FAYETTEVILLE — Coach Chris Bucknam hopes the spotlight brings out the best in the Arkansas men’s track and field team this weekend.
The Razorbacks are ranked No. 1 nationally indoors and will put that status on the line against eight ranked teams at the Tyson Invitational, which begins today at the Tyson Track Center. On the women’s side Arkansas’ fourth-ranked squad is among six ranked teams, in the top eight in the nation, that will be on hand.
Also attached to the Tyson Invitational is the USATF Classic, a 10-event meet that will bring in some of the biggest names in track and field Saturday and will be televised at 1:30 p.m. Sunday onESPN2.
Bucknam’s Razorbacks have three individuals and one relay team automatically qualified for the NCAA Indoors meet that will be held in March, and the Tyson Invitational may be their best chance to add to that number. The SEC Championships begin Feb. 24, but many of those races tend to be tactical, which can hold down times.
The Tyson is a nonscored meet, so it’s all about running the fastest and jumping the farthest. Bucknam said that’s why he worked so hard to bring in so many quality teams, to improve the level of competition in each event.
“There’s no question this is an important weekend for us, one that we have circled,” Bucknam said. “It’s the penultimate meet before the SEC Championships. We’re lining our kids up, and we expect a great competition.
“Probably everybody we have racing is going for a qualifying mark. We have important people in all those events.”
Arkansas seems close to breakthroughs in the longer sprints, where freshman Akheem Gauntlett has the nation’s top time in the 200 meters and the fourth-best in the 400. Ben Skidmore is second nationally in the 400, and the Razorbacks have five of the top 22 800 runners, but none of the times is a guaranteed national qualifier.
“We’re about where we thought we’d be, but yet we have more work to do,” Bucknam said. “This is an important weekend. If we’re going to take that next step to a championship-level team, we have to do more this weekend.”
Women’s Coach Lance Harter has similar hopes for this weekend. Arkansas’ women’s team has three individuals and one relay team qualified but hasn’t unleashed its deep corps of sprinters and middle-distance runners.
“The level of competition is absolutely incredible,” Harter said. “We’re talking about national and world class athletes at the collegiate level trying to improve their marks.
“We have to cash in now and take advantage of the opportunity to get ultimately ready for the SEC meet.”
Tyson Invitational
WHEN Today-Saturday WHERE Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville
SCHEDULE
Field events begin at 11 a.m. and running events at 1:30 p.m. Friday; Saturday’s events begin at 11 a.m. USATF Classic events to begin at 5 p.m.
ADMISSION Free
TELEVISION Will be broadcast at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2
Tyson Invitational schedule At Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville
TODAY
11 a.m. Women’s college shot put*
Noon Men’s/women’s college high jump
1 p.m. Men’s college shot put*
1 p.m. Women’s college pole vault
1:30 p.m. Women’s college mile
1:45 p.m. Men’s college mile
2 p.m. Women’s 400
2 p.m. Men’s/women’s college long jump
3 p.m. Men’s 400
3 p.m. Women’s championship shot put
4 p.m. Women’s 60 prelims
4:30 p.m. Men’s 60 prelims
5 p.m. Women’ college 5,000
5 p.m. Men’s championship shot put
5:20 p.m. Men’s college 5,000
5:40 p.m. Women’s 60 hurdles prelims
6 p.m. Men’s/women’s championship long jump
6:10 p.m. Men’s 60 hurdles prelims
6:30 p.m. Women’s championship pole vault
6:40 p.m. Women’s 60 semifinals
6:50 p.m. Men’s 60 semifinals
7 p.m. Women’s championship 5,000
7:20 p.m. Men’s championship 5,000
7:40 p.m. Women’s 60 hurdles semifinals
7:50 p.m. Men’s 60 hurdles semifinals
8 p.m. Women’s championship DMR
8:15 p.m. Men’s championship DMR
8:30 p.m. Women’s 60 final
8:35 p.m. Men’s 60 final
*At Walker Pavilion
Sports, Pages 24 on 02/10/2012