- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/cross-country/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:51:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Little Rock Trojans cross country coach Webb balances celebrity status, coaching duties /news-archive/2019/10/31/coach-balances-celebrity-status-coaching-duties/ Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:51:28 +0000 /news/?p=75508 ...]]> Before every race this season, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s cross country runners stretch, jog and focus on the upcoming course in front of them. But looking up from their warm up area, they often see a steady stream of their opposing runners … waiting around to meet Trojan distance coach Alan Webb. Webb is a household name in the running world and is the American record holder in the mile while also having competed in the Olympics. “It is like having Tom Brady as your coach,” explained freshman runner Jose Vivanco. Well’s admiration from people who attend the meets where Little Rock competes has brought an extra level of attention to the Trojans in the midst of the program’s resurgence under second-year Director of Track and Field and Cross Country J.P. Behnke. The attention on the Little Rock coach has become commonplace at meets where scores of runners try to find the right time for an introduction, autograph, or picture with the Olympian. Webb, humble despite this rock star status, deftly manages being able to focus on guiding his team while still acquiescing to request upon request. The impact is immeasurable. “I remember at the Chile Pepper Invitational,” sophomore Ricardo Banks II recalled of Little Rock’s meet in Fayetteville, “there were a bunch of high school kids there and they all crowded near us. We knew who they wanted to see, so we just moved out of the way, and they went up to meet him and talk to him. Their faces lit up and you could see how happy and excited they were. I used to get upset but now I just feel happy. You see how happy he makes people by taking just a little time and how he can change them.” There is plenty of cheering during races, especially as runners approach the finish line. The addition of a celebrity to Little Rock’s appearances adds an extra level of audible reactions as Webb is seen. “It is definitely surreal,” junior Jarred O’Connor said as he attempted to describe the experience. But more so than just the collective fan appeal, having Webb guiding the Trojans has led to vast improvements across the board. “There has been a complete 180 with the team,” explained O’Connor. “The team chemistry has been better and the training has been 10 times better. Everyone has run faster this year, everyone has set a PR (personal record). Pretty much everybody ran faster in the first race this year than they did at any point last year by a significant amount. The fifth guy this year ran faster than our first guy last year. We have been improving like no other.” As the season progresses, Webb is continuing to unveil his vast knowledge of running to the team. “He is like a supercomputer on how running can change your life and how you can get better at it,” said Banks. Trojan student-athletes should get used to the attention coming to the program and its coaches, because Webb is not the only star to join the staff this year. Pole vault Olympian Lexi Jacobus is the team’s new pole vault coach. Jacobus in continuing her professional career following her time at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), where she became the first woman to ever win four NCAA Championships in the pole vault. She joins her husband, Derek Jacobus, who joined the staff last spring following a standout career in Fayetteville where he garnered multiple All-America and All-Southeastern Conference honors. “I think it sets a standard and, in a good sense, puts a little pressure on you as well as a little pride,” Banks explained. “You know that what you are being told is something they applied and it got them somewhere. You know if you follow their guidance, there is a chance you can go somewhere great. I love it.” “It just feels so elite,” O’Connor summarized. For the latest information on Little Rock Cross Country, make sure to check out . You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockTFXC on and .]]> Olympian Alan Webb joins ��Vlog��ý Little Rock coaching staff /news-archive/2019/08/01/olympian-alan-webb-coaching-staff/ Thu, 01 Aug 2019 19:56:49 +0000 /news/?p=74835 ...]]