All-America throwers sign with Razorbacks

Chris Bucknam, Arkansas head men's track and field coach, reacts during a men's distance medley relay during the National Relay Championships at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas' men’s track and field team on Friday announced the addition of transfer throwers Ralford Mullings, Jordan West and Rojé Stona, who were All-Americans and set records at their previous schools.

Mullings, from Arizona State, took third in the discus at this year’s NCAA Outdoor Championships as a freshman with a throw of 204 feet, 11 inches. He was second at the Pac-12 Conference Championships, throwing 208-3. 

His career best is 214-6, which set an Arizona State record.

West, who holds Tennessee school records in the shot put outdoors (66-8 1/2) and indoors (65-1 1/4), was fourth at this year’s NCAA Outdoors and won the SEC title as a redshirt junior with marks of 66-6 1/2 at both meets.

Stona, a junior at Clemson this year, finished second at the NCAA Championships in the discus in 2021 with a throw of 203-2. He was ninth at this year’s NCAA Championships.

He set Clemson's record with a career-best mark of 213-7.

The addition of the All-Americans comes after John Newell, an assistant coach at Michigan State from 2007-13 and at Tennessee from 2014-22, joined Arkansas’ staff as a volunteer assistant.

Newell has coached three Olympians, 20 conference champions (10 in the Big Ten and 10 in the SEC) and 28 All-Americans.

The Olympians coached by Newell, a Georgia graduate, are Tavis Bailey (2016, discus, USA) and Steven Mozia (2016, shot put, Nigeria) and Stamatia Scarvelis (2020, hammer, Greece).