The NCAA News - News and Features

March 9, 1998

Division I Men's Indoor Track

Arkansas likely to win it all again

Event: 1998 Division I Men's Indoor Track Championships.

Overview: Change at these championships has been rare. Arkansas has claimed 13 of the last 14 team crowns and once again is the favorite. This year's Razorbacks have great depth and experience, and are led by seniors Robert Howard and Ryan Wilson and junior Seneca Lassiter. As of February 17, Lassiter posted the nation's third best times in the 800-meter and mile runs. He also led the Arkansas distance medley relay that posted the world's best time February 6 at the Iowa State Classic. The Razorbacks' quartet of Lassiter, Ryan Stanley, Jeremy Huffman and Michael Power finished in 9 minutes, 28.78 seconds, eclipsing the mark of 9:30.07 set by Arkansas at the 1994 championships. Howard, the two-time defending triple-jump champion and defending champion in the long jump, has posted the nation's top mark in the triple jump (16.83 meters/55 feet, 23Ž4 inches), while Wilson is vying for his second 3,000-meter run title in three years. Arkansas also showcases senior James Ballard (high and long jumps) and juniors Sean Kaley (3,000- and 5,000-meter runs) and Power (3,000-meter run) .... Stanford is one of a slew of teams chasing Arkansas. The 1997 cross country champions, the Cardinal boasts a distance corps that has posted four of the top seven marks in the 5,000-meter run. Brad Hauser leads the way with the nation's best mark (13:46.92), followed by teammates Brent Hauser, Jason Balkman and Greg Jimmerson. The quartet could combine in the distance medley to challenge the Razorbacks .... South Carolina, LSU and Texas Christian also are challengers to Arkansas' throne.

Field: The Division I Championship/Competition Cabinet has approved a qualifying procedure that allows for a maximum of 270 student-athletes.

Dates and site: March 13-14 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Butler and USA Track and Field are cohosts.

Television coverage: The championships will be broadcast tape-delayed by ESPN at 1 p.m. (Eastern time) March 19 (the time and date are subject to change).

Information/results: The fax-on-demand telephone number is 770/399-3060 (passcode 1915); request numbers are 1565 for dates/site/schedule, 5264 for qualifiers, 5265 for first-day results, 5266 for second-day results and 5267 for finals-only results. Championship results also will be available on the World Wide Web at www.ncaa.org. Results will be published in the March 23 issue of The NCAA News.