Paris takeover: Arkansas ties aplenty for track and field | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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FAYETTEVILLE -- Team Arkansas will have a busy day at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

Athletes with ties to the University of Arkansas competing Friday include Razorbacks junior and two-time NCAA champion Rachel Glenn for the United States in the high jump qualifying; former Arkansas national champion Ayden Owens-Delerme (Puerto Rico) in the decathlon; two-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser (U.S.) in the shot put; Arkansas sophomore Sanu Jallow (Gambia) and former Razorback Shafiqua Maloney (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) in the first round of the 800 meters.

Mixed 1,600 relays -- with men and women on the teams -- also will have first-round races Friday that could involve Razorbacks competing for the U.S., Jamaica and Great Britain.

As many athletes with ties to Arkansas going in Friday's events, that's just the start of performing in track and field on the world's biggest stage for the Razorbacks.

There isn't officially a Team Arkansas, but the reference seems fitting.

It's a nickname for a group of 31 track and field athletes representing 10 countries at the Olympics, including 21 current and former Razorbacks and 10 athletes who train at the UA.

"To have this type of representation at the Olympics for Arkansas is more than a lot of countries have in the sport of track and field," said Chris Johnson, who in his first year as the Razorbacks' women's coach led them to NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles. "It speaks volumes about the history of our men's and women's programs side and our forward movement of track and field."

"It's a testament to the support from our administration, the great coaches and staff that we have that work with our athletes. It tells you track is a big deal at Arkansas -- and it's a big deal because the results say so."

Arkansas' 21 current and former athletes is the most of any U.S. college followed by a top 10 that includes six SEC schools with Georgia (17), Florida (15), LSU (14), Texas Tech (11), Texas (10), Tennessee (10) and Texas A&M (10), Southern Cal (10) and Stanford (10).

"I think it really goes to show the level of athleticism that track and field has in the SEC," said Arkansas men's Coach Chris Bucknam. "It's just an amazing development in having those kind of numbers at the Olympic Games."

Athletes with Arkansas ties, including those who train at the UA but didn't compete for the Razorbacks, are entered in a combined 17 men's and women's events. Of the 120 athletes on the United States team, 12 have Arkansas ties.

"I think it just reinforces the fact that we call ourselves 'The Track Capital of the World,' " said Taliyah Brooks, a former Arkansas NCAA champion competing in the heptathlon for the U.S. "It's really cool coming to practice knowing most of us achieved the goal of being able to go to Paris together."

Brooks said that whenever athletes training together reach exhaustion at the end of practice and lay down to get some rest, there is always someone to help them up.

"We help each other off the ground, cheer for each other during workouts," she said. "It's just cool that we're all going through this together and are able to see each other reap the benefits of our hard work."

Bucknam said having so many Olympians with Arkansas ties represents the vision John McDonnell -- who led the Razorbacks' men's teams to 40 national championships during his 36-year his before retiring in 2008 -- had for the program as well as the foundation enhanced by Lance Harter, the UA's women's coach from 1990-2023 and winner of six national titles.

McDonnell died in 2021 at age 82.

"I think Arkansas' impact at the Olympics is part of John McDonnell's ultimate dream," Bucknam said of getting the Randal Tyson Center built as a world-class indoor track as well as rebuilding the outdoor track named John McDonnell Field with his statue at its entrance. "I believe John is smiling when he looks down and sees what's happened here.

"We're a global sport and the Olympics are putting the University of Arkansas and the state of Arkansas on the international map when it comes to track and field."

Crouser, who is from Oregon and was an NCAA champion at Texas, moved to Arkansas several years ago for training and is a volunteer assistant coach for the Razorbacks.

Bucknam credited Crouser with helping Roje Stona, who became an All-American in the shot-put at Arkansas this year after transferring from Clemson, for making the Jamaican team in Paris.

Crouser lives in Farmington, where his neighbors gave him a patriotic sendoff several days ago when he left for London to compete in a Diamond League meet as a final Olympic tuneup.

"It was an absolutely fantastic, awesome sendoff," Crouser said in an interview in London. "I think it's a testament to the kind of community we have.

"The whole street, a lot of the high school, came out. The neighborhood kids were all there and so excited. It was just a special, special feeling pulling out of the driveway and seeing everything our neighbors had done.

"They'd gotten all the (American) flags, gotten everybody in Team USA gear. Being able to share that moment with the community is something I'll always remember."

Long jumper Wayne Pinnock, an Arkansas senior this year and the NCAA Indoor champion, is among eight Razorbacks competing for Jamaica.

