Ortiz tops leaderboard at Latin America Amateur
SANTIAGO, Chile. — When the dust settled on Monday, Razorback golfer Alvaro Ortiz found himself alone atop the leaderboard at 4-under heading into Tuesday’s final round of the Latin America Amateur Championship at Prince of Wales Country Club.
On the difficult 18th hole, which four of the top five players bogeyed, Ortiz rolled in a clutch 10-footer for par to cap a 1-under 70 and give him a one-shot lead on the field, which includes the No. 1 amateur player in the world in Joaquin Niemann from Chile.
With rounds of 69-70-70 – 209 (-4), Ortiz is in the driver’s seat heading into the final round where the winner of the Latin America Amateur will be invited to the 2018 Masters Tournament and receive exemptions into the final stages of qualifying for The Open and U.S. Open in 2018.
The Zapopan, Mexico, native finds himself in familiar territory after holding a 54-hole lead at the event last year before finishing runner-up in a playoff.
“I’ll definitely going to draw on my experiences from last year heading into tomorrow,” Ortiz said. “I’m an emotional player and staying calm and hitting that putt on 18 was big for me.”
Ortiz has 12 birdies in the first three rounds, with seven of those coming on the front nine. He will tee off tomorrow morning in the final group at 6:28 a.m. CT.
Live coverage of the final round starts at 9 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
Razorbacks eye big road test against Georgia
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas travels to Athens, Georgia, Tuesday looking for its first road win of the season, as the Razorbacks face the Georgia Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
The Rundown
Opponent: at Georgia (12-6, 3-4 SEC)
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 23
Site: Stegeman Coliseum (Athens, Ga.)
Tip-off: 5:30 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network | WatchESPN
Live Stats: Click Here
SiriusXM Radio: 137/190
The #Fastest40 Facts
• Daniel Gafford earned his second SEC Freshman of the week honor on Monday, joining Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley as the only Razorbacks to win the award multiple times.
• Arkansas has won 32 consecutive games in which it has led at halftime. During Mike Anderson era, the Razorbacks are 117-7 when leading at the intermission.
• Jaylen Barford is the only player in the SEC to rank in the top five in points per game (3rd), FG percentage (3rd) and 3-point FG percentage (1st).
• In the final minute and overtime of games this season, Daryl Macon is a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line. In his career, he is 45-of-49 (.918).
• Daniel Gafford leads all SEC freshmen and ranks fifth in the nation among rookies in field goal percentage at 63 percent.
• During the last four seasons, Arkansas is tied for second in the SEC in league wins with 37, while Georgia is sixth with 33 victories.
• Daniel Gafford’s 42 dunks are as many as six SEC teams, including 10 more than Georgia has as a program this season.
• Daryl Macon is one of three players in the SEC with four games of 8+ assists this season. In those four contests, he has totaled 32 assists and just six turnovers.
• Following Saturday’s win against Ole Miss, Arkansas’ RPI checked in at No. 29 according to ESPN, while the strength of schedule is No. 17.
• Arkansas currently has the 5th longest three-point streak in the country at 961 consecutive games.
A Win Would…
• Give the Razorbacks their first true road win of the season and the fourth victory away from Bud Walton Arena this year.
• Give Arkansas its sixth victory in Stegeman Coliseum, including its 2nd win in the last three trips to Athens.
• Make Mike Anderson 8-3 all-time against Georgia as a head coach.
Gafford joins elite company with second SEC honor
FAYETTEVILLE — After averaging a double-double last week against Florida and Ole Miss, freshman forward Daniel Gafford earned his second career SEC Freshman of the Week honor from the league office Monday.
Gafford joins NBA players Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley as the only Razorbacks to earn the honor multiple times and is one of three players in the league to claim it twice this year.
Gafford recorded his first career double-double last Wednesday at Florida, scoring 14 points and adding 11 rebounds, including a career-high five offensive boards. The 6-11 big man followed that with one of his most complete performances of the year with 15 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and a career-high three steals in a home victory against Ole Miss. Last week, he averaged 14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.
Gafford is shooting 62.5 percent from the field this season, ranking fifth among all freshmen in the country, second overall in the SEC and 31st overall in the nation. He leads the SEC in field goal percentage in conference games, shooting 58.5 percent (38-65).
