For the second year in a row the men's SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships went down to the Arkansas Razorbacks, Alabama and the 1,600-meter relay -- the meet's final event.
Sunday in College Station, Texas, it was Alabama that came out with the team victory.
The No. 8-ranked Crimson Tide won their first SEC indoor championship since 1972 with 91 points to end the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's title streak at three years.
The No. 3-ranked Razorbacks were second with 88 points.
Last year in Nashville, Tenn., Arkansas took fourth in the 1,600-meter relay to edge Alabama for the team title 98-93.
Going into the 1,600 relay this year Alabama led Arkansas 87-82.
The Razorbacks needed to win in the relay to overtake the Tide, but Arkansas finished third in 3:04.53 behind Texas A&M (3:02.35) and Florida (3:02.65).
Alabama scored two points in the relay with a seventh-place finish.
"That relay is a heavyweight event," Arkansas Coach Chris Bucknam said. "We did improve our time and get our team into the NCAA meet."
Arkansas senior Kenzo Cotton won the 60 in 6.59 for his first SEC title, and he took second in the 200 in a personal-best 20.61. His 18 points were the most scored by an individual at the meet.
"I'm absolutely thrilled for Kenzo to be the high scorer at a meet as competitive as the SECs," Bucknam said. "He's been the glue for our sprint program -- and really our whole program -- the last four years.
"It's great to see him win the 60, which I think is the marquee race of the meet."
Cotton became the first Razorback to win the 60 at the SEC meet since Arkansas joined the conference in 1992.
Sophomore Cameron Griffith anchored Arkansas to a victory in the distance medley relay (9:37.01) after winning the 3,000 on Saturday night.
Griffith came from behind on the 1,600-meter leg to edge Ole Miss senior Robert Domanic at the finish with the Rebels running 9:37.08.
Razorbacks junior Gabe Moore took second in the heptathlon with 5,650 points. He took no lower than fifth in any of the seven events and had the top time in the 60 hurdles (8.14) and was third in the 60 (7.03) and long jump (23-1¼).
Arkansas got fourth and fifth in the triple jump from sophomore Laquan Nairn (51-1) and senior Rubin Owens (50-4½).
Razorbacks senior Larry Donald was fifth in the 60 hurdles in 7.84.
Junior Obi Igbokwe ran 46.21 in the 400 to take fifth for Arkansas.
The Razorbacks have won 22 of 27 SEC indoor meets in which they have competed.
"It's a different feeling," Bucknam said of finishing second. "We had some adversity in some spots, some things that didn't go our way and got behind.
"But I'm proud of how our guys didn't give up and we kept battling. We have a bunch of guys that are dialed in and know how to compete. We just came up a little bit short."
Sports on 02/26/2018