Bucknam named SEC Indoor Coach of the Year
By: Adam Alter
Updated: March 1, 2013
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - For the fourth time at the helm of the University of Arkansas men's track and field program, head coach Chris Bucknam has been named the 2013 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year for the indoor season as announced Friday by the league office. The top-ranked Razorback men won the league's team crown last weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.
The Razorbacks win at the conference meet was the team's second-straight SEC indoor title and 19th since joining the league in 1991-92. The victory also marked the Razorbacks 10th overall SEC title under Bucknam with three cross country (2010-12), four indoor track and field (2009-10, '12-13) and three outdoor track and field (2009, 2011-12) titles. Dating back to the 2011 outdoor meet, Arkansas has won six consecutive SEC event competitions.
"I'm really happy with our team," Bucknam said following the meet. "We did a great job all three days. For a lack of a better term, the SEC weekend is a meat grinder. It's the very best teams competing head to head. I'm really pleased with how are guys performed, especially being on our home track."
Arkansas' event champions were also recognized by the conference with selection to the All-SEC First Team for Tarik Batchelor, Cameron Efurd, Nathanael Franks, Andrew Irwin, Anthony Lieghio and Patrick Rono. Batchelor was the SEC champion in the triple jump while Irwin successfully defended his indoor title in the pole vault. Efurd, Franks, Lieghio and Rono were all members of the Razorbacks' distance-medley relay. For the second year in a row, Rono anchored the relay to the first-place result.
The All-SEC Second Team includes three Razorbacks with conference runner-up performers Rono, Stanley Kebenei and Anthony May II with their second-place finishes in the mile, 5,000 meters and high jump, respectively. As the highest placing freshmen in their events, Eric Janise (400 meters) and Tomas Squella (800 meters) were placed on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Arkansas will host the NCAA Indoor Championships next weekend (March 8-9) at the Tyson Center for the 11th time in program history. For tickets, visit the Razorback Ticket Center on Razorback Road by Baum Stadium, log on to the online ticket center at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or call 800-982-HOGS (4647). Keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field through the team's sport-specific RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.
2013 SEC Indoor Track and Field Awards
Men's Coach of the Year
Chris Bucknam
All-SEC First Team
Tarik Batchelor, triple jump
Cameron Efurd, DMR
Nathanael Franks, DMR
Andrew Irwin, pole vault
Anthony Lieghio, DMR
Patrick Rono, DMR
All-SEC Second Team
Stanley Kebenei, 5,000m
Anthony May II, high jump
Patrick Rono, mile
SEC All-Freshman Team
Eric Janise, 400m
Tomas Squella, 800m
