FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas cross country and track & field head coach Chris Bucknam has announced the signing of 23 future Razorbacks who will join the program ahead of the 2020 track & field season.
“We
are very excited to welcome this group to our program. This
is one of the most exciting and extensive recruiting classes we have
had in my ten years at Arkansas. It’s a large group that covers every
event group in our sport,” said Coach Bucknam.
“We are especially excited about being able to keep the best in-state
athletes at home while also recruiting top talent from around the world.”
Arkansas’
2019 signing class spans four states (Arkansas, California,
Missouri, Texas), five countries (England, Germany, Israel, Jamaica,
South Africa) and includes three transfers (Cal, UALR, UTPB). The class
includes six athletes from the state of Arkansas.
The
class is headlined by two NCAA All-Americans, Keshawn Andrews,
and Tyler Brendel, who earned Second-Team All-America honors at
UA-Little Rock and Cal-Berkley. Jeremy Farr, Jamaica’s top junior
400-meter runner this season, and Max Kluth, Germany’s top junior
decathlete, will bring international experience to the Razorbacks
in 2020. North Little Rock High School’s Kennedy Lightner, one of the
top high school sprinters in the United States during the 2019 season
will remain in Arkansas for his college career.
The Razorback’s full signing class is listed below:
Keshawn Andrews (University of Arkansas – Little Rock / Jonesboro
High School | Jonesboro, Ark.)
At
Little Rock: Second-Team All-American as a member of UALR’s
4×100-meter relay in 2018. 2019 Sun Belt Conference Champion in the 60
meters, tying a lifetime best 6.76. Placed third in the 100-meters at
the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championships, running a lifetime best
10.32. Fourth in UALR program record list in the
100-meters, third in program history in the 60-meters and a member of
the school record 4×100-meter relay from 2018.
Jonesboro
High School: Three-time Arkansas 6A State Championship
100-meter finalist. A 2017 Arkansas 6A State Champion in the 100-meters
running a wind-aided 10.67. Runner-up in both the 100-meters and
200-meters along with a third-place finish in the long jump at the 6A
East Conference Meet helping Jonesboro High School
to the 2017 East Conference team title. State runner-up in the
100-meters in 2016 and a state championship qualifier in the 200-meters.
Placed sixth in 100-meters at the 2015 State Championships.
Personal Bests: 60m – 6.76; 100m – 10.32; 200m – 21.59
Jadon Bartholomew (Har-Ber High School | Springdale, Ark.)
2019
Arkansas 6A State Champion in the 400-meters; a member of
Har-Ber’s State Championship 4×800-meter relay and bronze medalist
4×400-meter relay team. Also won 6A West Conference Championships in the
400-meters in 2019. Also ran on Har-Ber’s state championship bronze
medal cross country team, placing top-30 at the
state cross country championship. In 2018, won state titles in both the
4×400-meter and 4×800-meter relays outdoors as well as the 4×800-meter
relay indoors.
High School Personal Bests: 400m – 49.31; 800m – 1:58.35
Etamar Bhastekar (University of Texas-El Paso | Mizpe Ramon,
Israel)
At UTEP: Placed fourth in the pole vault at 2018 Conference USA
Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Prior to UTEP: 2016 Israeli National Champion in the Pole Vault.
Personal Bests: Pole Vault – 5.31m (17-5); High Jump – 2.00m (6-6.75);
Long Jump – 7.25m (23-9.50)
Shaka Bogan (Marion High School | Marion, Ark.)
2019
Arkansas 5A State Champion in the 110-meter hurdles; also
scored in the 300-meter hurdles. Won the Arkansas 5A Indoor State
Championship in the 60-meter hurdles. Undefeated in the 110-meter
hurdles during his senior season. Ranked as the fastest high school
110-meter hurdler in Arkansas in 2019 and among the Top-25
in the United States. Arkansas state indoor record holder in the
60-meter hurdles. Four-time 5A East Conference Champion.
High School Personal Bests: 60m Hurdles – 8.02; 110m Hurdles –
13.84
Tyler Brendel (University of California – Berkeley / Granite
Bay High School | Granite Bay, California)
At
California: An NCAA Heptathlon Qualifier and Second-Team All-American
Indoors in 2019 after placing 14th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
2019 MPSF Heptathlon Champion to help California to a third-place finish
at their indoor conference championships. All Pac-12 Honoree after
placing third at the 2017 Pac-12 Championships
in the decathlon.
Granite Bay High School: California Division Champion in the 300-meter
hurdles as a senior in 2015. CIF State Championship 300-meter hurdles qualifier.
Personal Bests: Decathlon – 7,413 pts.; Heptathlon – 5,674 pts.
Ethan Carney (Har-Ber High School | Springdale, Ark.)