> , has joined the University of Arkansas at Little Rock staff as an associate head cross country and assistant track coach going into the 2019-20 season. Webb will coach the cross country and distance athletes at Little Rock. “I am excited to welcome and his family to Little Rock,” said , Little Rock’s director of track and field/cross country and the program’s head coach. “Throughout the interview process, I was very impressed with Alan’s understanding of all the distance events beyond the mile and middle distance races. During his 11-year pro career, he worked with some of the greatest track coaches in the world. Our distance athletes will greatly benefit from the knowledge and passion Alan brings to the Trojan distance program.” Webb joins Little Rock’s Team after spending last season as an assistant coach at Portland State. “I am really excited to join the Little Rock Trojans,” Webb said. “Coach Behnke has already taken big steps forward to make Little Rock a rising star in the Sun Belt Conference. That is why, when I learned about this opportunity, I wanted to join him. I am humbled that he has chosen me to coach the cross country and distance athletes. All of the athletes on the roster and incoming freshman have tons of potential to improve, and I look forward to supporting them. This is going to be awesome. Thank you to the athletes at Portland State for their dedication to running and the coaching staff for supporting my growth as a coach.” At Portland State, Webb helped lead the Vikings to their best cross country season in program history in 2018. The Viking women tied their highest team finish ever at the Big Sky meet with a fifth-place finish, after being picked to finish in a tie for ninth. The Viking women followed it up with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional, their highest finish at the meet since they placed 11th in 2002. Two of Portland State’s runners – Sarah Medved and Kaila Gibson – became the first Viking teammates to place in the top 40 together at the NCAA West Regional, just under two weeks after they became the first Viking teammates to place in the top 10 together at the Big Sky Conference meet. The Vikings had never had two runners place in the top 50 of the NCAA West Regional before Medved and Gibson, let alone the top 40. Medved’s set school records in the 4k and 6k races. Webb brings a wealth of experience running at a world-class level to his role at Little Rock. He announced himself as a world-class athlete in high school, when he broke Jim Ryun’s 36-year old American high school record in the mile at the 2001 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Webb finished the mile in 3:53.43 to beat Ryun’s old record of 3:55.3 by nearly two full seconds. Additionally, Webb became the first American high schooler ever to crack four minutes in the indoor mile while breaking the national high school record with a time of 3:59.86 at the New Balance Games in 2001. Webb broke the American high school record in the indoor 1,500 meters in the same race, as he came through the 1,500 mark in 3:43.27. Webb ran collegiately for the University of Michigan during the 2001-02 season, winning the Big Ten cross country title while also winning the Big Ten title in the outdoor 1,500 meters. A two-time All-American while at Michigan, he placed 11th at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championships and fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Turning pro after the 2002 collegiate season, Webb signed with Nike where he would stay until his retirement from professional running in 2014. He became an Olympian in 2004, when he won the 1,500 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, California. Webb won the U.S. title in the 1,500 meters again in 2005, and went on to make the finals of the 1,500 meters at the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Finland, later that year. The 2007 season marked Webb’s best season professionally, as he won his third U.S. title in the 1,500 meters and placed eighth in the finals of the event at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Webb broke the American record in the mile in the leadup to the World Championships at a meet in Brasschaat, Belgium on July 21, 2007. Webb set the record with his finish in 3:46.91, breaking a 25-year-old record that Steve Scott set at 3:47.69 in 1982. He also ran a lifetime best of 3:30.54 in the 1,500 meters – the fourth-fastest time ever by an American at the time – at the IAAF Golden League meet in Paris, France on July 6, 2007. Webb began his coaching career in 2003, when he was an assistant cross country coach at South Lakes High School in Reston, Virginia. He next served as a volunteer assistant for the University of Virginia cross country team in the fall of 2011, before serving in the same role for the Portland State in 2013. He coached as a cross country assistant for Westview High School