FAYETTEVILLE — At the 2019 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, University of Arkansas freshman Tre’Bien Gilbert lined up for a 110-meter preliminary race with Florida junior Grant Holloway and Kentucky junior Daniel Roberts.
“Holloway and Roberts were the top two hurdlers in the world,” Gilbert said. “I got my butt kicked.”
Holloway won the heat in 13.07 seconds and Roberts was second in 13.31. Gilbert was seventh in the heat in 14.30 and didn’t advance to the final. Roberts won the SEC title with Holloway second.
At the NCAA Championships, Holloway won his third consecutive title in a collegiate record 12.98 with Roberts second in 13.00. Roberts and Holloway both turned pro and went 1-2 at the USA Championships, with Roberts winning and Holloway second.
2021 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships
WHEN Thursday through Saturday
WHERE Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium, College Station, Texas
A year after the 2020 outdoor track and field season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gilbert will line up in the 110 hurdle preliminaries at the SEC Outdoor Championships for a second time on Friday in College Station, Texas, as one of the top 10 in the event nationally.
Gilbert ran a wind-aided 13.52 on April 27 at the John McDonnell Invitational. His top legal time — with a tailwind reading of 2.0 meters per second or less — is 13.61.
It’s a noteworthy improvement for Gilbert since finishing next-to-last in his preliminary race at the SEC Championships two years ago.
“That was a really humbling experience for me,” he said. “But it also kind of lit a fire under me and made me want to focus on my development as far as my technique and my speed.”
At the LSU Invitational on May 1, Gilbert finished second to LSU sophomore Eric Edwards in a loaded field.
Edwards won in 13.605 with Gilbert running 13.608. Arkansas freshman Phillip Lemonious was third in 13.62, followed by LSU junior Damion Thomas (13.68) and Arkansas senior Carl Elliott (13.70).
The SEC has seven of the top 16 times nationally in the 110 hurdles with Thomas No. 1, Alabama senior Robert Dunning second, Edwards third, Kentucky sophomore Tai Brown seventh, Gilbert ninth, Elliott 11th and Lemonious 16th.
“The 110 hurdles at the SEC meet is almost like the national championship race,” said Arkansas assistant Doug Case, who coaches sprinters and hurdlers. “To me, it’s going to come down a lot to who technically runs a good race that day. We’ve been working a lot on that, being clean at the end of the race.”
Gilbert, a third-year sophomore who came to Arkansas from Converse (Texas) Judson High School, believes he has a realistic shot to win the SEC title.
“I’ve gotten better and stronger every meet this season,” he said. “At LSU we raced against some of the top guys in the country, and I was right there at the finish.
“That boosted my confidence even more going into the SEC meet. This whole year has been a shot up for me. It’s almost been going so fast I can hardly take it all in the way I’ve been developing.”
Case said Gilbert has continued to mature since his freshman year, which he capped by running a leg on Arkansas’ 400 relay team that finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.
“Tre’Bien is more focused in practice,” Case said. “Sometimes when you’re young, it’s just about getting in there and trying to survive. Now he’s using the practices to be better.
“That’s what’s helping him make big gains. He’s just figured it out this year.”
During the indoor season, Gilbert finished third in the 60 hurdles at the SEC meet and eighth at the NCAA meet.
“Tre’Bien was an All-American indoors and we look for him to keep getting after it outdoors,” Razorbacks Coach Chris Bucknam said. “He’s turned into a leader for us and a real competitor.”
Gilbert signed with Arkansas after winning the 110 hurdles at the Texas Class 6A state championships in Austin. But going into his senior year, Gilbert faced an uncertain future because of a hip injury he suffered at the Texas Relays as a junior that sidelined him for several months.
“I was very worried, because with track, there’s already a limited number of scholarships, and I’d already missed the early signing period, and that’s when most people get their stuff done,” Gilbert said. “That was all on my mind.”
Gilbert credited his mother, LaJoi, and high school coach, Harvey Noyola, with easing his anxiety.
“They were like, ‘Listen, you know what you can do. Just trust God, trust your faith and trust your body and you’ll be OK,’ ” Gilbert said. “They helped me get through it.”
A strong performance during Gilbert’s senior year at the Texas Relays raised his recruiting profile.
“I have a real love-hate relationship with that track in Austin, to be honest,” Gilbert said with a laugh. “I’ve had a tough time there and some great times.
“But my senior year, the Texas Relays were good for me. That’s where Arkansas first noticed me. I kind of went crazy. They were like, ‘Hey, where’s this dude from?’ ”
The Razorbacks were competing at the Texas Relays, and Case took time to check out the high school races and came away impressed by Gilbert.
“Tre’Bien looked great,” Case said. “He definitely got my attention.”
Gilbert signed with Arkansas over offers from Oklahoma, Houston, Iowa State and Texas-San Antonio.
“Those were my visits, but when I came to Arkansas and saw everything, my decision was made,” Gilbert said.