No. 2 spot in the lineup with a 70.0 stroke average and 12 rounds under par this year, while Luis Garza is coming off his best performance of the year at TPC Sawgrass and will occupy the third position.

William Buhl was the most consistent player in the season opener and will start in the No. 4 position, while Tyson Reeder will round out the team in his second start as a Razorback. Landon Ernst will compete as an individual for the second straight event.

The Rundown
Schedule: Feb. 17-18 | 36 holes on Saturday, 18 on Sunday
Course: Mark Bostick Golf Course | Gainesville, Fla.
Yardage: 6,701 – Par 70
Format: Play 5, count 4
Last Year’s Champion: Arkansas (+5)

Razorback Lineup
1. Mason Overstreet, So. (69.2)
2. Alvaro Ortiz, Sr. (70.0)
3. Luis Garza, So. (71.9)
4. William Buhl, So. (71.2)
5. Tyson Reeder, R-So. (73.6)
IND. Landon Ernst, Fr. (73.1)

The Field
No. 20 Arkansas
College of Charleston
Coastal Carolina
No. 7 Florida
Georgia Southern
Jacksonville
Liberty
Lipscomb
Mississippi State
No. 26 Missouri
Troy
UAB
No. 50 UCF
No. 27 North Florida
No. 43 USF
No. 6 Vanderbilt

Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Friday

Morning Rush Hour 2

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Morning Rush Hour 1

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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Wildcats’ late surge enough to down Razorbacks, 78-57

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Arkansas had three players in double figures but couldn’t overcome a late surge, falling 78-57 at Kentucky on Thursday.

Arkansas (12-14, 3-10 SEC) got 18 points from Jailyn Mason, 14 points from Malica Monk and 12 points from Bailey Zimmerman but Kentucky (13-14, 5-8 SEC) outscored the Razorbacks 33-12 in the final quarter and a half to get the win.

Arkansas spotted Kentucky a lead to start the game but climbed back into the contest with a late run that included a 3-point field goal at the buzzer from Mason. That basket gave Arkansas its first lead of the night.

Kentucky heated up in the second stanza out scoring Arkansas 20-12. The Wildcats held a double-digit lead but back-to-back 3-point field goals by Zimmerman cut the deficit to seven, 39-32, at the half.

The Razorbacks got a quick start in the third quarter and went on a 13-6 run to tie the game at 45-all with 5:13 to play in the frame. A 7-0 Kentucky run would reclaim the lead and put the game out of reach for Arkansas.

The Razorbacks finished the game with 11 3-point field goals and committed just seven turnovers. The Wildcats’ height advantage allowed them to control the boards, 44-31, and outscore Arkansas 38-12 in the paint. Kentucky got 32 points from its bench while Arkansas managed just seven from its non-starters.

Notes
• Arkansas has had seven games with double digit 3-point field goals and 16 games with more 3-point field goals than its opponent.
• Malica Monk has scored in double figures in 24 games.
• Jailyn Mason has scored in double figures in 17 games.
• Bailey Zimmerman has scored in double figures in five games this season including three of her last four games.

Up Next
The Razorbacks return home hosting LSU on Sunday at 2 p.m. The team celebrates Senior Day and Play4Kay and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game. Arkansas hosts No. 17/18 Texas A&M on Feb. 22 in the final home game of the year. The Razorbacks travel to Vanderbilt on Feb. 25 in the final game of the regular season.

Hogs send pair to 500 finals on second day of meet

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A day after crowning an SEC individual champion, Arkansas saw just two athletes advance to Thursday’s finals, as freshman Peyton Palsha and sophomore Ayumi Macias qualified for the A-final and B-final, respectively, in the 500 freestyle.

Palsha swam a personal-best 4:43.05, the sixth-fastest time in prelims, to qualify for the A-final. In her SEC Championship debut, Palsha touched eighth in the A-final in a time of 4:43.69.

Macias clocked the 10th-fastest prelim time with a then-season-best time of 4:43.86, to claim her place in the B-final.

After finishing seventh overall in the event as a freshman, Macias turned in a 12th-place showing this season, touching fourth in the B-final in a season-best 4:43.32.

Freshman Alyssa Lemon also competed in the 500 free prelims, finishing sixth in her heat, 47th overall, in a personal-best time of 4:55.00.

In the 200 individual medley, senior Chelsea Tatlow led the way for the Razorbacks with a 36th-place overall finish, eighth in her heat, in a time of 2:00.34.

Senior Chloe Hannam finished 41st overall, seventh in her respective heat, in a time of 2:00.59. Senior Jessie Garrison touched in 2:01.00, finishing 42nd overall and seventh in her heat.

Swimming in the same heat at Garrison, senior Sydney Angell touched eighth in a time of 2:01.77 to finish 46th overall.

Junior Madison Strathman finished seventh in her heat of the 200 IM, touching in 2:05.09 for a 61st-place overall finish.

In the 50 freestyle prelims, the Razorback had six athletes compete, as junior Annah Carney paced Arkansas with a personal-best 23.08 to finish fifth in her heat, 34th overall.

Senior Olivia Weekley turned in the 37th-best time in prelims, swimming a 23.15 for an eighth-place finish in her heat. Juniors Kiera Michailoff-Russell and Erin Kelly, along with freshman Kenedy Thaman all swam in the fourth 50 free prelim heat, finishing fourth, fifth and eighth, respectively.