in Portland in the fall of 2015 and started as a Nike volunteer/running coach at that same time. Webb was a guest run coach for the Every Athlete *2.0 Product Test Training Program earlier in 2018, as well as a guest coach for Nike’s Marathon Kids and the WHQ Sport Center Noon Track Group. Additionally, Webb was a guest coach/speaker for the Nike Run Club in August of 2015, and was a sports marketing volunteer at the Nike Elite Camp in May 2016. In addition to coaching, Webb has been a guest speaker at several camps and clinics. He delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Virginia High School Track Coaches Association in 2018. Webb also addressed the California University of Pennsylvania running camp in 2016, as well as the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse cross country camp in 2014. Also in 2014, Webb presented during the distance running session of the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association Clinic. Webb married the former Julia Rudd in October 2010. The couple has three daughters; Joanie, Paula, and Gabriella. The family resides in Little Rock.]]> Reid named academic success coordinator for Trojans /news-archive/2018/09/11/reid-named-academic-success-coordinator-for-trojans/ Tue, 11 Sep 2018 16:06:50 +0000 /news/?p=71803 ...]]> as an academic success coordinator. In this role, Reid will work with both the Trojans’ compliance and academic offices in maintaining an atmosphere of success for Little Rock student-athletes. A former Division I track and field student-athlete, Reid comes to Little Rock after spending the past season as the director of operations for track and field/cross country at the University of Texas. During her time in Austin, Reid handled the day-to-day operations of the program, working in conjunction with the coaching staff with multiple administrative duties, including team travel and planning. Prior to her time at Texas, Reid spent six seasons working in the athletic department at Colorado State University, her alma mater. Reid worked with the Rams football team for two seasons as the director of football administration and community relations after serving four seasons as the director of operations as well as the jumps coach for the Colorado State track and field program. In 2013, while still competing at an elite level, Reid served as a policy research worker in the Colorado State Office of Policy and Compliance. Reid was a standout student-athlete at Colorado State, earning honorable mention All-America honors in the high jump in 2013 as she was a national qualifier in the high and triple jumps. She earned All-Conference honors and holds a number of spots in the CSU track and field record books. Before coming to Fort Collins, Reid earned All-America honors at Johnson County Community College, earning runner-up honors four times at the NJCAA national championships. She was tabbed the USTFCCCA National Field Event Athlete of the Year in both indoors and outdoors in 2012, placing in the top-10 in six different events. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Reid was a two-time Mountain West All-Academic Award honoree in 2011 and 2012. She earned her second bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a minor in media studies and Spanish from Colorado State in 2014. In the same year, she was honored as the NACDA N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award recipient.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock hires new director and head coach of Trojans’ Track and Field/Cross Country /news-archive/2018/09/04/director-track-and-field-cross-country/ Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:43:59 +0000 /news/?p=71677 ...]]> An All-American and national champion as a competitor and a 13-year coaching veteran with multiple conference titles under his belt, Behnke brings a wealth of experience and championship credentials to Little Rock. “Coach Behnke brings a strong track record of success and student-athlete development to our track and field and cross country programs,” Conque said. “J.P. has seen firsthand what it takes to build a championship-caliber program. We are excited to have him lead our young men and women and we look forward to seeing our program grow under his leadership.” “I am extremely humbled and honored to be named the next director of Track and Field/Cross Country for the Little Rock Trojans,” Behnke said. “I would like to thank Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics and his staff for welcoming me to the Little Rock family. I see a very promising future for Trojan Athletics and I am excited to have the opportunity to lead this program to the next level.” Behnke joins the Trojan