NEW ORLEANS — Following a familiar pattern to last year’s national championship campaign, Arkansas is No. 4 this week in the USTFCCCA men’s national rating index after starting at No. 41 a week ago.
Last year the Razorbacks were No. 34 in the first installment during the indoor season and promptly moved to No. 3 the following week once they had more athletes competing and establishing national marks.
Texas Tech (149) remained the top team again this week and are followed by Northern Arizona (123), Florida (118), Arkansas (98), and USC (89). The rest of the top 10 includes Washington (88), Texas (86), Georgia (74), Florida State (65), and Kentucky (63).
The top 25 includes 10 SEC schools with No. 13 Alabama (58), No. 14 LSU (57), No. 16 South Carolina (52), No. 18 Texas A&M (50), No. 23 Tennessee (36), and No. 24 Ole Miss (35).
This past weekend the heptathlon crew, led by national leader Jack Turner’s 6,000m points, swept the top four places and produced scores that currently rank in the top nine with Yariel Soto Torrado fourth, Marcus Weaver seventh and Daniel Spejcher ninth.
Turner’s heptathlon score ranks sixth in the world for the 2024 season. He even produced a long jump mark of 25-6 (7.77) that currently ranks 16th among collegians and is second best in the SEC.
The field for the NCAA Indoor Championships will include the top 16 marks per event.
Romaine Beckford, the defending NCAA high jump champion produced a collegiate-leading mark of 7-5.25 (2.27) that ranks equal No. 6 in the world for the 2024 season.
The Razorbacks also have the second fastest 4 x 400m relay in the world with the 3:04.27 they clocked as runner-up this past weekend.
Arkansas will have a crew of sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers traveling to Albuquerque this weekend for the New Mexico Collegiate Classic held on February 2-3.
