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Senior Tyler Hill celebrates after finishing second in the 3000 meter run Saturday during the SEC Championship. The Razorbacks won their 83rd conference crown under coach John McDonnell.

83 and counting...

Track and field Hogs claim SEC title; Lady'Backs finish third

By: Matt Watson

Posted: 3/3/08

When it comes to track and field and Arkansas, head coach John McDonnell gets an A.

With his 45th SEC title Sunday in 50 conference meets since coming to the UA, McDonnell has won 90 percent of the SEC indoor and outdoor track and cross country championships. Including Arkansas's time in the now-defunct Southwest Conference, McDonnell's Hogs have won 83 conference titles.

"It says a lot for the program and the great athletes that have come through this program over the years," McDonnell said.

The Hogs won in dramatic fashion on Day 3 of the SEC Championships, coming from behind after leading the competition before the day started.

Arkansas fell to third in the standings behind Tennessee and LSU after the Volunteers won the 200-meter dash, and the Tigers won the 3,000 meters, mile run and 60-meter dash.

But the Razorbacks rallied Sunday afternoon, winning individual titles in the triple jump and distance-medley relay and finishing runner-up in the mile and 5K.

"Athlete after athlete came through, and we needed big performances to win," McDonnell said.

Arkansas finished won the meet with 124 points. LSU was runner-up with 108 points, followed by Tennessee with 99.5.

The Razorbacks took the lead after the 5,000 meters when they scored 23 points, with four of the top five finishers wearing Cardinal and White.

Sophomore James Strang led the Hogs with a second-place finish, followed by Chris Barnicle, Tyler Hill and Shawn Forrest.

"We came into this meet knowing we could pull this off," Strang said. "The mindset was to go out and press the pace and make it difficult for [other teams] to hang on.

After UA captain Nkosinza Balumbu beat teammate Daniel Quinn in the triple jump by about a foot, Balumbu led the crowd in calling the Hogs from the middle of the track while the Razorback DMR team circled.

"We clinched the victory-that's what it's all about," Balumbu said. "I [saw] a lot of heart today. I [saw] a lot of people digging down."

Daniel LaCava and Chris Bilbrew ran the first two legs of the DMR before handing to Alex McClary, dead even with Kentucky's Matt Frawley. By the time McClary handed the baton to senior Micky Cobrin, the Hogs had a huge lead that sealed the conference championship.

"To be able to anchor the winning relay that locked up the meet for the team in front of all the fans, it was a lot of fun," Cobrin said.

Arkansas did not even run the final event, the 4x400 meters, but still hoisted the school's 15th indoor track trophy when it was all said and done.

Alain Bailey also won the long jump and finished third in the high jump Saturday, helping Arkansas build its lead on Day Two.

"It was a clutch performance," McDonnell said. "It was important for him to get that victory. We thought he would win the high jump [too], but it is tough running back and forth."

Despite leading the field coming into Sunday's events, the Lady'Backs finished in third place with 93 points, behind LSU's 133 points and Tennessee's 116.

Several Lady'Backs garnered individual titles, including Denise Bargiachi in the 5,000 meters, Etienne Chaplin in the pentathlon and Katie Stripling in the pole vault.