staff after serving as a member of the Oakland University track and field staff since 2006 in a variety of roles. Most recently, he has served as the Grizzlies’ interim head coach since March of 2018, guiding Oakland’s men’s program to their first-ever conference championship at the 2018 Horizon League Outdoor Championships. During his 12 seasons in Oakland, Behnke coached 37 conference champions in 13 different events and played a key role in helping lead the Grizzlies to five Horizon League Cross Country Championships from 2015-17, including three-straight for the women from 2015-17. Behnke has been a mentor to a number of Oakland student-athletes, including the Grizzlies’ first All-American in distance runner Jason Bigelow in 2010. He guided Oakland’s middle distance group to eight consecutive 800-meter championships from the 2014 indoor season through the 2017 outdoor season. A number of his athletes earned All-Horizon League honors, including Aaron Davis being named the Horizon League Outdoor Male Athlete of the Year after winning both the 100 and 200 meter runs. Behnke mentored Nick Girodat to the Horizon League record in the indoor 60 meter dash and worked extensively with Zach Stadnika, who registered a Horizon League record 39 points and captured first place in the decathlon in the 2018 outdoor championships. Prior to his time in Oakland, spent one season as an assistant coach for both track and field and cross country at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, from 2005-06. There he worked as the Monarchs’ recruiting coordinator and worked with Joe Dugall, the 2006 NJCAA Indoor High Jump national champion. Benhke is a U.S.A. Track and Field Level II certified coach, earning the distinction for jumps in 2008 and for sprints, hurdles and relays in 2010. On the track, Behnke was a three-year standout at Lake Superior State in Marie, Michigan, setting school records in the 800 meter run in both indoor and outdoor seasons and was a two-time All-GLIAC honoree in the event. Behnke’s first two seasons of competition were at Lansing Community College where he was a member of the Stars’ 1998 NJCAA national championship cross country team. He was the NJCAA Super Regional champion in the 800-meters in 1999, being named an All-American in the 800 meter run and as a member of the 4×800 meter relay team. The Rochester Hills, Michigan, native earned his degree in recreation management from Lake Superior State in 2002, then attained his master’s degree in health science from St. Francis University.]]> Trojans announce 2018-19 Cross Country Schedule /news-archive/2018/08/23/2018-19-cross-country-schedule/ Thu, 23 Aug 2018 13:46:12 +0000 /news/?p=71482 ...]]> The schedule includes four regular-season meets in addition to the Sun Belt Conference Championships. Three of the regular-season meets will occur in Arkansas while the fourth will happen in Tennessee. Like the 2017 season, the Trojans will begin the season at the Memphis Twilight Classic on Sept. 1 in Memphis, Tennessee. The action will get underway at 9 p.m. as the men battle a four-mile course while the women take on a 5K. The following Saturday on Sept. 8, Little Rock will make the short trip up to Conway for the UCA XC Challenge. Last year, won the men’s portion of the meet while was the Trojans’ top finisher for the women as she placed eighth. Times for the meet have yet to be announced. After a two-week break, Little Rock will head to Fayetteville for the 30th Annual Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival on Sept. 22. The men’s 8K will get underway at 9:30 a.m., and the women’s 5K will start at 10:20 a.m. With three weeks to prepare, the Trojans will finish the regular season by hosting the Little Rock Invitational on Oct. 13 at the Rebsamen Park Golf Course in Little Rock. The men’s 8K will begin at 10 a.m. while the women’s 5K will start at 10:45 a.m. will look to defend her crown as she won the women’s event last season. After concluding regular-season action at home, Little Rock will head to Mobile, Alabama, for the Sun Belt Conference Championships on Oct. 27. The NCAA South Central Regionals will be hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Nov. 9, and the NCAA National Championships will take place on Nov. 17 in Madison, Wisconsin. For the latest updates on Little Rock’s cross country programs, follow @LittleRockTFXC on Facebook and Twitter.]]> Williams announces retirement from Track and Field/Cross Country Program /news-archive/2018/07/09/milton-williams-retirement/ Mon, 09 Jul 2018 15:35:27 +0000 /news/?p=71068 ...]]