FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas senior Clive Pullen battled illness earlier in the week, but it didn't stop him from having his best performance of the season Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Pullen, who was a 2016 Olympian for Jamaica, took first in the triple jump with a 56 feet, 4¾ inches jump to help the No. 5 men's team finish strong on the final day of the Tyson Invitational.
"I've been working all offseason when I came back from Rio to be more consistent," Pullen said. "I came out here and did just that. I knew I had this in me. I just needed to come out here and do it."
The performance earned him the top rank in the world for the season, the third best in school history and the 10th best in NCAA history.
"It's great to see Clive do what he did," Arkansas Coach Chris Bucknam said. "He really went out there and competed. Sometimes you can just thank the history. Because that is what the standard is and that's what he has done."
Pullen said he was sick and had to get treatment last week.
"I was feeling totally out of it earlier this week," Pullen said. "I had two bags of IV. But I bounced back. I knew I had this in me from my last training."
Pullen, the defending NCAA Indoors champion in the triple jump, finished with a strong final jump, turned to the crowd and received a loud cheer.
"It is always good to compete at home," Pullen said. "I know my friends come out and have my back out here. I love the stadium and the people here."
KeAndre Bates of Florida finished second in the event with a jump of 55-0.
Bucknam said he knows this will be a special year for Pullen.
"He is all-in with his senior year," Bucknam said. "He led by example here today. It is so nice to see how much it means to a guy who has been to the top with the Olympics. This is a step behind the Olympics."
Arkansas sophomore Tori Weeks continued her strong season Saturday. Weeks led the way for the No. 2 Arkansas women's team with a 14-7¼ performance in the pole vault to take the title.
"Last year, I had a pretty good season," Weeks said. "But I feel like I've had a little change this year. I have way more confidence and jumping at a consistent level."
Lexi Weeks took second with a 14-7¼ performance, but Tori won because her sister had more misses. Desiree Freier took fourth for Arkansas with a vault of 14-3¼.
"This will really help us when we go to nationals having a trio of Razorbacks," Lexi Weeks said. "It really helps with the encouragement we are able to receive. I think we have a good little team."
The Arkansas men's team took first place in the 400-meter relay with a time of 3:04.88, narrowly beating Texas, which posted a 3:04.95. A close finish with the Arkansas team of Kemar Mowatt, Obi Igbokwe, Eric Janise and Jamarco Stephen is what Bucknam said he wanted from the group.
"That's the thing that we are looking for is guys dialed in as we approach big meets," Bucknam said. "So I think we are a little step closer."
Senior sprinter Josh Washington finished fifth in the 200 with a time of 20.81, while junior Kenzo Cotton had a sixth-place 20.87 performance.
Former Razorback and Olympian Wallace Spearmon took first in the 200 Olympic Division finals with a winning time of 20.69.
Sports on 02/12/2017