Razorbacks move into No. 3 position in national ratings
NEW ORLEANS – Arkansas improved to No. 3 in this week’s national ratings index produced by USTFCCCA. The Razorbacks host the Tyson Invitational this weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center on Friday and Saturday while a few distance runners compete in Boston on Saturday.
Texas Tech (149) remains No. 1 followed by Northern Arizona (126) at No. 2 with Arkansas (117) now No. 3. The rest of the top 10 includes Texas (109), Washington (102), Florida (98), Alabama (74), Nebraska (68), USC (64), and Texas A&M (62).
Nine SEC teams are in the top 25 this week, which also includes No. 11 Kentucky, No. 13 Georgia, No. 17 LSU, No. 21 South Carolina, and No. 23 Tennessee.
Wayne Pinnock opened his indoor season at New Mexico this past weekend and produced a world-leading mark of 27-4.25 (8.34). Pinnock along with Romaine Beckford in the high jump lead the collegiate list in their respective events.
The Razorback 4 x 400m relay remains in the No. 2 position with a 3:04.27 behind Florida’s 3:04.08 from their showdown at the Razorback Invitational. Other 3:04 times produced this past weekend included Tennessee (3:04.30), Texas A&M (3:04.35), and Arizona State (3:04.40).
Arkansas still maintains four heptathletes among the top 16 with Jack Turner now ranking third with his 6,000-point score followed by Yariel Soto Torrado (7th), Marcus Weaver (10th), and Daniel Spejcher (15th).
Kirami Yego’s 5,000m time of 13:24.35 from early December is now 11th.
Arkansas | NCAA Top 16
| 5000 | 11) 13:24.35 | Kirami Yego |
| 4 x 400 | 2) 3:04.27 | Arkansas |
| High Jump | 1) 7-5.25 | 2.27 | Romaine Beckford |
| Long Jump | 1) 27-4.25 | 8.34 | Wayne Pinnock |
| Heptathlon | 3) 6,000 | Jack Turner |
| 7) 5,874 | Yariel Soto Torrado | |
| 10) 5,814 | Marcus Weaver | |
| 15) 5,716 | Daniel Spejcher |
Eight teams ranked among the top 25 will have athletes competing at the Tyson Invitational. They include No. 1 Texas Tech, No. 6 Florida, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 16 Arizona State, No. 17 LSU, and No. 20 Iowa State.
Additional schools include Academy of Art, Akron, Barton CC, Butler CC, Campbell, Drake, Eastern Michigan, Fairleigh Dickinson, Houston Christian, Indiana, Indiana State, Iowa, Iowa Western CC, Kansas, Kansas State, Kent State, Little Rock, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Northern Colorado, Ole Miss, South Dakota, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas A&M Texarkana, Utah State, Virginia Tech, and Youngstown State.