HOG CALLS

UA sending, wanting best in Eugene

Andrew Irwin reacts after winning the SEC Indoor pole vaulting championship at Randal Tyson Track Center in February.
Andrew Irwin reacts after winning the SEC Indoor pole vaulting championship at Randal Tyson Track Center in February.

FAYETTEVILLE - For the misfortunes that No. 2 ranked Texas A&M suffered at the NCAA Men’s West Outdoor Track and Field Preliminary meet in Austin, Texas, and that No. 1 Florida suffered at the NCAA Men’s East Outdoor Preliminary meet in Greensboro, N.C., the fourth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks’ chances enhanced toward winning the NCAA Outdoor Men’s Track and Field Championship June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.

That his Hogs’ futures seem improved because Florida NCAA Indoor long jump champion Marquis Dendy failed to finish in the top 12 at Greensboro and that Texas A&M’s nationally No. 1 400 relay team was disqualified for running out of its zone in Austin brought no joy to Arkansas Coach Chris Bucknam.

Just empathy.

Bucknam remembers Andrew Irwin, his now two-time sophomore NCAA Indoor pole vault champion and two-time SEC champion both indoors and outdoors struggling at last year’s West Prelim meet and failing to advance though he was indisputably championship caliber and star power for the national championship meet.

“That’s a big chunk of points lost,” Bucknam said Sunday of Florida losing Dendy and A&M losing its 400 relay team. “I wouldn’t wish that on our worst enemy because you want to go against the best. It’s something that could happen to all of us and did to us last year with Irwin.”

Bucknam and Arkansas women’s Coach Lance Harter both deem the Preliminary meet unnecessary and counterproductive, particularly, Bucknam said, since the Prelim meets are not scored thus entirely disregarding the team factor in track and field.

“If they did it factoring teams,” Bucknam said by phone at the Austin airport Sunday, “you take the top 10 teams out of the East and top 10 teams out of the West and you can bring Irwin back if he no-heighted and you can bring A&M back in the 4x100 and then you put more fans in the stands.”

This time around in the Thursday through Saturday West Preliminary meet in Austin, Bucknam said his men, including Irwin easily clearing the 17-9 height that stopped the competition with 12 vaulters standing, “took care of business.” They advanced about all truly anticipated to advance for17 entries in 20 events and the two relays, the 400 and the 1,600.

His Razorbacks, the 2013 NCAA and SEC Indoor champs and 2013 SEC Outdoor champs are in position to contend to win the team title in Eugene Bucknam said, adding “but it’s how we take care of business the next two weeks.”

The Razorbacks did have some adversity in Austin. Nine-time senior All-American sprinter Marek Niit, entered on both relays and the open 400, is no longer eligible.

The Hogs overcame Niit’s absence. Akheem Gauntlett, open 400-meter qualified, and Caleb Cross, 400-meter hurdles qualified, ran a heat-winning winning 1,600 with Neil Braddy and Anton Kokorin at Austin.

Cross, Gauntlett, Braddy and qualified long jumper Jarrion Lawson advanced in the 400 from Austin to Eugene.

Sports, Pages 16 on 05/27/2013

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