FAYETTEVILLE - The 2010 Southeastern Conference indoor track and field post-season awards were announced Thursday.
Chris Bucknam is the SEC Coach of the Year and senior Dorian Ulrey is the SEC Runner of the Year, both for the second-straight season. Since Arkansas joined the league in 1992, only two head coaches have earned back-to-back SEC Indoor Coach of the Year Awards - Bucknam and John McDonnell.
"I'm still really impressed by the team effort I saw this weekend," head coach Chris Bucknam said. "It was that team effort that won us this championships. Dorian Ulrey is a big part of that team and he did some really smart racing this weekend. He's come such a long way in his racing, his training and his knowledge of how to race smart. I'm excited to see what he and the rest of our team can do at the NCAA Championships next week."
Bucknam, in his second season with the Razorbacks, led Arkansas to its second-straight SEC Indoor title. Bucknam's athletes won five event titles (mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, distance medley relay and long jump) and earned two runner-up finishes (3,000 meters and long jump).
The Razorbacks won the team title with 123 points. Arkansas won its 29th conference indoor team title, its 17th SEC indoor team title, its 94th conference team title overall (cross country, indoor and outdoor) and its 49th SEC team title overall (cross country, indoor and outdoor).
In 2010, Bucknam's athletes picked up four NCAA auto qualifiers and 26 NCAA provisional-qualifying marks. Arkansas boasts athletes ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA in the mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, distance medley relay, long jump and triple jump. Arkansas athletes hold the top marks in the SEC in the mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, distance medley relay and long jump.
Since Arkansas joined the league in 1992, only two competitors have earned back-to-back SEC Indoor Athlete/Runner of the Year awards - Ulrey and Alistair Cragg. Ulrey won two individual titles (mile and 3,000 meters) and anchored the winning distance medley relay at the 2010 SEC Indoor Championships. Ulrey earned the commissioner's trophy for most points scored by an individual (22.5) and has never lost an SEC Indoor Championship race.
He won his second-straight SEC title in the mile. He clocked a time of 4:02.56 and led a 1-4-8 finish for Arkansas in the event. Ulrey won Arkansas' 11th SEC mile title. Ulrey also won his second-straight SEC title in the 3,000 meters. He clocked a time of 8:00.05 and led a 1-2-4-5-6 finish for Arkansas in the event. Ulrey won Arkansas' 12th SEC 3K title. He is the first runner to win back-to-back SEC 3K titles since Arkansas' Alistair Cragg in 2003-04.
He split 4:03 to anchor the SEC title-winning DMR, his third mile race of the weekend. When he got the baton, Arkansas was in sixth place. The quartet won Arkansas' third-straight SEC DMR title and its 13th since 1994. Ulrey is now the owner of five SEC individual titles, four indoors and one out, and also has one as the anchor of the DMR for a total of six.
Since 1992, Ulrey is only the second runner (David Kimani, Alabama, 2001-02) to sweep the SEC mile and 3K in back-to-back seasons. Ulrey is the only male student-athlete, track or field, to win two individual titles at the 2010 SEC Indoor Championships.
Ulrey's 2010 season best of 3:57.80 in the mile is an NCAA auto qualifier, ranks No. 3 in the NCAA and lead the SEC. His 2010 season best of 7:55.23 in the 3,000 meters is an NCAA provisional qualifier, ranks No. 8 in the NCAA and leads the SEC. Arkansas' 2010 season best in the DMR, 9:33.12 with Ulrey's 3:54 anchor leg, is an NCAA provisional qualifier, ranks No. 6 in the NCAA and leads the SEC.
Razorback men's track and field will compete next at the Arkansas Last Chance, Fri., March 5, at the Randal Tyson Track Center. For more information, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.