Averaging 13.1 points and 6.9 rebounds against SEC teams, Gafford has scored 14-plus points in five of his first seven career SEC games. The El Dorado, Arkansas, native is responsible for 42 of Arkansas’ 76 dunks and has recorded as many dunks as six SEC teams.
Arkansas travels to Athens, Georgia, Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. CT matchup with the Bulldogs on the SEC Network.
Hogs blasted on road at No. 11 Missouri on Sunday
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Arkansas had no answer for the inside play of No. 11 Missouri as the Razorbacks fell, 88-54, in Southeastern Conference action on the road on Sunday.
Big scoring runs by Missouri (17-2, 5-1 SEC) were possible behind good play by the Tigers in the paint. Undersized, Arkansas (11-9, 2-5 SEC) got into foul trouble early and was unable to overcome the deficit.
As Arkansas focused on the inside game, the Tigers kicked the ball outside and their 3-point shooters went to work. The Razorbacks allowed a season-high 13 opponent 3-point field goals in the loss.
Three players scored in double figures for Arkansas paced 14 points each from Jailyn Mason and Kiara Williams. Malica Monk scored in double figures for the 19th game this season with 11 points.
Notes
• Arkansas went with just the fourth different lineup this year and the second in as many games — Monk, Williams, Mason, Zimmerman and Thomas.
• Jailyn Mason scored 14 points. It is her 12th game in double figures this season.
• Kiara Williams scored 14 points. It is her eighth game in double figures this season.
• Malica Monk recorded her 19th double-figure scoring game of the year finishing with 11 points.
• Missouri’s 13 3-pointers is only the fourth time this season that Arkansas has allowed double-digit makes from distance.
• Arkansas gave up a season-high 13 3-point field goals.
Up Next
The Razorbacks travel to defending national champion No. 10 South Carolina as SEC action continues. Arkansas returns home hosting Kentucky on Monday, Jan. 29, in a 6 p.m. tip on the SEC Network.
Razorbacks maintain Top 10 ranking headed into week four
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas held steady in the top 10 in Road To Nationals weekly rankings, maintaining the No. 10 spot for the second-straight week with an average of 196.008.
The Razorbacks posted a 196.150 in a close loss at Missouri last Friday, after scoring a 196.525 a week before against Kentucky, marking its highest scores in back-to-back meets since Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2017.
Led by its high scoring balance beam squad that is averaging a score of 49.200 through three meets, which ranks fourth in the nation. The Razorbacks have three athletes ranked in the top 60 in the event, led by Freshman Sophia Carter who is tied for 34th with an average of 9.867. Senior Amanda Wellick and sophomore Jessica Yamzon rank tied for 41st while sophomore Michaela Burton is ranked 54th.
Ranking 11th as Arkansas’ second best event, the Razorbacks average a score of 49.025 through three weeks on vault. Senior Braie Speed leads all Razorbacks on the event, ranking tied for 20th in the nation with an average of 9.867. Speed led all athletes, winning the event title, at Missouri last Friday scoring a 9.900, her highest since the 2017 NCAA Fayetteville Regional. Sophomore Sydney McGlone ranks 27th, while Wellick comes in at No. 54 to round out the top 60.
Arkansas has matchups with No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Alabama, No. 11 Georgia, No. 13 Denver left this season, along with a quad meet in St. Louis that includes rematches against No. 2 LSU and No. 17 Missouri.
The Razorbacks began the year as the preseason 19th-ranked team, and moved up to No. 11 following its week one score of 195.350 at LSU. It’s the first time the Razorbacks have been in the top 10 in back-to-back weeks since Feb. 22 and 29, 2016, where Arkansas ranked ninth in both weeks.
Back at home in Barnhill Arena, the 10th-ranked Razorbacks host the 11th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs for a Southeastern Conference bout beginning at 6 p.m. this Friday. The meet will be shown live of the SEC Network, while tickets for the meet can be purchased here.
Oklahoma State knocks off Hogs in home opener
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas fell in its home opener Sunday afternoon, 5-2, to 15th-ranked Oklahoma State.
The Razorbacks fall to 1-2 on the season, as both losses have come to top-20 programs.
The senior-freshman doubles duo of Jose Salazar and Josh Howard-Tripp got things started for the Razorbacks, as Arkansas held the doubles advantage following a 6-1 victory on court two.
The duo improved to 2-1 this season in doubles action.
