FAYETTEVILLE -- Cale Wallace is ready to go the distance to help the Arkansas Razorbacks win another SEC track and field title.
The fifth-year senior from Cypress, Texas, suggested to Razorbacks Coach Chris Bucknam that he run the 3,000-meter steeplechase, 10,000 and 5,000 this weekend at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Columbia, S.C.
Cale Wallace at a glance
COLLEGE Arkansas
EVENTS 3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000 meters
CLASS Fifth-year senior
HIGH SCHOOL Cypress (Texas) Ranch AGE 23 (born Jan. 27, 1994)
NOTEWORTHY Scored 10 points at last year’s SEC outdoor meet when he finished second in the steeplechase and seventh in the 5,000. … His time of 8 minutes, 41.47 seconds in the steeplechase ranks 10th on Arkansas’ all-time list. … Earned All-American indoor honors as a redshirt freshman in 2014 when he ran on the distance medley relay team. … Graduated last year with a marketing degree and is working on a master’s in sports management. … Son of Allan and Tammy Wallace.
Bucknam said he probably would have allowed Wallace to run the triple, except his training has been slowed recently by a left calf injury.
So Wallace will be limited to the steeplechase and 5,000, which is still a challenging double.
"Cale wants to score points," Bucknam said. "He wants to help the team.
'He'd run 20,000 meters if it was a race. He'd run marathon if that was on the meet schedule and you asked him to do it."
Bucknam said he sometimes has to hold back Wallace in practice.
"He's one of those guys I've got to slow down," Bucknam said. "I've got to tell him, 'That's enough. Stop. We're not doing anymore today.' "
Wallace, who said his calf feels fine now, is hoping to score well for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in his final SEC meet as he did last year when he finished second in the steeplechase and seventh in the 5,000 for 10 points as the Razorbacks beat Texas A&M 121-101 for the team title.
This weekend will be Wallace's first SEC meet since outdoors last year because he didn't have remaining eligibility in cross country or indoor track and field.
"This has been a year in the making," he said. "So I'm definitely looking forward to going out and trying to enjoy every minute of it with it being my last SEC meet.
"I've got a lot of motivation."
Wallace's steeplechase time of 8 minutes, 53.15 seconds this outdoor season ranks second in the SEC behind Ole Miss senior MJ Erb, who has run 8:41.03.
But last year Wallace took second in the event in 8:41.47-- behind Arkansas' Frankline Tonui winning time of 8:39.82 -- while Erb was third in 8:43.06.
Wallace said he believes he can win the steeplechase Friday night and join a list of Arkansas SEC champions in the event that includes NCAA winners Daniel Lincoln, Matt Kerr and Godfrey Siamusiye along with national runner-up Stanley Kebenei.
Peter Kosgei and Scott MacPherson also have won SEC steeplechase titles for the Razorbacks along with Tonui.
"Here at Arkansas, we've got such a great steeplechase history," Wallace said. "To be mentioned in the same category with those guys would be an unbelievable honor."
Wallace will be running the steeplechase for only the seventh time. He didn't take up the event until last season at the suggestion of Danny Green, Arkansas' former director of operations.
"Danny goes, 'You ought to think about using Cale in the steeple. I think he could be good,' " Bucknam said. "It turned out to be a great idea."
Wallace, who had been struggling in other distance events, was glad to give the steeplechase a shot and made a quick transition, though he had some anxious moments the first time he ran it with teammate Aidan Swain during a meet at Azuza Pacific University in California.
"Aidan was running his first steeple as well," Wallace said. "He was behind me in the first heat and we come up on the first hurdle and right when we go over it, he goes, 'Man, that was high.'
"I was like, 'Dude, I don't want to think about that. We've got 34 more to jump over.' "
The steeplechase has 35 total hurdles, including seven with water jumps.
"I won my heat the first time I ran it and really surprised myself, honestly," Wallace said. "But that definitely kick-started me racing the best I've ever run here."
Wallace said he never expected to become a steeplechaser as a redshirt junior.
"I'd say the number of people that run their first steeple their fourth year in college is probably pretty small," he said. "I wish I done it earlier in my career, but just finding this success at all has been really, really cool."
Bucknam said it's gratifying to see Wallace excel in the steeplechase.
"On many different levels, Cale's a champion in my eyes," Bucknam said. "He's had to fight for everything he's gotten, every accomplishment.
"He was a talented high school kid, but I really think he's an overachiever. He works hard and has shown nothing but grit and guts.
"Running means a lot to him. The team means a lot to him. He's kind of been the glue with our distance runners for the last couple of years and helps holds it all together."
Wallace graduated last year with a marketing degree. He's now working on a master's degree in sports management, which he'll complete next year when he'll also serve as a student coach for the Razorbacks.
After finishing his master's, Wallace said he wants to go into coaching as a profession.
"I remember the first day I brought it up to Coach Buck," Wallace said. "The first thing he told me was, 'You're too smart to be a coach.'
"But it's what I want to do and it's something I can see myself loving."
SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships
WHEN Today through Saturday WHERE Columbia S.C. DEFENDING TEAM CHAMPIONS Men: Arkansas. Women: Arkansas
Sports on 05/11/2017