Arkansas teams host bevy of top-ranked teams

Arkansas' Jarrion Lawson jumps during a meet against Texas on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' men's and women's track and field teams will get a feel for how they stack up nationally when a field of powerhouse squads from the SEC, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten and Pacific-12 compete this weekend at the Razorback Invitational.

The meet will be held today and Saturday at Arkansas' Randal Tyson Track Center.

TRACK AND FIELD

Razorback Invitational

WHEN Today and Saturday. The UA schedule lists prime time for events as 6-8 p.m. today and 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE Randal Tyson Indoor Track Center, Fayetteville

WHO The men’s field includes No. 3 Arkansas, No. 2 Florida, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 8 Stanford and No. 9 LSU. The women’s field includes No. 5 Arkansas, No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 10 Stanford.

TICKETS $5 general admission for adults. Free admission 17 and younger.

"It's going to be a heck of a meet, no question about that," said Chris Bucknam, Arkansas' men's coach. "We'd better have our shoes tied on tight."

Double-knotted, too.

Along with No. 3 Arkansas, the men's field includes No. 2 Florida, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 8 Stanford, No. 9 LSU, No. 15 Florida State, No. 16 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Purdue and No. 23 Iowa State.

The women's field includes No. 5 Arkansas, No. 1 Florida, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 10 Stanford, No. 11 Florida State and No. 13 Oklahoma State.

While meeting qualifying standards for the NCAA Championships that will be held March 13-14 in Fayetteville are a priority for all the teams, this weekend's meet will be scored to add interest for fans and some extra incentive for the competitors.

"Any time you start getting this deep into the season, the intensity ramps up even more," Bucknam said. "Coaches are putting their best athletes in their primary events. The preseason is over. Now it's all hands on deck for everybody."

NCAA individual champions competing for the Razorbacks today are Andrew Irwin in the pole vault, Jarrion Lawson in the long jump and Omar McLeod in the 60-meter hurdles.

Arkansas All-American Kemoy Campbell, back from an Achilles tendon injury that caused him to redshirt last year, will anchor the distance medley relay tonight and run in the mile Saturday.

Bucknam will pay particular attention to how the Razorbacks do against SEC rivals Florida, Texas A&M and LSU with the conference meet looming Feb. 27-28 in Lexington, Ky.

"It's like the first couple rounds of a 10-round fight," Bucknam said. "We're going to be watching each other and testing each other out."

Arkansas women's Coach Lance Harter said this weekend's meet will help determine rosters for the SEC meet, where teams are limited to 27 athletes.

"We designed our schedule so that each week the meets just keep getting tougher and tougher," Harter said. "This is the time we need to start to cash in as far as getting qualify marks or improving your seed for the SEC meet.

"The quality of competition that's coming here is going to provide everything you need."

Tonight's pole vault, which also will feature Arkansas All-Americans Sandi Morris and Ariel Voskamp, should be a highlight event.

Razorbacks All-American Alex Gochenour will compete in the season's first pentathlon, held today and Saturday, and Sparkle McKinght and Taylor Ellis-Watson will run in the 400 Saturday.

"Every event is loaded," Harter said. "It's going to be a great meet for the fans."

Sports on 01/30/2015