That could have gone better.
The Arkansas men’s track and field team entered this week’s NCAA Outdoor Championships in Oregon as the No. 1 team in the nation, favored to win the team title and with a few athletes favored to win individual crowns. Day One didn’t start in the best of ways.
Wayne Pinnock, who was going for his fourth NCAA title in long jump, was strongly favored to win a fifth. Instead, he finished fifth, jumping 26 feet, 2 1/4 inches. That finish marked the first time he had ever finished lower than fourth in an NCAA meet.
In the 10,000-meter run and 110-meter hurdles also yielded Razorbacks disappointments.
Patrick Kiprop tripped and fell while he was in second-place with three laps remaining in the run. He ultimately finished eighth. And Phillip Lemonious, who won the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAAs last year, did not make the final round, finishing 13th out of 24 participants.
After the first day, during which five of 21 events finished, Arkansas is tied for 18th with five points. USC leads with 19.
Events continue Friday and the Arkansas women’s team will get their beginning Friday, as well.