Hog Calls

Bucknam keeps Hogs striving for McDonnell-like success

Former Arkansas coach John McDonnell (left) and current coach Chris Bucknam speak Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, during the Tyson Invitational in the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.
Former Arkansas coach John McDonnell (left) and current coach Chris Bucknam speak Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, during the Tyson Invitational in the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Among all the Razorbacks' coaches, men's track coach Chris Bucknam may take losing the hardest.

Adding to his already intense competitiveness comes the immense burden of carrying on the Arkansas legacy of John McDonnell, historically the NCAA's most often champion coach.

Bucknam takes that personally. So whenever on the SEC level his Razorbacks fall short of the 84 conference crowns that McDonnell's men won from 1974-2008 in Southwest Conference and SEC Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor track, he anguishes.

He doesn't anguish often. His Razorbacks have won 22 conference crowns since 2009 including the last seven cross country. But the third-place 99 points, with Florida winning with 111 and Texas A&M second at 99, at the SEC Outdoor May 11-13 in Knoxville, Tenn. marked the third consecutive SEC track meet without the crown in the nation's by far toughest track league.

Though the John McDonnell Award winning national program of the year for 2016-2017, Arkansas was second to Texas A&M at the 2017 SEC Outdoor and the 3-points shy runner-up to Alabama at last winter's SEC Indoor.

Given the injuries ("but everybody has injuries," Bucknam said) leaving several home with personal bests that would have scored and All-American senior sprinter Kenzo Cotton injured trying to lean at the photo finish of the 4 x100 that LSU edged Arkansas by 0.005, the Razorbacks fired their best shot in Knoxville.

"We went into that final day thinking we could pull this thing off," Bucknam said. "Hats off to Florida. Florida is the clear No. 1 in the country. We made a run at them and just didn't have enough ammunition. Florida has got that superstar bell cow, Grant Holloway."

Holloway won the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump and ran on the Gators' third-place 4 x 100 and anchored their second place 4 x400.

Holloway did for Florida what Olympic gold medalist Mike Conley did for McDonnell's first national championship teams and what Bowerman Award winner now Olympic pro Jarrion Lawson did for Bucknam's Razorbacks.

"The team rallies around him," Bucknam said. "That helps elevate the rest of the boats in the harbor."

Though they didn't win, these Razorbacks repeated elements of SEC past like their best performing his best plus an unknown stunning successfully.

Their best, fourth at the 2017 World Championships 400-meter hurdler Kemar Mowatt, at Knoxville won his speciality, 49.32 and ran on Arkansas' second-place 4 x 100 and fourth-place 4 x 400.

"Kemar had a hell of a meet," Bucknam said.

Graduating senior walk-on Kyle Hosting of Decorah, Ia., made a hellaciously shocking impact winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 8:55.

"He's had some injuries over his three years here, but he has his mechanical engineering degree and just signed up with Honda in Ohio for a new job earlier in the week," Bucknam said. "And now he can put SEC champion on his resume."

That's a first Bucknam always will treasure even placing third.

Sports on 05/19/2018

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