Michailoff-Russell finished 43rd overall with a personal-best time of 23.31, while Kelly touched in a season-best 23.32 for a 44th-place effort. Thaman finished 53rd overall with a time of 23.65.

Senior Maddie Edwards swam the 50 free for the first time this season, touching second in her three-person heat in a time of 24.12.

In the final race of the evening, Arkansas’ relay of Weekley, Carney, Michailoff-Russell and Kelly touched third in the first heat of the 200 free relay in 1:31.39 to finish 10th overall in the event.

Day three of the 2018 Swimming and Diving Championships begin at 10 a.m. on Friday morning with the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle prelims.

Standings – Day Two
1. Texas A&M – 469
2. Georgia – 361
3. Tennessee – 337.5
4. Auburn – 250.5
5. Kentucky – 250
6. Alabama – 241
7. Missouri – 236
8. Florida – 219.5
9. South Carolina – 218.5
10. Arkansas – 188
11. LSU – 161
12. Vanderbilt – 106

Hogs ready to open season Friday against Bucknell

ESPN Arkansas News Services
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FAYETTEVILLE — Third-ranked Arkansas opens its 96th season of play Friday and 16th under coach Dave Van Horn, hosting Bucknell or a three-game series at Baum Stadium.

First pitch on Friday is set for 3:02 p.m. Saturday’s game will start at 11:32 a.m., followed by Sunday’s series finale at 12:02 p.m.

Follow Live
All three games will be available on SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app with Brett Dolan (PXP) and Troy Eklund (Analyst) calling the action.

Phil Elson (PXP) and former Razorback Bubba Carpenter (Analyst) will have the radio call on the IMG Sports Network.

Important Links
Game 1 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Game 2 – WATCH | LIVE STATS
Game 3 – WATCH | LIVE STATS

Probable Starters
Fri. | 3:02 p.m. | (ARK) RHP Blaine Knight vs. (BUCK) RHP Connor Van Hoose
Sat. | 11:32 a.m. | (ARK) RHP Isaiah Campbell vs. (BUCK) LHP Jack Grabek
Sun. | 12:02 p.m. | (ARK) RHP Keaton McKinney vs. (BUCK) RHP Jack Simpson

Early Recognition For Blaine Knight
Razorback junior right-hander Blaine Knight was named a Louisville Slugger Preseason Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine back in December.

Knight was one of Arkansas’ top arms in 2017, making 16 starts and compiling a 3.28 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched, the second-lowest ERA among Arkansas starting pitchers.

His eight wins were good for tops on the team and were the most by an Arkansas pitcher since Chris Oliver had eight in 2014.

Koch Named Preseason All-American
Razorback junior catcher Grant Koch was named a Preseason Third Team All-American by D1Baseball.com in January.

The Hog backstop was a constant in the lineup last year as he started in nearly every game (63 games), and hit .264 with a career-best 13 home runs and 42 RBIs.

His home run total was the seventh most in the conference, most among catchers, and most by a Razorback catcher in the Dave Van Horn era.

Arkansas Earns Top 10 Preseason Rankings In All National Polls
With the release of the preseason poll from the National College Baseball Writers Association, Arkansas will begin the 2018 season ranked in the top 10 of all the major national polls.

The NCBWA placed the Hogs at No. 6 in this week’s poll, the same placement as the Perfect Game poll, which is also the lowest of the six polls.

Collegiate Baseball Magazine ranked the Razorbacks at No. 3, their highest since they were ranked No. 1 in the preseason in 2013.

The Dark Knight Returns To The Mound
Junior right-hander Blaine Knight will get the call to be the Opening Day starting pitcher Friday against Bucknell.

This is the seventh time in the last eight years that a right-hander will be the Opening Day starter for the Hogs and 12th under Van Horn.

Of the last 15 Opening Day starters, 13 have been drafted. This is the second-straight year that Knight has been tabbed as the Opening Day starter and third-straight opening weekend that he’s been part of the rotation.

High Marks In Preseason SEC Poll
The Razorbacks were picked by the league’s head coaches to win the Western Division and finish second overall.

In the 27th annual preseason SEC poll, the Hogs picked up 12 of the 14 votes to win the division and one vote to take the league overall.

Four Hogs Earn Preseason All-SEC Marks
Arkansas was one of two schools (Florida) to have four or more players earn a spot on either Preseason All-SEC team.

Catcher Grant Koch led all Razorbacks as the lone first-team player, followed by Blaine Knight, Jax Biggers, and Dominic Fletcher, who make up the second team.

Fletcher Returns To Captain Outfield After Banner Freshman Season
After a year where he could be argued as the best hitting freshman in the SEC, centerfielder Dominic Fletcher is back for his sophomore year with the Hogs.

Fletcher was named a freshman All-American by the NCBWA and Baseball America in 2017 after hitting .291 with 64 hits, 12 home runs, and 37 RBIs.

His 12 long balls were the second most by a Razorback freshman in a season in school history trailing only Zack Cox, who hit 13 in 2009.

In last year’s season opener, Fletcher became the first Arkansas freshman to homer in his Razorback debut since Andy Wilkins in 2008.

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