Arkansas Leads the Nation with 35 Entries at NCAA West First Round
The University of Arkansas men’s track and field team, ranked No. 4 nationally, will head into the NCAA West First Round with a nation-leading 35 event entries, the highest total among all competing schools. The event, which will take place next Wednesday and Friday at Texas A&M, features 29 Razorback athletes competing across 15 different events.
Arkansas’s 35 entries outpace notable programs such as BYU (29), Tennessee (28), Texas Tech (28), and Texas A&M (25). This achievement reflects the Razorbacks’ continued excellence and depth in the sport. It’s the sixth time since 2012 that Arkansas has had the highest number of entries at the NCAA First Round and the second occurrence in just the past three seasons.
Head coach Chris Bucknam expressed pride in the team’s accomplishments and the preparation that led to such a strong representation. “We’re pleased with our qualifiers and hats off to our staff for the hard work they’ve done,” Bucknam said. “Having 35 entries means a lot of people are heading to the first round. After winning the SEC Championship, we now need to shift gears and focus on the critical NCAA rounds coming up.”
Historically, the Razorbacks have been consistent powerhouses at this stage of the NCAA competition. In 2023, the team recorded its highest number of entries ever with 44, and other notable tallies include 41 in 2016 and 38 in 2012. These totals rank among the most significant in the current NCAA postseason format and affirm Arkansas’s dominance in track and field.
Athletes who place in the top 12 of their respective events in the NCAA West First Round will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon. One Razorback, Marcus Weaver, has already earned his spot at the NCAA Championships. He secured his place in the decathlon with a standout performance at the SEC Championships, where he scored 7,940 points. That score ranks sixth among NCAA athletes this season. His qualification also continues Arkansas’s remarkable streak of 15 consecutive years with a decathlon qualifier, a feat unmatched by any current program—next closest is Iowa with five straight appearances.
The Razorbacks will be particularly deep in certain events. They have six entrants in the 400 meters and five in the long jump. Arkansas also has three athletes qualified in each of the 100 meters, 200 meters, 1,500 meters, 110-meter hurdles, and high jump, showcasing not only breadth across disciplines but also elite-level talent.
Notably, Arkansas remains the only program to qualify both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams to the NCAA West every single year since 2010. Florida and LSU have mirrored that consistency in the NCAA East. This longevity demonstrates Arkansas’s commitment to relay excellence and squad depth.
This year’s relay teams are especially formidable. The Razorbacks’ 4x400m relay team enters the competition as the top seed with a season-best time of 3:01.82, achieved during their victory at the Mt. SAC Relays. Their 4x100m team is seeded third, posting a season-best of 38.60 seconds.
Individually, Arkansas features some of the top sprinters in the nation. Jordan Anthony holds the top seed in the 200 meters with an outstanding time of 19.93 seconds. He is also seeded second in the 100 meters, having run a wind-legal 9.95 seconds—just behind USC’s Max Thomas, whose 9.92 was aided by wind.
Connor Washington joins Anthony in both sprint events. He is seeded fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 20.32 and ranked 11th in the 100 meters at 10.14 seconds. This one-two punch gives Arkansas a potent threat in short sprints.
Middle-distance events also feature strong Razorback contenders. In the 800 meters, Rivaldo Marshall and Tyrice Taylor have posted times of 1:45.59 and 1:45.81, respectively, seeding them third and fifth. Reuben Reina stands out in the 1,500 meters, ranking fourth with a time of 3:36.48, while Ben Shearer is seventh in the 5,000 meters after clocking 13:24.74.
Arkansas also boasts athletes seeded within the top 12 in other key events. Jaden Smith enters the 400 meters ranked ninth with a time of 45.44. Uroy Ryan is 10th in the long jump after recording a leap of 7.84 meters. Timothy Chesondin holds the 11th seed in the 10,000 meters, with an impressive time of 27:55.10.
The Razorbacks’ preparation and momentum following their recent SEC Championship victory position them well for success at the NCAA West First Round. Coach Bucknam emphasized the importance of recalibrating after the high of winning a conference title. “The SEC Championships is such a team event for us and the kids were excited to win in a tough league,” he said. “Now we need to really focus on the importance of the first and second rounds next week in College Station.”
As they head into the crucial NCAA qualifying rounds, Arkansas continues to showcase a blend of depth, individual excellence, and program consistency. With standout athletes in nearly every event, the Razorbacks look poised to make a strong push toward the national championships in Eugene, keeping their eyes set on more postseason success and further solidifying their status as one of the nation’s elite track and field programs.
