No. 1 Razorback track heads to New York for Tyson tune-up
Track & Field
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Sports
One of the perks of being the country's most prestigious programs and having arguably the best facilities in the country is that people will come to you.
However, that will not be the case for the Arkansas track teams this weekend. Portions of both the men's and women's teams will head to New York City to compete in the New Balance Invitational.
With the Tyson Invitational looming large next week, several notable Hogs will not make the trip.
Distance runners Dorian Ulrey and Shawn Forrest along with sprinter J-Mee Samuels are a few of the big names that will not be traveling to the meet.
"The Tyson meet is an important meet for us," coach Chris Bucknam said. "It's a high, high level meet as you all know, so we'll rest some people up for that."
Bucknam said he was pleased with the performance of senior jumper Nkosinza Balumbu, who may see an expanded role after finishing second in the 60 meter hurdles consolation at the Razorback Invitational.
"[Balumbu] ran a hurdle race two weeks ago and ran pretty well," Bucknam said. "There's a possibility we'll run him again in that [New Balance] meet. He's a pretty good hurdler; whether he's a scorer at the SEC [championship] meet we'll probably find out after this week. But I think he's long jumping [this week]."
Bucknam said the coaching staff is more concerned about the SEC and NCAA championships than the early meets and that that plays a role in how some athletes are worked.
"Track and field is an interesting sport in the fact that our regular season performances don't count for a seeding in a conference tournament," Bucknam said. "It's all about what you can do on that last weekend in February [SEC championships] and that second weekend in March [NCAA championships]. Everything that we do leads up to that."
Women send pole vaulters north
The women's team will send primarily pole vaulters to the meet.
However, that will not be the case for the Arkansas track teams this weekend. Portions of both the men's and women's teams will head to New York City to compete in the New Balance Invitational.
With the Tyson Invitational looming large next week, several notable Hogs will not make the trip.
Distance runners Dorian Ulrey and Shawn Forrest along with sprinter J-Mee Samuels are a few of the big names that will not be traveling to the meet.
"The Tyson meet is an important meet for us," coach Chris Bucknam said. "It's a high, high level meet as you all know, so we'll rest some people up for that."
Bucknam said he was pleased with the performance of senior jumper Nkosinza Balumbu, who may see an expanded role after finishing second in the 60 meter hurdles consolation at the Razorback Invitational.
"[Balumbu] ran a hurdle race two weeks ago and ran pretty well," Bucknam said. "There's a possibility we'll run him again in that [New Balance] meet. He's a pretty good hurdler; whether he's a scorer at the SEC [championship] meet we'll probably find out after this week. But I think he's long jumping [this week]."
Bucknam said the coaching staff is more concerned about the SEC and NCAA championships than the early meets and that that plays a role in how some athletes are worked.
"Track and field is an interesting sport in the fact that our regular season performances don't count for a seeding in a conference tournament," Bucknam said. "It's all about what you can do on that last weekend in February [SEC championships] and that second weekend in March [NCAA championships]. Everything that we do leads up to that."
Women send pole vaulters north
The women's team will send primarily pole vaulters to the meet.
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