Razorback men win SEC for 24th time indoors

Arkansas' Amon Kemboi runs during the SEC Indoor Championships on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas won the men’s team title at the SEC Indoor Championships on Saturday at Randal Tyson Track Center.

The Razorbacks scored 116 points to finish 23 points ahead of second-place LSU. Arkansas clinched the team championship with Amon Kemboi’s third-place finish in the 3,000 meters — the meet’s penultimate race.

Arkansas won a conference indoor title for the 36th time, and for the 24th time since joining the SEC. The Razorbacks repeated indoors after claiming the title in their final meet before college sports were shut down in 2020.

The indoor title was the ninth for 13th-year Arkansas head coach Chris Bucknam. Bucknam won a conference championship for the 23rd time in the three sports he coaches — indoor and outdoor track and field, and cross country.

The Razorbacks won a conference title for the 112th time in the three sports combined.

Arkansas took a big lead into the third and final day of the indoor championships after six Razorbacks combined to score 27 points in the 5,000 meters Friday.

Gilbert Boit led Arkansas’ 2-3-4-5-6-8 finish in the 5,000, followed by Jacob McLeod, Ryan Murphy, Matt Young, Emmanuel Cheboson and Myles Richter.

Arkansas also got eight points for second-place finishes by Kemboi in the mile and Markus Ballengee in the heptathlon.

CORRECTION: The indoor championship was the 24th since Arkansas joined the SEC and its 36th overall in the sport.