2019
Arkansas 6A State Champion in the 4×800-meter relay, State
Runner-up in the 800-meters and Bronze Medalist in the 4×400-meter
relay. Set a personal best 1:56.00 to place second overall at the
Arkansas Meet of Champions. 2019 Arkansas Indoor State Champion in the
800-meters. As junior in 2018, scored in both the 400-meters
and 800-meters at the State Championships to help Har-Ber High School
to a state runner-up finish. Helped Har-Ber win a state title indoors
and outdoors in 2017, finishing as the state runner-up in the 800-meters
during the indoor season. Three-time USATF
Junior Olympic National Champion (2017: 400m/800m; 2019: 800m).
Personal Bests: 800m – 1:56.00; 400m – 48.99
Devin Dougherty (Bentonville High School | Bentonville, Ark.)
2017
Arkansas 7A State Champion in the 400-meters and as a member
of Bentonville’s 4×400m relay. Also won state titles in 2018 in the
200-meters and 400-meters at the Arkansas State Indoor Championships. A
member of five state championship teams for Bentonville High School
(2016 indoors, 2017 outdoors, 2018 indoors, 2018
outdoors and 2019 indoors). Scorer in the 200-meters and 400-meters as
well as a the 4×400-meter relay at the 2019 Arkansas 6A State
Championships to help Bentonville to a state runner-up team finish.
Personal Bests: 400m – 48.35; 200m – 22.18
Jeremy Farr (Wolmer’s High School | Kingston, Jamaica)
Ranked
No. 3 in the world in the U20 400-meters in 2019. Jamaica’s
Boys and Girls Champs 400-meter champion also placed third in the
400-meter hurdles. Also, a member of Wolmer’s Boys and Girls Champs
winning 4×100-meter relay team in 2019.
Personal Bests: 400m – 45.65; 400mH – 51.41
Andrew Gilreath (Lawrence E. Elkins High School | Sugar Land,
Texas)
AAU Junior Olympic Long Jump Championship. Also an AAU Junior Olympic
finalist in the 100-meters. Semifinalist in the 60-meters at the 2018 New Balance Indoor National Championships.
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.50; Long Jump – 6.76m (22-2.25)
Ryan Gordon (Lucas Lovejoy High School | Lucas, Texas)
Texas 5A State Runner-up in the 200-meters; also scored on Lucas
Lovejoy’s 4×200-meter relay team. Texas Relays finalist in the 100-meters.
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.56; 200m – 21.14
Tylin Jackson (Lancaster High School | Lancaster, Texas)
Texas
5A Bronze Medalist in the 200-meters; also scored on Lancaster’s
4×100-meter bronze medalist and 4×200-meter state runner-up relay
teams. Helped Lancaster to a 5A State Runner-up finish in 2019. Placed
fourth in the 200-meters at the UIL State Championships as a junior.
Ranked Top-25 in the United States in the 200-meters
outdoors in 2019. Ran 20.75 as a high school junior in 2018.
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.50; 200m – 20.75; 60m – 6.99
Maximilian Kluth (St. Ursula Gymnasium High School | Duesseldorf,
Germany)
2019 German U20 Heptathlon Champion, 2018 German U20 Decathlon
Champion, 2017 IAAF World Youth Championships Decathlon Qualifier. 2019 European U20 Championships Qualifier.
Personal Bests: U20 Decathlon – 7,555 pts.
Rory Leonard (Fall 2020) (King Edward VII School | Newcastle
upon Tyne, United Kingdom)
Placed 37th at the 2019 IAAF World U20 Cross Country Championships.
Placed ninth in the 3000m at the 2018 European U18 Championships.
Personal Bests: 1500m – 3:48.93; 3000m – 8:18.80; 5000m – 14:16.35
Kennedy Lightner (North Little Rock High School | Little Rock,
Ark.)
Ranked
No. 1 in the state of Arkansas in the 100-meters, 200-meters
and 400-meters for the 2019 season. Ranked No. 2 nationally in the
200-meters. Won the Great Southwest Classic 200-meters in a personal
best 20.48, also placed second in the 100-meters. Won both the
100-meters and 200-meters at the Arkansas Meet of Champions.
Arkansas 6A State Champion in the 100-meters and 200-meters in 2019. As
a junior in 2018, placed second in the 400-meters at the State
Championships. 2017 AAU and USATF Junior Olympic National Champion in
the 100-meters and 200-meters.
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.31; 200m – 20.48; 500m – 47.29
Lesley Mahlakoane (Cloud County CC / Zitikeni Secondary School
|Tembisa, South Africa)
Placed
fourth at the 2019 Junior College National Championships
in the 400-meters to help Cloud County win the team National
Championships. During the indoor season, placed third at the Junior
College National Championships 400-meters and also ran on his team’s
4×400 meter and Distance Medley Relay teams. Won a national
title as a member of Cloud Country’s Distance Medley Relay team during
the 2018 indoor season.
