FAYETTEVILLE -- Danny Green has witnessed similar transformations 19 years apart.
First, as director of operations under track coach John McDonnell, Green was the first in 1997 to spot highly touted, hard working but floundering miler Matt Kerr as a steeplechaser.
Now, director of operations under McDonnell's successor, Chris Bucknam, Green has seen highly touted, hard working but floundering fourth-year junior miler Cale Wallace of Cypress, Texas, suddenly succeed in the steeple.
Wallace's 8:44.9 run May 1 in Palo Alto, Calif., in his third steeple attempt, became the SEC's best 2016 3,000-meter steeple time heading into this weekend's SEC Outdoor Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Green marvels at the scenarios.
The first time, Green said Kerr came by the track to get his uniform for the SEC Outdoor. Green told Kerr he had to wait for McDonnell, and as he waited he attempted a water jump with a couple of other steeplechase runners.
"I raced to the office and called John and said, 'Matt can steeple!' And John said, 'Well he can't do anything else, put him in it at the Conference.'
"He got third at Conference and the next two years he was NCAA champ (and 2-times SEC champ) and then his 1,500s (Indoor All-American miler) got good. And I think that has happened with Cale."
Wallace's first steeple was a 9:01, a time that Bucknam and Green said rivaled the first steeples run by Kerr and Daniel Lincoln, the Razorbacks record holder and 3-time NCAA champion.
Then, Wallace "blasted," a 3:40.67 1,500 meters, at the John McDonnell Invitational.
"That's equivalent to a 3:56 mile," Bucknam said.
It was beyond eight seconds better than Wallace's previous best 1,500.
Bucknam's "almost-out-of-desperation" move succeeded.
Wallace, a Razorback so respected for work ethic he was elected captain while struggling on the track,becomes a force as Arkansas seeks completing a SEC Cross Country-Indoor-Outdoor triple crown.
"It is one of my biggest joys as a coach to see him see the light come on," Bucknam said.
Wallace said it "sucks to be a captain not running well" but that the captain responsibilities and Bucknam and his teammates sustained him and the steeple's novelty encouraged him.
"Running it reminded me how to run without being so tense and not put so much pressure on myself," Wallace said.
"They kept their faith in me and let me keep plugging away and finally we had a breakthrough."
Wallace said it would be his joy to reap in SEC points after the faith his coach and teammates sowed in him.
"Last two years I haven't contributed anything at the Outdoor meets," Wallace said. "So I look forward to doing what I can to help us win a triple crown."
Sports on 05/09/2016