The Razorbacks could not pull out the doubles point, however, as Arkansas fell 6-2 on court three, then 6-3 on court one.
Down 1-0, Arkansas tied it up as junior Oscar Mesquida made quick work of Oklahoma State’s Tristan Meraut, winning 6-4, 6-0, to improve to 2-1 in singles action so far this season.
Oklahoma State would win the next three matches to take the victory, as freshman Jose Alonso fell to Luke Hammond (OSU) 6-3, 6-4. No. 113 Jose Salazar dropped to Julian Cash at the No. 1 spot, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Freshman Josh Howard-Tripp earned his first loss of the season, moving to 2-1, as he lost to No. 93 Mathieu Scaglia, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, in three sets.
After the clinch for OSU, the final two courts would play out, as junior Adam Sanjurjo defeated Artur Dubinksi 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. Freshman Alex Reco forced a tiebreaker in the second set, winning 9-7, to take it to a 10-point tiebreaker in the third set. Reco would fall 10-5.
Arkansas returns to action next Sunday, as the Razorbacks travel to Athens, Georgia, to face the Memphis Tigers at 9 a.m.
No. 15 Oklahoma State 5, Arkansas 2
Singles Results (3,6,1,4,2,5)
1. Julian Cash (OSU) def. Jose Salazar (AR) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
2. Adam Sanjurjo (AR) def. Artur Dubinski (OSU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4
3. Oscar Mesquida (AR) def. Tristan Meraut (OSU) 6-4, 6-0
4. Mathieu Scaglia (OSU) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
5. Jurence Mendoza (OSU) def. Alex Reco (AR) 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 1-0 (10-5)
6. Luke Hammond (OSU) def. Jose Alonso (AR) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles Results (2,3,1)
1. Julian Cash/Luke Hammond (OSU) def. Adam Sanjurjo/Oscar Mesquida (AR) 6-3
2. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) def. Artur Dubinski/Leftherios Theodorou (OSU) 6-1
3. Jurence Mendoza/Brady Draheim (OSU) def. Pedro Alonso/Jose Alonso (AR) 6-2
Ortiz in contention at Latin America Amateur for second straight year
SANTIAGO, Chile — For the second consecutive year, Arkansas golfer Alvaro Ortiz finds himself in contention at the midway point of the Latin America Amateur Championship after opening the event with back-to-back rounds under par.
After posting a 2-under 69 on Saturday, Ortiz came out firing on Sunday with three birdies on the front nine, before making the turn and recording a birdie on No. 10 to take a two-shot lead on the field at 6-under.
He would go on to finish with three bogeys on the back side and finds himself two shots off the lead held by Argentina’s Jaime Lopez Rivarola at 5-under.
The Arkansas senior had the 54-hole lead at the event last year, before finishing runner-up in a playoff. The third round continues Monday morning at the Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile.
The winner of the Latin America Amateur Championship will be invited to the 2018 Masters Tournament and receive exemptions into the final stages of qualifying for The Open and U.S. Open in 2018.
Hogs get six titles, five facility records in Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Battling three Big 10 programs on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor at the Simmons-Harvey Quad, No. 3 Arkansas departed with several facility records.
The Razorbacks put their best foot forward on the track and in the field claiming six event titles including wins in the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles, 4-x-400-meter relay, high jump and long jump. Arkansas finished third in the team scoring with 97 points, behind Ohio State (146.5 points) and Michigan (147.5 points).
“We always go to these meets and do the very best we can,” head coach Chris Bucknam said. “There was a team score and we didn’t finish up as we had hoped but we had less athletes there than the other teams, so I think it was a numbers game in that regard. Minus the team scoring it was a very successful trip across the board.”
Transfers Have A Day
Azusa Pacific transfer Shakiel Chattoo (60-meter hurdles) and South Plains transfer Laquan Nairn (long jump) both picked up titles for Arkansas in their respective events. The top performer in the preliminary round of the 60 hurdles with 7.91, Chattoo improved upon his time by .12 seconds, clocking 7.79 in the finals to place first in the event. Primarily a heptathlete, Chattoo currently ranks as the sixth-fastest hurdler in the NCAA. Off the track, Bahamian talent Nairn displayed his jumps versatility notching a top-two finish in a horizontal-jumping event for the second-consecutive week. Already ranked among the top-10 best triple jumpers in the NCAA, Nairn added his name to the long jump national leader boards off a best mark of 7.60m/24-11 1/4.