Personal Bests: 400m – 46.41; 200m – 21.56, Long Jump – 7.08m (23-2.75)
Nick Prentiss (Keller High School | Keller, Texas)
Placed
fifth in the high jump at the Texas 6A State Championships
in 2019. Runner-up in the high jump at the Texas Relays. Ranked among
the top-25 high jumpers in the United States during the 2019 season.
Placed seventh at the New Balance Indoor National Championships in 2019,
jumping the No. 1 mark in Texas.
Personal Best: High Jump – 2.08m (6-10)
James Rainey (Lucas Lovejoy High School | Lucas, Texas)
Placed
eighth in the shot put at the Texas 5A State Championships.
Set a lifetime best of 56-8 in the shot put to win his Region
Championship. Placed third in region in the discus throw. 2018 USATF
Junior Olympic All-American.
Personal Bests: Shot Put – 17.27m (56-8); Discus Throw –52.40m
(171-11)
Myles Richter (Lewisville Hebron High School | Lewisville, Texas)
Placed
fifth at the Texas 6A State Championship in the 3,200-meters
as a senior. Also placed fifth at the State Cross Country Championships
in 2018. 2018 Region I Cross Country Champion. In the post-season,
placed eighth at the Nike Cross Country South Regionals and top-20 at
the Foot Locker South Regional.
Personal Bests: 1600m – 4:19.89; 3200m – 9:12.23; 5000m – 14:45.69
Rasheed Ricketts (Cardinal Ritter High School | St. Louis, Missouri)
Missouri
Class 3 State Champion in the triple jump in 2018 and
2019. Also placed fifth in the long jump and was a member of the
4×200-meter relay team to help Cardinal Ritter finish as the state
runner-up in 2019. Undefeated as a senior in the triple jump during the
outdoor season. Placed eighth at the 2019 New Balance
Indoor National Championships in the triple jump.
Personal Bests: Long Jump – 7.01m (23-0); Triple Jump – 15.03m
(49-4)
Josh Shearer (The Woodlands Christian School | The Woodlands,
Texas)
Three-time
TAPPS 4A State Champion. 2019 State Champion in the
1,600-meters also placed third in the 3,200-meters and fourth in the
800-meters to help his team to a runner-up finish at the 2019 State
Championships. Also finished third at the 2018 Cross Country State
Championships to help Woodlands Christian to a State
Championship. As a junior in 2018, finished as the state champion in
the 3,200-meters and state runner-up in the 1,600-meters. State cross
country runner-up at the 2017 state cross country championships. State
champion in the 3,200-meters as a sophomore in
2017.
Personal Bests: 1600m – 4:19.32; 3200m – 9:12.62
Kyle Smith (Hoover High School | Hoover, Alabama)
2017
Alabama 7A Indoor State Champion in the Triple Jump. Hoover
High School won six-consecutive indoor/outdoor state titles during his
sophomore through senior seasons. As a senior, placed fourth at the
Alabama 7A State Championships in the triple jump and also scored in the
high jump to help Hoover High School win their
third straight outdoor State Championship. During the indoor season,
placed as the state runner-up in the triple jump and high jump while
also scoring in the long jump, scoring 19 points to help Hoover win
their third consecutive state indoor title. As a junior
in 2018, finished as the state runner-up in both the long jump and
triple jump outdoors. Won a state title indoors as a junior in the
triple jump and also placed second in the high jump. Scored at the state
championships as a sophomore both indoors and outdoors.
Personal Bests: Long Jump – 6.81m (22-4.25); Triple Jump – 14.85m
(48-9); High Jump – 1.98m (6-6)
Jayce Turner (Lewisville Hebron High School | Lewisville, Texas)
As
a senior in 2019, ranked in the top-15 in Texas in the 3,200-meters,
running a personal best 9:11.64 at the Jesuit Relays. Placed third at
his district in both the 1,600-meters and 3,200-meters in 2019 and
placed third in his region in the 3,200-meters. As a junior, he was
district runner-up in the 3,200-meters and placed third
in the 1,600-meters. Four-time varsity letter winner in track and field
and three-time letter winner in cross country.
Personal Bests: 1600m – 4:20.25; 3200m – 9:11.64
Roman Turner (Texas Southern University / Wichita Falls High School
| Wichita Falls, Texas)
At
Texas Southern: 2019 Southwest Athletic Conference Indoor 60-meter
champion. 2019 SWAC finalist in the 100-meters, also scored as a member
of Texas Southern’s 4×100-meter relay squad. As a freshman in 2018,
SWAC finalist in both the 100-meters outdoors and 60-meters indoors.
At
Wichita Falls HS: As a senior in 2017, won Great Southwest Classic
100-meter title. Finished as the state runner-up at the Texas 4A State
Championship in the 100-meters as both a senior and junior.
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.35; 200m – 22.01; 60m – 6.69
 | |
| Arkansas head coach for track and field Chris Bucknam |
