Pair of SEC Outdoor honors for Ayden Owens-Delerme, Chris Bucknam

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – SEC Outdoor honors for the 2022 season included accolades for a pair of Razorbacks as junior Ayden Owens-Delerme was named Field Athlete of the Year while Chris Bucknam earned Coach of the Year as voted upon by league coaches.

This marks the seventh consecutive SEC coaching honor for Bucknam as Arkansas completed a second conference triple crown over the past two seasons. During his 14 seasons with the Razorbacks, Bucknam has collected 28 SEC Coach of the Year honors (10 cross country, 11 indoor, and seven outdoor).

Accomplishments for Owens-Delerme during the outdoor season included a then collegiate record in the decathlon when he scored 8,528 points to win the Mt. SAC Relays decathlon.

Within that performance, Owens-Delerme also established decathlon collegiate best marks for the 100m (10.27) and 400m (46.12) while generating the fifth-best day one collegiate score of 4,483 points.

In the SEC Outdoor Championships, Owens-Delerme placed fifth in the 110m hurdles, ran third leg on a silver medal 4 x 100 relay, and ran the lead-off leg of the 4 x 400 relay which placed sixth.

Having qualified for the NCAA Championship field in the decathlon, Owens-Delerme assisted with the 4 x 400 relay during the NCAA West Preliminary rounds. He ran the first leg, with a split of 45.9, as Arkansas advanced on time to Eugene.

During the indoor season, honors for Owens-Delerme included the USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year following his first ever NCAA Indoor championship in the heptathlon. He was selected to The Bowerman watch list and named the South Central Field Athlete of the Year.

In claiming the SEC Outdoor team title by six points over Alabama (120-114), the Razorbacks scored just over half of their points in distance events, totaling 64 points in four events – 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m and 3,000m steeplechase.

A total of 16 points were supplied in the 10,000m on the first day of the conference meet while another 16 points were added in the 3,000m steeplechase on day two. Day three started with eight points in the 1,500m. Then the Razorbacks finished 1-2-3 in the 5,000m to secure 24 points.

Amid the scoring in those four distance events, the Razorbacks totaled seven medalists – 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze.

SEC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Awards

Runner of the Year: Eliud Kipsang, Alabama

Field Athlete of the Year: Ayden Owens-Delerme, Arkansas

Freshman Runner of the Year: Favour Ashe, Tennessee

Freshman Field Athlete of the Year: Wayne Pinnock, Tennessee

Coach of the Year: Chris Bucknam, Arkansas

2022 SEC Track & Field All-SEC Teams

Men’s First Team All-SEC

Andrew Kibet, Arkansas

Patrick Kiprop, Arkansas

Men’s Second Team All-SEC

Emmanuel Cheboson, Arkansas

Tre’Bien Gilbert, Arkansas

Amon Kemboi, Arkansas

Phillip Lemonious, Arkansas

Ayden Owens-Delerme, Arkansas

Myles Richter, Arkansas

Daniel Spejcher, Arkansas

Roman Turner, Arkansas

Connor Washington, Arkansas

Men’s Freshman All-SEC

1,500m: Elias Schreml, Arkansas