FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks senior Clive Pullen's return to triple-jumping at an outdoor meet was not a comfortable one.
The last time Pullen competed in the triple jump outdoors was last August at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where Pullen competed for his native Jamaica on Aug. 15.
It was 75 degrees with a light breeze that night.
Saturday afternoon at John McDonnell Field it was 46 degrees with a north wind blowing at 13 mph with gusts up to 20 mph that made it feel like 40 when Pullen triple jumped. It was raining off and on.
Pullen said it probably was the worst conditions he's competed in for the triple jump.
"It's a lot different than Rio," Pullen said with a smile. "Today I couldn't feel my toes or my fingertips out there.
"I can't control the weather. I wasn't crazy about it, but I just tried to get through it as best I could."
The best for Pullen -- a two-time NCAA indoor champion for the Razorbacks -- on Saturday was 52 feet, 7½ inches on his first of two attempts.
That's well below his career best indoors (56-4¾) and outdoors (55-5½), but it should be plenty good enough to get Pullen a spot in the field of 48 for the NCAA West preliminaries, where the top 12 advance to the NCAA Championships.
Pullen said he knew when he woke up and saw what the weather was like Saturday he did not to have high expectations.
"The first thing I said to myself was, 'Well, no records will be broken today for sure,' " he said. "This is still something I can build on.
"At the end of the day, it's not the Olympics, it's not nationals. I just needed to get a safe jump in for regionals."
Other highlights for Arkansas Saturday were:
• Kenzo Cotton anchoring the 400-meter relay to a 39.28 clocking and running 10.21 in the 100 to finish second to former Razorback and Olympic 110 hurdles champion Omar McLeod, who ran 10.16
• Payton Stumbaugh running 13.12 to win the 100 hurdles and running a leg on the winning 400 relay in 43.75
• Taliyah Brooks winning the long jump (20-11 3/4) and running on the 400 relay
• Obi Igbokwe winning the 400 in 45.54
• Kiara Parker winning the 100 in 11.32 and 200 in 23.39 anchoring the 400 relay
• Tori Weeks clearing 13-3 1/2 to win the pole vault
• Larry Donald winning the 110 hurdles in 14.20
Pullen laughed when told it was 81 degrees Saturday in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica.
When he was younger, Pullen said, he might have resisted jumping in conditions like Saturday's, but not now.
"It's all about having experience and maturity as a senior," he said. "We have bigger meets at the end of outdoor season.
"This was nothing too big to worry about right now. It's just about executing and sticking to the plan."
Chris Bucknam, coach of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville men's team, said he was proud of Pullen.
"Clive didn't show any hesitation about jumping today," Bucknam said. "He's a great competitor and it was a job well done under tough conditions.
"It's a tough event, a high-impact event, and this weather doesn't make it very comfortable. It's kind of like hitting a baseball on a cold day.
"The main thing was to get a West preliminary qualifying mark, which he did. Now we'll wait for a day with better conditions."
Pullen said he didn't worry that the weather Saturday night result in an injury if he slipped.
"I try not to think about that too much," he said. "They got the runway as dry as possible, so I was comfortable with what we had at the time of competition."
Bucknam said it could be cool and raining when the NCAA Championships are held at Oregon's Hayward Field in June.
"So if it is, we'll be ready for it," Bucknam said.
The Razorbacks compete at the SEC Relays next weekend in Baton Rouge, La., and the conditions should be better.
"So hopefully I can get in some good jumps and gear up for the conference meet and nationals," Pullen said.
Pullen said his training is going well overall.
"I'm not where I need to be yet, but I'm getting there," he said. "When the time is right, you'll see me do something good."
Sports on 04/23/2017