No. 2 Arkansas goes for fifth-straight conference crown
Matt Watson
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Sports
If there's one thing that Arkansas does well, it's win indoor track titles.
The Razorbacks have won 15 of 17 league championships since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1992. Before that, the Hogs collected 11 consecutive titles on their way out of the Southwest Conference.
The success isn't limited to the trophy case either. Arkansas is the four-time defending SEC champion, with three individual event champions returning from the 2008 squad.
Senior Nkosinza Balumbu is a five-time SEC champion in the triple jump (indoor and outdoor). Junior Alain Bailey won the conference long jump titles indoors and outdoors last year, and the distance-medley relay returns senior Alex McClary and sophomore Chris Bilbrew from last year's conference championship team.
The Razorbacks have added junior transfer Dorian Ulrey to this year's team. Ulrey will compete in his first SEC meet having already qualified for nationals in three events: the mile run, 3,000 meters and the DMR.
Another significant newcomer is coach Chris Bucknam, who is looking for his first league championship as the Razorback head coach. Bucknam came to Arkansas from Northern Iowa when former Hog coach John McDonnell retired last summer.
Despite Arkansas' historical success at the conference meet, Bucknam said his first attempt at the SEC Indoor title this weekend at the University of Kentucky won't be easy.
"I can't do this stuff in my sleep; I haven't been in this league. I'm learning as I go, in regard to the idiosyncrasies of how this thing's going to play out," Bucknam said. "I just know that it's a tough meet and we need to have our shoes tied on tight."
What Bucknam does have is the aid of several experienced athletes on this year's team, which boasts more than ten seniors.
"We've got a lot of fifth-year seniors that care a lot about the program. We've got some great leadership in that regard," Bucknam said. "That's what we're carrying into this meet. The fact that we've got some guys that have been there, done that, and know what it takes.
The Razorbacks have won 15 of 17 league championships since joining the Southeastern Conference in 1992. Before that, the Hogs collected 11 consecutive titles on their way out of the Southwest Conference.
The success isn't limited to the trophy case either. Arkansas is the four-time defending SEC champion, with three individual event champions returning from the 2008 squad.
Senior Nkosinza Balumbu is a five-time SEC champion in the triple jump (indoor and outdoor). Junior Alain Bailey won the conference long jump titles indoors and outdoors last year, and the distance-medley relay returns senior Alex McClary and sophomore Chris Bilbrew from last year's conference championship team.
The Razorbacks have added junior transfer Dorian Ulrey to this year's team. Ulrey will compete in his first SEC meet having already qualified for nationals in three events: the mile run, 3,000 meters and the DMR.
Another significant newcomer is coach Chris Bucknam, who is looking for his first league championship as the Razorback head coach. Bucknam came to Arkansas from Northern Iowa when former Hog coach John McDonnell retired last summer.
Despite Arkansas' historical success at the conference meet, Bucknam said his first attempt at the SEC Indoor title this weekend at the University of Kentucky won't be easy.
"I can't do this stuff in my sleep; I haven't been in this league. I'm learning as I go, in regard to the idiosyncrasies of how this thing's going to play out," Bucknam said. "I just know that it's a tough meet and we need to have our shoes tied on tight."
What Bucknam does have is the aid of several experienced athletes on this year's team, which boasts more than ten seniors.
"We've got a lot of fifth-year seniors that care a lot about the program. We've got some great leadership in that regard," Bucknam said. "That's what we're carrying into this meet. The fact that we've got some guys that have been there, done that, and know what it takes.
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