AUBURN, ALABAMA, May 14–16 — Arkansas marched to its sixth straight SEC Outdoor Championship without missing a beat after its head coach retired and star sprinter turned pro.
In fact, the Razorbacks improved, winning an astounding six running events from the 100 to the 10,000.
Doug Case followed Chris Bucknam to Arkansas in 2008 and spent the last 7 years as associate head coach before taking the reins this season. The Razorbacks amassed 110½ points — 12 more than last year — to earn their 25th outdoor title, tying Tennessee (which last won in 2007) for the most in SEC history.
Jelani Watkins, who transferred from LSU in January, won the 100 and 200, mirroring the sprint double by the Razorbacks’ Jordan Anthony in 2025. Watkins equaled Anthony’s school record in the 100 (9.95) and posted a PR and NCAA-leading 19.87 (equaling No. 8 American collegian). He took 0.02 off Wallace Spearmon’s school record from 2005 and was 0.06 better than Anthony’s winning time last year. Finally, as Anthony was, Watkins is a wide receiver for the Arkansas football team.
Ernest Cheruiyot secured the 10,000 title (29:34.34) in addition to placing 2nd in the 5000.
Rivaldo Marshall took the 800 (1:45.21), Brian Masai won the 1500 (3:43.52, succeeding teammate Davis Helmerich) and Ben Shearer prevailed in the 5000 (13:22.68). Arkansas also scored points in the 400, 110H, high jump, long jump and both relays.
“We’ve just got to keep winning; that’s what we do,” said Case, who also won the 2026 SEC indoor title.
Alabama kept the pressure on Arkansas with 94½ points, thanks to Samuel Ogazi’s Nigerian record and world-leading 43.95 in the 400 and significant points in the decathlon, steeplechase, 5000 and 10,000.
Florida placed 3rd with 78, followed by Texas A&M with 64¾ and Georgia with 64. The Bulldogs had a chance to take 4th, but suffered an unfortunate baton drop while leading the 4×4 on the final stretch and scored no points.
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Ole Miss became the winningest male athlete in SEC track history with 13 titles — 7 outdoor and 6 indoor. He won his twelfth in the hammer and thirteenth in the shot put to surpass Auburn legend Harvey Glance, who had 12 titles in the sprints and relays from 1976–’79. Robinson-O’Hagan swept the hammer and shot for an unprecedented third time.
Watkins, however, was the high point scorer as he added 1.25 points by anchoring the 4th-place 4×1. In the 100, he came in with a windy 9.82, but his expected matchup with Auburn’s Kanyinsola Ajayi, who beat him for the NCAA 60 title in March, never materialized. Ajayi eased up in his prelim about 15 meters from the finish, allowing teammate Tyler Davis to grab the lone automatic qualifying slot.
In the final, Watkins proved he is a great closer, pulling away from Tennessee’s Traunard Folson (10.03) and Kentucky’s Denzel Simusialela (10.04) with about 40 meters to go.
“I know my starts are never going to be good,” said Watkins, a soph from Humble, Texas. “I have to stay patient and know it’s going to kick in.”
Ajayi did grab an SEC title by running the second leg on Auburn’s winning 4×1, which posted an NCAA-leading 38.07, the No. 9 all-time collegiate time. The Tigers are defending NCAA champs and Ajayi said, “Everyone knows whenever we touch the track, we are bringing the hot stuff.”
In the 200, Simusialela joined Watkins in breaking 20 seconds, running a PR of 19.98. But Watkins’ 10 points moved Arkansas past Alabama for good.
Ogazi had given the Crimson Tide a boost with his 400 title, reeling in Georgia frosh Jonathan Simms on the straightaway. Jordan Pierre of Arkansas then pipped Simms at the line (44.12 to 44.16).
Ogazi, an Olympic 400 finalist for Nigeria, said, “I know I’m faster than that, so I’ll be better for next time.”
The 800 was a huge scoring opportunity for the Razorbacks with Tyrice Taylor and Marshall going 1-2 at the NCAA indoor 800. The two seniors were ensconced in the lead, passing the 400 in 51.73. Texas A&M frosh Peter Narumbe, the SEC indoor 800 champion, went wide on the final turn, getting past Taylor and challenging Marshall.
“I’ve been telling myself,” Marshall said, “lead from the front and whoever comes, hold them off.” He did, by 0.25.
Shearer found redemption after the 2025 SECs when he was trampled in an early pile-up and finished 2nd in the 5000 with blood streaming down his face. This time, Shearer made a big move with 200 to go and threw his arms into the air at the line in jubilation.
“I literally have been thinking about it 365 days since then,” Shearer said.