> has announced his intention to retire from the program. “It has been one of the greatest honors and pleasures of my life to serve as the director of men’s and women’s track and field/cross country at Little Rock,” Williams said. “I’d like to thank the many athletes who chose Little Rock as their home. I’m grateful to have been your coach. You inspired me every day with your own personal stories of courage and will to win. To my coworkers in the Department of Athletics, thank you for your friendship. You are absolutely the best, and I am better for having worked with you.” Williams came to Little Rock in 2001 as the associate head coach and was named the head coach for track and cross country in 2004. In 2014, he was named the director of track and field/cross country. Williams was named the Sun Belt Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2005 and went on to earn the award three times on the men’s side in 2007, 2010, and 2012. In 2012, Williams helped the men’s team win the Sun Belt Championship for the fifth time in school history. Under Williams’ tenure as head coach/director, the Trojans tallied five All-American selections in outdoor track, two appearances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and two appearances at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Over his career at Little Rock, Williams helped his student-athletes earn 37 individual Sun Belt Conference Championships across all events. “Little Rock Athletics is most appreciative to coach Williams for his loyal 17 years of service,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “Milton’s career has been highlighted by numerous accomplishments but none more important than the mentoring and development he provided hundreds of student-athletes over the years. Milton has helped considerably in growing the program and we are grateful for his passion for the Little Rock Trojans.” Williams brought several years of experience into his role at the head of the Trojan program. Besides his coaching background, Williams was an NAIA All-American in the shot put in 1980 and a 1984 Olympic trial qualifier in the shot put as well. Williams was inducted into the Arkansas Track & Field Hall of Fame in June 2013. Prior to Little Rock, Williams was the head track and cross country coach at Cabot High School in his hometown of Cabot, Arkansas. From 1986 to 1990, Williams was the head strength and conditioning coach at Louisiana State University where he directed strength programs for all LSU teams, several of which went on to conference and national championships. During his tenure at LSU, Williams worked closely with four basketball players who were first-round NBA draft picks: Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Jackson, John Williams and Stanley Roberts. Williams graduated from Arkansas-Monticello in 1982 and received his master’s from Northeast Louisiana University in 1984. A nationwide search for Little Rock’s next director of track and field/cross country will begin immediately.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes achieve record high GPA scores /news-archive/2018/01/08/athletics-gpa/ Mon, 08 Jan 2018 14:23:23 +0000 /news/?p=68920 ...]]> It marks the second-straight semester the Trojans have set a record for combined GPA among its 12 athletic programs, besting the 3.27 cumulative GPA set following the spring 2017 semester. “I could not be more proud of the GRIT and hard work our student-athletes continue to demonstrate in the classroom,” said Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. “We have enjoyed academic success at Little Rock for many years, but setting GPA records in back-to-back semesters speaks volumes about our even stronger commitment to the classroom. Our young people, our coaches, and Senior Woman Administrator should be commended for their dedication as we continue to graduate champions.” Seven of the Trojans’ 12 athletic programs finished the fall 2017 semester with a 3.0 GPA or higher as 135 Little Rock student-athletes posted a 3.0 or better. With the performance in the fall, Little Rock’s student-athletes have posted a department-wide GPA above 3.0 for the 11th-straight semester. Women’s golf once again led the way, posting a 3.76 GPA during the fall and holds a 3.7 cumulative grade point average. Soccer’s 3.7 GPA ranked second as both programs achieved impressive results during their competition season, seeing a combined 29 student-athletes eclipse the 3.0 mark. Men’s golf also had a strong showing during their competition season with a 3.44 GPA during the fall, aided by six players above a 3.0, followed by swimming and diving’s 3.37 and baseball’s 3.35 grade point averages. The two teams had the most total number of student-athletes above a 3.0 GPA, led by 30 from swimming and diving and 28 from baseball. Women’s basketball