"It's just mind blowing the athletes we have at Arkansas," Pinnock, a silver medalist at last year's World Championships, said of the total group of Razorbacks in Paris. "You can see what the program has produced. I am forever grateful to be a Razorback.

"For us as Jamaicans here at the University of Arkansas, I'm just happy to have everyone around me. I know everyone is going to do well. I want everyone to earn a medal."

Sports Illustrated projects several athletes with Arkansas ties will earn Olympic medals.

In men's events:

Pinnock and his Jamaican teammate, former Razorback Carey McLeod, are projected for silver and bronze medals.

Crouser, who has been recovering from an arm injury, is projected for a silver medal.

The U.S. 1,600 relay, including former Razorback Chris Bailey, is projected to win the gold medal.

In women's events:

Former Razorback NCAA champion Nickisha Pryce, running for Jamaica, is projected for silver medals in the 400 and 1,600 relay.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, who trains at Arkansas, is projected to win a gold medal in the long jump.

Former Razorback NCAA champion Ackera Nugent, competing for Jamaica, is projected for a silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles.

The U.S. 1,600 relay is projected to win the gold medal with Razorbacks freshman Kaylyn Brown and incoming senior transfer Isabella Whittaker in the relay pool along with Shamier Little, who trains at Arkansas.

Jaydon Hibbert, who swept NCAA and SEC triple jump titles as a freshman in 2023 for the Razorbacks and now competes professionally, also figures to be in medal contention for Jamaica.

Hibbert, 19, ranks No. 3 in the world triple jump rankings with a best mark of 58-2 1/2 this year.

"Jaydon is a wonderful kid," Pinnock said. "He really does get locked into what he wants.

"The dedication he puts in as a youngster on the world stage is impressive. I think he could do tremendously well at the Olympics. He really knows what he wants as a 19-year-old. He's dedicated himself to this sport and his event."

It's been a long freshman season for Brown, the NCAA runner-up in the 400 outdoors to Pryce and the fourth-place finisher at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

But Brown said she's excited to run on the 1,600 relay in Paris after being part of Arkansas' team that ran 3:19.96 at the NCAA meet to break their own collegiate record.

"I thank Coach Johnson for always getting me mentally and physically prepared," Brown said. "I don't feel tired at all. It feels like I'm still in-season for college.

"Just staying grounded and putting that work back in for the Olympics. The job is not done yet."

For Team Arkansas, the job starts Friday.

Hogs in Paris

There are 31 athletes representing 10 countries in track and field events at the Paris Olympics who either are current or former Razorbacks or are professionals who train in Fayetteville along with 2 coaches for the U.S. team.

CURRENT, FORMER RAZORBACKS

21 athletes

Yaseen Abdalla, Sudan, marathon

Amber Anning, Great Britain, 400, 1,600 relay

Chris Bailey, USA, 400, 1,600 relay

Romaine Beckford, Jamaica, high jump

Taliyah Brooks, USA, heptathlon

Kaylyn Brown, USA, 1,600 relay pool

Janeek Brown, Jamaica, 100-meter hurdles

Rachel Glenn, USA, high jump

Jaydon Hibbert, Jamaica, triple jump

Nikki Hiltz, USA, 1,500

Sanu Jallow, Gambia, 800

Jarrion Lawson USA, long jump

Shafiqua Maloney, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, 800

Carey McLeod, Jamaica, long jump

Ackera Nugent, Jamaica, 100-meter hurdles

Ayden Owens-Delerme, Puerto Rico, decathlon

Wayne Pinnock, Jamaica, long jump

Nickisha Pryce, Jamaica, 400, 1,600 relay

Tina Sutej, Slovenia, pole vault

Roje Stona, Jamaica, discus

Isabella Whittaker, USA, 1,600 relay pool

FORMER RAZORBACKS ON TEAM USA COACHING STAFF

Stanley Redwine, men’s head coach

Amy Yoder Begley, women’s distance coach

PROFESSIONALS WHO TRAIN AT ARKANSAS

10 athletes

Brittany Brown, USA, 200

Anna Cockrell, USA, 400-meter hurdles

Ryan Crouser, USA, shot put

Tara Davis-Woodhall, USA, long jump

Alexis Holmes, USA, 400, 1,600 relay

Shamier Little, USA, 1,600 relay pool

Andrenette Knight, Jamaica, 1,600 relay pool

Jah-Nhai Perinchief, Bermuda, triple jump

Cindy Sember, Great Britain, 100-meter hurdles

Gianna Woodruff, Panama, 400-meter hurdles

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Paris takeover: Arkansas ties aplenty for track and field | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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