Hog Calls

Bucknam's men having solid season

Arkansas coach Chris Bucknam watches Saturday, April 22, 2017, during the John McDonnell Invitational at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville.
Arkansas coach Chris Bucknam watches Saturday, April 22, 2017, during the John McDonnell Invitational at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Other than Lance Harter -- his Razorbacks head track coaching counterpart -- all the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville coaches likely envy where Coach Chris Bucknam's men finished at last weekend's SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

They placed second.

Aside from Harter achieving his third consecutive women's SEC Cross Country-Indoor-Outdoor triple crown and 10th consecutive SEC championship starting with the 2014 SEC outdoor, no Arkansas coach of any sport this academic year has posted a conference finish like Bucknam posted.

Bucknam's men, who were gunning for their second consecutive conference triple crown, won the SEC cross country meet in the fall, finishing fifth nationally, and the SEC indoor track championship in the winter, where they also finished fifth nationally. They won't be favored, but nevertheless could contend for the NCAA outdoor championships.

A great, great year but not at Arkansas, Bucknam knows.

Retired living legend predecessor John McDonnell's 84 conference championships plus Bucknam's 19 since 2009 sets a nearly impossible Arkansas standard competing in the nation's by-far toughest league in track and field.

"Welcome to the second place office," Bucknam said upon returning from Columbia, S.C.

The deprecation strictly is self-directed. Never on his athletes or his assistants, field events coach Travis Geopfert and sprints coach Doug Case.

For all, including Bucknam and his distance runners, battled to the wire for their 106 points surpassing onrushing third-place Alabama, 103 and chasing nationally No. 1 Texas A&M, 113, down to the last events.

"A&M had to wrestle it away," Bucknam said. "We didn't give it to them."

The Razorbacks stayed at it despite hamstring injuries scratching SEC high jumper Ken LeGassey, and limiting two-time NCAA champion and Jamaican Olympic triple jumper Clive Pullen to one fourth-place jump off a short approach, and Cale Wallace, closing in on second, literally falling to sixth over the last steeplechase barrier.

Who knows if the Hogs might have won without the mishaps?

But, Bucknam says, every SEC team has might have beens to rue.

"No excuses," Bucknam said. "Tip your hat to Texas A&M. We got beat by a great team, but our kids battled."

When some heralded Hogs fell, others less heralded came through with career bests like senior Aidan Swain, 9:00.62 for fifth place in the steeple, junior Rubin Owens, 52-4 for third in the triple jump, and freshman Harrison Schrage, fourth at 25-10 in the long jump.

Some of his best, like 400-meter hurdler Kemar Mowatt, winning in a Razorbacks, 48.79, beat the best, Florida Gators Eric Futch and TJ Holmes, the 2016 NCAA outdoor national champion and NCAA outdoor runner-up.

Other Hogs were bested only because they compete in a conference with seven teams ranked in the national top 10 and the remaining unranked still sporting national caliber individuals.

It's why, Bucknam said, he'll take second in the SEC over winning any other league.

"You want your kids growing measured against the best," Bucknam said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sports on 05/20/2017

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