finished the fall semester with a team GPA of 3.14 with volleyball adding a 3.11 GPA as nine players from each squad ending the fall semester with a 3.0 GPA or better. With the fall semester in the books, nine Trojan programs have a team cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, led by women’s golf’s 3.7. Soccer ranks second at 3.6 followed by swimming and diving (3.47) and volleyball (3.41). Baseball (3.39), men’s golf (3.38), women’s basketball (3.09) and women’s track and field and cross country (3.03) round out the list. Academic performance continues to be a major priority for the Little Rock Athletic department as the Trojans also boast a Graduation Success Rate of 81 percent, leading all Division I programs in the state of Arkansas for the fifth-straight season.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student-athletes earn Sun Belt academic honors /news-archive/2017/08/18/student-athletes-sun-belt-academic-honors/ Fri, 18 Aug 2017 19:27:46 +0000 /news/?p=67658 ...]]> were on honored as the Sun Belt Conference released its Commissioner’s List and Honor Roll Aug. 15. More than 100 Trojans were honored with placement on one of the league’s two lists. The Commissioner’s List recognizes student-athletes with grade point averages (GPA) above 3.5, and the Honor Roll recognizes student-athletes with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.49. The 106 total student-athletes on those lists is up from last year’s total of 99. Fifty-six student-athletes made the Commissioner’s List in 2017 — the second-highest total since 2014. The Trojan baseball team had the highest number of student-athletes on both lists with 28 members in total. Fourteen members of the team were named to the Commissioner’s List, and 14 others were named to the Honor Roll. Soccer had the highest number of student-athletes named to the Commissioner’s List with 17. Seven others were named to the Honor Roll for a total of 24 student-athletes recognized by the league. Little Rock track and field and cross country combined for 22 student-athletes on the Sun Belt lists. Four men and four women were named to the Commissioner’s List, and five men and nine women were named to the Honor Roll. Women’s basketball had eight student-athletes honored by the league with one on the Commissioner’s List and seven on the Honor Roll. Eight members of the Trojan volleyball team were placed on the Sun Belt lists, as four earned spots on the Commissioner’s List and four earned spots on the Honor Roll. Men’s golf saw seven of its student-athletes honored as six earned placement on the Commissioner’s List and one made it to the Honor Roll. Women’s golf also had seven student-athletes honored by the league as six made the Commissioner’s List and one made the Honor Roll. Men’s basketball had two players earn a spot on the league’s Honor Roll. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s honored student-athletes include: Commissioner’s List

Zach Baker, Baseball
Jacob Boggess, Baseball
Kale Emshoff, Baseball
Ryan LeMoine, Baseball
Cory Malcom, Baseball
Matt McDowell, Baseball
Keegan Meyn, Baseball
Cody Daylor, Baseball
Corbin Osburn, Baseball
Hunter Owens, Baseball
Riley Pittman, Baseball
Christian Reyes, Baseball
Dylan Slayton, Baseball
Dalton Thomas, Baseball
Ronjanae DeGray, Women’s Basketball
Grady Bourguignon, Men’s Golf
Zach Coats, Men’s Golf
Danial Durisic, Men’s Golf
Brady Edwards, Men’s Golf
Nico Parra, Men’s Golf
George Scanlon, Men’s Golf
Shania Berger, Women’s Golf
Emelie Blennow, Women’s Golf
Sabrina Bonanno, Women’s Golf
Lucy Owen, Women’s Golf
Thea Wakeford-Wesmann, Women’s Golf
Peyton Weaver, Women’s Golf
Arola Aparicio Gili, Soccer
Madison Bingham, Soccer
Sara Cavanagh, Soccer
Jaylin Finney, Soccer
Sammi Gregory, Soccer
Doro Greulich, Soccer
Harrison Hayworth, Soccer
Nora Hellmers, Soccer
Hali Long, Soccer
Jaclyn Purvine, Soccer
Shara Robbins, Soccer
Samantha Rolka, Soccer
Lisa Ryan, Soccer
Sairra Tucker, Soccer
Kayla Turner, Soccer
Josie Verslues, Soccer
Quin Wilkes, Soccer
Davion Campbell, Track and Field/Cross Country
Tyler Davis, Track and Field/Cross Country
Nghia Dinh, Track and Field/Cross Country
Kendrick Dunn, Track and Field/Cross Country
Jasmine Blunt, Track and Field/Cross Country
Sara Claycomb, Track and Field/Cross Country
Akeia Joyner, Track and Field/Cross Country
Hunter Paul, Track and Field/Cross Country
Marina Avram, Volleyball
Taylor Lindberg, Volleyball
Veronica Marin, Volleyball
Sydnee Martin, Volleyball

Honor Roll

Justin Cooper, Baseball
Bryce Dimitroff, Baseball
Justin Garcia, Baseball
Ty Gunter, Baseball
Cameron Knight, Baseball
Cody McGill, Baseball
Danny Mitchell Jr., Baseball
McKinley Moore, Baseball
Preston Oberling, Baseball