“Those guys had a high energy level with it being their first early season competitions as Razorbacks,” Bucknam said. “They did an outstanding job. Laquan, he’s really high energy. He got some great jumps and in and that was really good to see. Chattoo, did an amazing job, he’s just getting his feet wet and getting used to the division I level. Overall the day was extremely goo.”
Everyone Gets a Record
Four of coach Bucknam’s athletes including Shakiel Chattoo, Kenzo Cotton, Obi Igbokwe and Laquan Nairn etched their names individually in the Michigan history books as facility record holders in their respective events. Chattoo, Cotton and Igbokwe represented strongly in the sprints and hurdles, racing to records in the 60 hurdles, 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash respectively. Nairn set a new long jump facility record with his NCAA top-10 mark. Arkansas’ 4-x-400-meter relay team of Roy Ejiakuekwu, Kemar Mowatt, Rhayko Schwartz and John Winn closed out the night with a facility record, clocking the seventh-fastest time in the nation with 3:09.01.
Additional Notable Performances
Junior Erich Sullins set a new program record in the weight throw of 20.32m/66-8, besting his previous PR by almost three feet. The performance earned him a fourth-place finish. Sophomore Cameron Griffith placed third in the mile with a PR of 4 minutes, 3.11 seconds. Griffith’s time ranks him as the seventh-fastest miler in the NCAA.
Event Winners
• 60 Meters: Roy Ejiakuekwu, 6.71
• 200 Meters: Obi Igbokwe, 20.90
• 60-Meter Hurdles: Shakiel Chattoo, 7.79
• 4-x-400 Meter Relay: Ejiakuekwu, Mowatt, Schwartz, Winn, 3:09.01
• High Jump: Brendon Rivera, 2.09m/6-10 1/4
• Long Jump: Laquan Nairn, 7.60m/24-11 1/4
Simmons-Harvey Quad
January 20, 2018
Michigan Indoor Track Facility (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
60 Meters Prelims
1. Kenzo Cotton – 6.67 (Facility Record)
3. Roy Ejiakuekwu – 6.72
4. Shakiel Chattoo – 6.80
60 Meters Finals
1. Roy Ejiakuekwu – 6.71
200 Meters
1. Obi Igbokwe – 20.90 (Facility Record)
2. Rhayko Schwartz – 21.24
7. John Winn – 21.88
400 Meters
5. Travius Chambers – 48.52
800 Meters
5. Chase Pareti – 1:53.72
6. Kieran Taylor – 1:54.05
7. Reese Walters – 1:55.19
10. Kyle Hosting – 1:56.91
12. Hunter Woodhall – 1:58.04
13. Colin O’Mara – 2:00.57
Mile Elite
3. Cameron Griffith – 4:03.11
4. Jack Bruce – 4:05.31
Mile
6. Kyle Hosting – 4:13.66
10. Colin O’Mara – 4:16.66
15. Graham Brown – 4:21.88
16. Preston Cates – 4:24.08
3,000 Meters
7. Kyle Levermore – 8.19.71
60m Hurdles Prelims
1. Shakiel Chattoo – 7.91
2. Larry Donald – 7.95
6. Kemar Mowatt – 8.07
60m Hurdles Finals
1. Shakiel Chattoo – 7.79 (Facility Record)
2. Larry Donald – 7.89
7. Kemar Mowatt – 8.28
4x400m Relay
1. Arkansas A – Ejiakuekwu, Mowatt, Schwartz, Winn – 3:09.01 (Facility Record)
4. Arkansas B – Donald, Chambers, Woodhall, Pareti – 3:16.88
High Jump
1. Brendon Rivera – 2.09m/6-10 1/4
3. Rubin Owens – 1.99m/6-6 1/4
8. Gabe Moore – 1.94m/6-4 1/4
Long Jump
1. Laquan Nairn – 7.60m/24-11 1/4 (Facility Record)
3. Harrison Schrage – 7.32m/24-0 1/4
4. Rubin Owens – 7.03m/23-0 1/2
Shot Put
6. Sam Kempka – 16.58m/54-4 3/4
9. Jeff Rogers – 15.75m/51-8 1/4
11. Gabe Moore – 13.78m/45-2 1/2
Weight Throw
4. Erich Sullins – 20.32m/66-8 (Program Record)