Ja’Kobe Tharp electrified the home crowd at Hutsell-Rosen Track with an NCAA-leading 13.05 in the 110H. That matched the world lead and equaled the fifth-fastest collegiately. Tharp, who has a PR of 13.01, broke the SEC record held by Grant Holloway and Daniel Roberts and might have dipped below 13 if he had not celebrated early. The swift junior hurdler let up and spread his arms wide at the finish.
Yet the reigning NCAA champ, was content with avenging his only loss in a championship race, the 2025 SECs won by Kendrick Smallwood of Texas. Smallwood was 2nd in 13.12 this time, making himself the No. 6 all-time collegian.
“After losing last year, it kind of put a hole in me,” Tharp said. “Super happy to get this done, and at home is just the cherry on top.”
Ja’Qualon Scott of Texas A&M was 3rd (13.28), then came back 80 minutes later for the 400H. He had a bad seventh hurdle and faded to 4th (49.13), while Kody Blackwood of Texas won in a PR 48.26.
Oklahoma took home two field event titles. Reigning NCAA champ Ralford Mullings won the discus (213-7) and Brandon Green leaped to victory in the triple jump (55-7¾).
There were only four competitors in the decathlon won by Sacha Rifflart of Mississippi State (7507). Brock Lewis scored just 3600 points with three DNFs and a no height but still earned 5 points for Texas. Teams left 10 points unclaimed.
SEC MEN’S RESULTS
Teams: 1. Arkansas 110½; 2. Alabama 94½; 3. Florida 78; 4. Texas A&M 64¾; 5. Georgia 64; 6. Tennessee 60½; 7. Texas 57; 8. LSU 48; 9. Ole Miss 47¾; 10. Auburn 45; 11. Mississippi State 39½; 12. Kentucky 38; 13. Oklahoma 33½; 14. Missouri 16; 15. South Carolina 12.
100(-0.2): 1. **Jelani Watkins (Ar) 9.95; 2. *Traunard Folson (Tn) 10.03; 3. Denzel Simusialela’ (Ky-Zim) 10.04; 4. **Adekalu Fakorede’ (MsSt-Ngr) 10.12; 5. Tyler Davis (Aub) 10.12; 6. Omari Lewis’ (Aub-Tri) 10.12; 7. *Jaiden Reid’ (LSU-Cay) 10.14.
200(0.5): 1. Watkins 19.87 (AL, CL) (=8 AmC);
2. Simusialela’ 19.98; 3. **Israel Okon’ (Aub-Ngr) 20.10; 4. Folson 20.23; 5. Reid’ 20.29; 6. **Jordan Urrutia (Ms) 20.42.
400: 1. *Samuel Ogazi’ (Al-Ngr) 43.95 (WL, AL) (5, 5 C);
2. *Jordan Pierre (Ar) 44.12 (10, x C);
3. ***Jonathan Simms (Ga) 44.16; 4. **Josiah Wrice (SC) 45.09; 5. *Justin Braun (Fl) 45.30; 6. **Amal Glasgow’ (LSU-StV) 45.52.
800: 1. Rivaldo Marshall’ (Ar-Jam) 1:45.21; 2. ***Peter Narumbe’ (TxAM-Ken) 1:45.46; 3. Tyrice Taylor’ (Ar-Jam) 1:45.71; 4. *Harry Ross-Hughes’ (MsSt-GB) 1:45.80;
5. **Max Armstrong (Ms) 1:46.06.
1500: 1. Brian Masai’ (Ar-Ken) 3:43.52; 2. ***Oussama Allaoui’ (Fl-Mor) 3:43.72; 3. *Jaouad Khchina’ (SC-Mor) 3:44.34; 4. *Ryan Olree (Ga) 3:44.57.
St: 1. **Collins Kiprop Kipngok’ (Ky-Ken) 8:29.50; 2. **Bismack Kipchirchir’ (Al-Ken) 8:33.83; 3. **Ezekiel Pitireng’ (Al-Ken) 8:34.23; 4. **Graham Myers (Fl) 8:34.68.
5000: 1. Ben Shearer (Ar) 13:22.68; 2. *Ernest Cheruiyot’ (Ar-Ken) 13:23.23; 3. *Dennis Kipruto’ (Al-Ken) 13:24.36;
4. ***Kelvin Cheruiyot’ (Fl-Ken) 13:32.08.
10,000: 1. E. Cheruiyot’ 29:34.34; 2. **Dismus Lokira’ (Al-Ken) 29:36.88; 3. K. Cheruiyot’ (Fl-Ken) 29:38.71; 4. Kipruto’ 29:40.15.