Zach Ours, Baseball
Ben Patranella, Baseball
Jacob Rateliff, Baseball
Cole Townsend, Baseball
Reed Willenborg, Baseball
Brandon Brady, Men’s Basketball
Shandon Goldman, Men’s Basketball
Sydney Chastain, Women’s Basketball
, Women’s Basketball
Anna Hurlburt, Women’s Basketball
Keanna Keys, Women’s Basketball
Emily Lytle, Women’s Basketball
Kaitlyn Pratt, Women’s Basketball
Kiara Scott, Women’s Basketball
George Trujillo, Men’s Golf
Pernille Orlien, Women’s Golf
Bailey Fithian, Soccer
Fali Garuba, Soccer
Camilla Olsson, Soccer
Claire Palmer, Soccer
Shannon Shields, Soccer
Sara Small, Soccer
Logan Strange, Soccer
Imad Amenzou, Track and Field/Cross Country
Zodani Francois, Track and Field/Cross Country
Terence Goodwin, Track and Field/Cross Country
Emilio Medina, Track and Field/Cross Country
Jaquez Wilson, Track and Field/Cross Country
Brittney Anderson, Track and Field/Cross Country
Anika Charles, Track and Field/Cross Country
Nicole Edison, Track and Field/Cross Country
Tyra Gilliam, Track and Field/Cross Country
Adela Hernandez, Track and Field/Cross Country
Tyler Kelly, Track and Field/Cross Country
Widline Lageroy, Track and Field/Cross Country
Christina Nickerson, Track and Field/Cross Country
Rebeca Solis, Track and Field/Cross Country
Hope Larmour, Volleyball
Miona Milovanovic, Volleyball
Tiara Wilkins, Volleyball
Aubrey Wilson, Volleyball

]]> ��Vlog��ýLR alum Calum Neff attempts to break another world record /news-archive/2016/10/13/neff-world-record/ Thu, 13 Oct 2016 21:53:17 +0000 /news/?p=65456 ...]]> A University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumnus who made headlines in February after he broke a world record for running the fastest half marathon while pushing a stroller is out to break another world record. Calum Neff, a former ��Vlog��ýLR cross country and track and field team member, broke the Guinness World Record for Fastest Half Marathon Pushing a Pram (stroller) in one hour, 11 minutes, and 27 seconds, while competing in the Feb. 6 Katy Half Marathon with his then 11-month-old daughter, Holland. Now Neff is at it again with an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Fastest Marathon Pushing a Pram. He and his oldest daughter, 4-year-old Alessandra, will compete at the on Sunday, Oct. 16. They will attempt to beat the current record of two hours, 42 minutes, and 21 seconds set by Michael Wardian. “Aley and I are excited to tour Toronto with the stroller,” Neff said. “We’ve enjoyed the journey in training together as it’s been such a good bonding experience for us. My kids really do love their stroller runs, and to immerse her in a world class event on the heels of Canada’s best distance runners, at her age, will be something she will never forget.” The father and daughter have experienced some ups and downs during training, like getting sick or pesky calf muscles, but Neff is convinced that “we have a good shot at the record.” Neff grew up moving around the world and lived in many countries, including Scotland, Thailand, and Australia. After finishing high school in his native country of Canada, Neff was recruited to ��Vlog��ýLR by then-coach Kirk Elias while Neff competed at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, in 2002. Neff was a member of the ��Vlog��ýLR track and cross country teams from 2002 to 2005. He transferred to the University of Houston in 2005 to be closer to his family and graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in broadcast journalism. Neff was also part of a 12-person relay team in May that set a new Guinness World Record for furthest distance run on a treadmill in 24 hours to raise funds and awareness for MitoCanada in support of caring for and curing Mitochondrial disease. Neff and his wife, Julie, live in Katy, Texas, with their two daughters and are expecting their third child in March. Upper right photo: Former ��Vlog��ýLR student-athlete Calum Neff stands with his wife, Julie, and daughter, Holland, after winning the Katy Half Marathon on Feb. 6. Photo courtesy of The Bayou City Half Marathon Series.]]> WODAK SETS SEASON BEST IN OLYMPIC 10K /news-archive/2016/08/12/wodak-sets-season-best-olympic-10k/ Fri, 12 Aug 2016 20:46:56 +0000 /news/?p=64890 ...]]> The time was just 12 seconds shy of Wodak’s personal best set in 2015. Wodak became the second former Little Rock cross country/track athlete to participate in the Olympic Games, joining Dawn Williams’ 800-meter race in 1996. Competing for Canada, Wodak found herself racing in the same field as winner Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia, who broke the 10K world record by 14 seconds, finishing in 29:17.45. Wodak still holds the Canadian record in the 10K as well as the 8K.]]>