FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas track and field team held a pep rally outside of the university's student union Friday to celebrate the program's 41st national championship.
The Razorbacks outscored the second-place Florida Gators 74-59 to secure the first national championship since 2006 and the first title since Chris Bucknam took over as the head coach of the Arkansas track and field and cross country teams in 2008. Bucknam said taking over for legendary coach John McDonell has not always been easy, but it felt good to lift his first national championship trophy.
Bucknam has won seven SEC titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, and was named coach of the year by the SEC and US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
"I know there were quite a few people probably questioning my sanity and questioning my assistant coaches' sanity, because it is an unbelievable task to take over for what went on here. We just tried to be ourselves and do it the way we thought would be the best way to get it done," Bucknam said. "It's been a long road, it was tough not to crack, but I think we knocked the door down and we can carry ourselves with pride and say 'hey, you know what? We got it down. Let's see how much more we can do.'
"When I got the job, I didn't really have to much time to think about it. All that stuff wasn't going through my mind as much as the opportunity I was given. And I'm humbled by it. And our coaches are. I'm just glad to be a Razorback and it has been a crazy four or five years, but we got it done."
Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long introduced Bucknam and the track team at the pep rally and he said he was glad to see Bucknam's team be crowned for the way he and his assistant coaches built the program.
"Very few men would take the challenge to take over for a legend," Long said. "I have tremendous respect for coach Bucknam. He and his assistant coaches, Travis Geopfert and Doug Case, accepted the challenge and came in and built a program the way they thought they needed to build it in order to win SEC and national championships and they have done it.
"I could not be more proud of them and the way they built our program."
During the pep rally, Bucknam also individually pointed out both of his assistant coaches, Case and Geopfert, and credited them for their role in earning the program's 20th NCAA indoor championship. Geopfert was named the national assistant coach of the year last month by the USTFCCCA.
"I'm really proud of my staff," Bucknam said. "There was quite a bit of pressure on those guys as well. It wasn't just a head coach taking over such a great program. I owe it all to my staff. They kept me focused and heading in the right direction. "
McDonnell molded Fayetteville into the "Track Capital of the World" and Bucknam said realizing his team's addition to the dynasty sunk in quickly.
"I couldn't believe how fast the 41 titles went up on the scoreboard," he said. "Within hours, they changed it from 40 to 41 and that, to me, made me realize I was coaching at the right place. Where it means that much to get the 41 up for our kids so all of our kids could see it. It meant people were proud of us."
The Razorbacks are ranked second in the country in the outdoor season after hitting the outdoor track two weeks after winning the indoor crown. Arkansas will host the John McDonnell Invitational Saturday, April 13 at John McDonnell field and Bucknam said he is hoping to see support for the team at the meet, just as hundreds of students showed support at the pep rally on Friday.
"We're looking forward to hosting next weekend," Bucknam said. "We have the No. 1 ranked team in the country, Texas A&M, coming in. They finished three spots behind us at the National Championship. They're hellbent on proving that they are better than us so next Saturday, April 13, we have a heck of a track meet with Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. We'd love to have a great crowd for outdoor track."