USA Outdoor Championships

Lawson aims for a double

Jarrion Lawson lands in the pit during the men's long jump at the U.S. outdoor track and field championships, Sunday, June 29, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif. Lawson placed second behind first place finisher Jeffery Henderson. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas junior Jarrion Lawson will compete in the long jump and 100 meters within an hour of each other tonight at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Oregon's Hayward Field, but he doesn't find the prospect overwhelming.

"Compared to four events, I think two events will be relatively easy," Lawson said.

U.S. Outdoor Championships

WHEN Today-Sunday

WHERE Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore.

ON THE LINE Top three finishers in each event qualify for the World Championships.

Arkansans entered

Athletes with Arkansas ties who are competing at the USA Track and Field Championships:

USA CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN

ATHLETE (TIE);EVENTS

Eric Fernandez (UA);10,000

Tyson Gay (UA), 100

Jeff Henderson (Sylvan Hills);long jump

Andrew Irwin (UA);pole vault

Stanley Kebenei (UA);3,000 steeplechase

Jarrion Lawson (UA); long jump, 100

Duncan Phillips (UA); 1,500

Wallace Spearmon Jr. (UA);200

Michael Tinsley (Little Rock);400 hurdles

Dorian Ulrey (UA);1,500

WOMEN

ATHLETE (TIE);EVENTS

Stephanie Brown (UA);1,500

Taylor Ellis-Watson (UA); 400

Alex Gochenour (UA);heptathlon, 100 hurdles

April Steiner Bennett (UA);pole vault

Sandi Morris (UA);pole vault

Sharika Nevis (ASU); 100 hurdles

Chrishuna Williams (UA);800

USA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN

ATHLETE (TIE);EVENTS

Sam Kempka (UA);shot put

Ethan Moehn (UA);800 meters

Rubin Owens (UA);long jump, triple jump

Jeffrey Rogers (UA);shot put

Brandon Workman (UA);long jump

WOMEN

ATHLETE (TIE);EVENTS

Taliyah Brooks (UA);100 hurdles

Sydney Brown (UA);3,000

Desiree Freier (UA);pole vault

Kelsey Herman (UA);100 hurdles

Lawson competed in four events in a 3 1/2-hour span at Hayward Field on June 10 when he took third in the long jump (27 feet, 4 1/2 inches), ran a school-record 10.04 in the 100 meters to advance to the final and ran legs on the Razorbacks' 400- and 1,600-meter relays to help them advance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Two days later, Lawson finished third in the 100 (wind-aided 9.90) and helped Arkansas win the 400 relay (school-record 38.47) and take sixth in the 1,600 relay (3:05.71).

As an individual, Lawson was credited with scoring 17.25 points, which would have finished 15th in the team standings.

"Jarrion nailed it," Arkansas sprints coach Doug Case said. "He did everything the way he was supposed to do it. Of course, he was trained to do that, but he still had to execute it. He didn't falter in any of his events."

Lawson said he's fully recovered from his grueling schedule at the NCAA meet.

"I actually recovered pretty quick," he said. "We got done on Friday and I was feeling good by Monday.

"I feel I'm just well-trained right now. When you're good, you're just good, and I'm feeling good physically and mentally."

The long jump is scheduled to start at 7 Central tonight with the first rounds of the 100 meters at 8 p.m., so Lawson may be making jumps before and after he runs as he did at the NCAA meet, where he went 25-10 1/2 on first attempt, ran in the 100 and then went 27-4 1/2 on his last attempt.

"There was a pressure cooker in that first jump," Arkansas field events coach Travis Geopfert said. "It had to be good, and it had to be fair."

Lawson said he doesn't understand why meet schedules have the long jump and the 100 meters so close together because it's a double for some athletes.

"I just have to learn to compartmentalize and block out distractions and go execute," he said.

Lawson will be looking to improve one spot in the long jump after taking second at the USA Championships last year, when former Sylvan Hills standout Jeffrey Henderson won by going 27-11 1/2 and Lawson went 26-8 1/4.

Henderson goes into tonight's competition ranked No. 1 in nation at 27-10 1/2 and is followed by Florida senior Marquis Dendy, who went 27-4 1/2 to win the NCAA title. Lawson is tied for third.

"I believe I can win," Lawson said. "I'm trying to go for 28 feet, and I know I can do it. I've scratched on it a couple of times. Now I just need to go execute and big things will happen."

Geopfert said he expects a tight long jump competition.

"Henderson's a tremendous talent, but I think Jarrion's going to give him all he wants," Geopfert said.

Former Razorback Tyson Gay is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 100 at 9.88. Lawson is tied for ninth, but he was ranked 11th among collegians going into the NCAA Championships before taking third.

"I think what you'll find is Jarrion is a competitor, and he's just going to give it all he's got and do what he has to do," Case said.

If Lawson advances in the 100 tonight, the semifinals and final await Friday night, but the long jump final is tonight.

"You have to set priorities in meets like this, and the priority is the long jump," Geopfert said. "Go out and execute the plan and we'll see how the 100 falls into place.

"It's going to be one of those things where we make game-time decisions and figure it out depending on how long the long jump takes. The 100 is kind of icing on the cake."

Lawson didn't start running the 100 competitively at Arkansas until the SEC Outdoor Championships, so it's been a fast rise for him as a sprinter.

"I still consider myself a jumper first," Lawson said. "But my sprinting is catching up to my jumping."

Geopfert said while the long jump is Lawson's best event, he doesn't want to limit Lawson as he moves forward in his track and field career.

"Long jumping is where Jarrion got it started and that evolved into the 100-meter dash, and he's great at the 400-meter leg on the relay, too," Geopfert said. "You don't want to shortchange him and label him anything. The guy is just a great all-round athlete. He can pretty much do whatever he wants."

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Sports on 06/25/2015