2014 WholeHogSports Newcomer of the Year

From third wheel to champion

Arkansas freshman Omar McLeod competes in the 60-meter hurdles during a dual meet against Texas on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

Editor's Note: This is the second in a four-part series highlighting the best coaches and athletes at the University of Arkansas in 2014.

It isn't uncommon for freshmen to win individual national championships in olympic sports.

But for an athlete to do so competing in a sport for the first time is almost unprecedented. That's what Arkansas hurdler Omar McLeod did in 2014.

The Jamaican-born hurdler had never competed indoors prior to arriving at Arkansas last year. Having spent his whole life running outdoors, moving inside for the 60-meter hurdles was an adjustment for McLeod, as were the hurdles, which are three inches taller than the ones used in high school competitions.

"Jamaica is all outdoors with the perfect climate and when I got here I hated (running indoors) because it was so awkward," McLeod said. "Because of the change in height, I was a bit skeptical and scared of the hurdles. The coaches told me not to think about it and to pretend it was a high school height.

"Then the 60 meters are a lot quicker. It's a race from the start, so you have to get out. It's not like the 110 where you have time to build up."

More from WholeHogSports

http://www.wholehog…">Assistant Coach of the Year: Robb Smith

Other Notable Newcomers

Andrew Benintendi, Baseball: Earned freshman all-SEC honors after batting .276 with 1 home run and 27 RBIs.

Bobby Portis, Men's Basketball: Earned second-team all-SEC and freshman all-SEC honors, and set Arkansas freshman records with 230 rebounds during the season and 35 points in a win over Alabama.

Jessica Jackson, Women's Basketball: Earned second-team all-SEC and freshman all-SEC honors after scoring in double figures 26 times.

Frank Ragnow, Football: Earned freshman all-SEC honors after playing more than 200 snaps at center with a 70 percent blocking grade.

Amanda Wellick, Gymnastics: Earned SEC Freshman of the Year award after recording second-highest overall score nationally (39.450) by a freshman.

McLeod was also faced with running against two of the best college hurdlers in the last decade.

Florida's Eddie Lovett entered the indoor season a three-time defending SEC champion and defending national champion in the 60 hurdles. Texas A&M's Wayne Davis II had finished runner-up to Lovett at the NCAA indoor meet the year before and was the defending outdoor national champion in the 110 hurdles.

"I love competition and I never get intimidated by people," McLeod said. "I really look up to those guys. Wayne Davis is one of my role models and he's always encouraging me.

"I love competing against them."

At the SEC meet, McLeod finished third behind the heralded hurdlers. The NCAA meet two weeks later in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was billed as a rematch for Lovett and Davis, but McLeod took everyone by surprise with two of his best races.

McLeod recorded a school-record 7.57 seconds in his heat to qualify for the final meet. He then ran 7.756 seconds in the final, edging Lovett by two one-thousandths of a second.

"When you put it all in perspective and then throw in that he's a freshman on top of that, it was a surprise," said Doug Case, the Razorbacks sprint coach. "By the same token, when you watch him practice you can see he has the potential to do that. What I see in the guy right now after one year is that he's a big meet guy. When he gets to the big meet, he is mentally focused and he's ready."

McLeod was also the anchor for the 1,600-meter relay team, which finished fourth indoors. His performances helped Arkansas finish second nationally in the team rankings.

Following the indoor season, McLeod had a solid start outdoors. He finished second to Davis in the 110 hurdles at the SEC meet and qualified for the event at the NCAA championships. He was also named SEC freshman runner of the year.

A hamstring injury suffered during the NCAA semifinals ended his bid for a second national championship. In retrospect, it did little to deter from a great season that many in the track world expect to be the first of many.

"In general throughout my coaching career that's an event that I haven't really looked at a hurdler coming in as a freshman and expected them to do well," Case said. "Just to make that transition to the college level is really difficult. And then to do it without the training we really wanted him to have, and indoors which he had never ran, there were so many barriers and to overcome that, it was a special thing for him.

"I don't see him dropping off. He's so focused on what he's doing. He does workouts with a purpose and that purpose is to be the best he can be. That will translate into years of great performances and years at a high level."