110H(-1.0): 1. *Ja’Kobe Tharp (Aub) 13.05 (AL, =WL) (x, =5 C);
2. *Kendrick Smallwood (Tx) 13.12 (6, x C);
3. Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 13.28; 4. Jerome Campbell’ (Ar-Jam) 13.37; 5. ***Abdoul Sy-Savane (Ar) 13.45.
400H: 1. Kody Blackwood (Tx) 48.26; 2. **Mohamed Adoini’ (Ga-Tun) 48.75; 3. **Vance Nilsson (Fl) 48.77; 4. Ja’Qualon Scott (TxAM) 49.13; 5. *David Thid’ (Al-Swe) 49.52.
4 x 100: I–1. Kentucky 39.14; 2. Texas A&M 39.38; 3. Mississippi State 39.46.
II–1. Auburn 38.07 (CL) (9 C) (Fahmi’, Ajayi’, Kresley,’ Davis);
2. LSU 38.35; 3. Tennessee 38.51; 4. Arkansas 38.53; 5. Ole Miss 38.65; 6. Florida 38.95.
4 x 400: II–1. LSU 2:58.47 (CL) (6 C) (Glasgow’, McKay’, Buckmiller 43.64, Austin’ 44.20);
2. Florida 3:00.31 (Smith-Band’ 44.78, Braun 44.48); 3. Arkansas 3:00.62 (Cruzan 45.54, Pierre 43.96); 4. Texas A&M 3:00.77 (Escobar 44.86, Farquharson’ 44.02); 5. Alabama 3:02.22 (Ogazi’ 44.51, Sikiou’ 45.52); 6. South Carolina 3:05.11; 7. Georgia 3:05.61 (Simms [43.12–3]).
Field Events
HJ: 1. *Kimani Jack’ (Ga-GB) 7-3¾ (2.23); 2. ***Etoro Bassey (TxAM) 7-3¾; 3. Brion Stephens (Ga) 7-2½ (2.20);
4. Trey Bartholomew (Ok) 7-2½; 5. tie, My’Kell Beck (Al), **Scottie Vines (Ar), **Khalil Antoine (MsSt) & **Julian McCullough (Ok) 7-1½ (2.17).
PV: 1. *Ismaila Sawaneh’ (Tn-Fra) 18-6½ (5.65); 2. Nikolai van Huyssteen’ (Ga-SA) 18-4½ (5.60); 3. Aleksandr Solovev’ (TxAM-Rus) 18-2½ (5.55); 4. Cade Gray (Tn) 18-½ (5.50); 5. **Samuel Abati (Tx) 18-½.
LJ: 1. ***Temoso Masikane’ (Fl-SA) 26-3½ (8.01); 2. Jordan Turner’ (LSU-Jam) 25-11½ (7.91); 3. **Juriad Hughes (Ar) 25-9¼ (7.85); 4. Kelsey Daniel’ (Tx-Tri) 25-8 (7.82); 5. **Jayden Keys (Ga) 25-8.
TJ: 1. Brandon Green (Ok) 55-7¾ (16.96); 2. Daniel’ 54-7¼ (16.64); 3. Theo Mudzengerere’ (Ky-Zim) 54-4¾ (16.58); 4. *Sterling Scott (Ms) 53-8¼ (16.36).
SP: 1. Tarik O’Hagan (Ms) 68-3 (20.80); 2. **JL Van Rensburg’ (Tn-SA) 65-0 (19.81); 3. ***Jarno Van Daalen’ (Fl-Neth) 64-8 (19.71); 4. *Michael Pinones (Tx) 64-5 (19.63).
DT: 1. Ralford Mullings’ (Ok-Jam) 213-7 (65.10); 2. Trevor Gunzell’ (Al-Jam) 204-9 (62.40); 3. Christopher Young’ (Al-Jam) 196-5 (59.86); 4. Christopher Crawford’ (Al-Tri) 196-4 (59.85);
HT: 1. O’Hagan 238-6 (72.69); 2. Sam Innes (Mo) 235-1 (71.65); 3. **Igor Olaru’ (Tn-Mol) 234-7 (71.51); 4. ***Basel Abosina’ (Fl-Egy) 225-2 (68.64).
JT: 1. Chinecherem Nnamdi’ (TxAM-Ngr) 266-5 (81.20); 2. Jordan Davis (Ga) 261-1 (79.59); 3. *Leikel Cabrera Gay’ (Fl-Cub) 257-11 (78.63); 4. **Nick Reynolds (Ga) 251-8 (76.72).
Dec: 1. Sacha Rifflart’ (MsSt-Fra) 7507; 2. *Harry Crosby (Al) 7005.
