Incoming UA freshmen trio competing at World U20

LIMA, Peru – The World U20 Championships opened on Tuesday at Estadio Atletico de la Videna and a trio of incoming Razorback freshmen will be competing in the international event this week.

Coverage of the World U20 Championships is available through Peacock.

Scottie Vines will represent the United States in the high jump where he shares the top entry mark of 7-4.25 (2.24) with Japan’s Kaisei Nakatani.

Qualification in the high jump will be held on Wednesday with the top 12 advancing to the final, which will be held on August 30. Clearing 7-1.5 (2.17) will earn an automatic berth into the final. The high jump field includes 20 athletes from 15 countries.

Long jump qualifying on Thursday will include a pair of Razorbacks in Juriad Hughes with the United States and Sebastian Berntsen of Norway. Hughes enters with a best of 25-4.5 (7.73) while Berntsen has a best of 25-0.5 (7.63).

The long jump field includes 35 athletes from 27 countries. The final will be held on August 30.

Vines joins Arkansas from De Beque high school in Colorado, where he was a three-time State 1A high jump champion. His career best of 7-4.5 from winning the 2024 Texas Relays bettered the Colorado high school record of 7-4 set by Arkansas alum Matt Hemingway in 1991.

Hughes, from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, competed at Irondale high school in New Brighton, Minnesota. In 2023 he claimed gold in the long jump at the Pan American U20 Championships in Puerto Rico with a then career best of 24-11.5 (7.61).

As runner-up in the 2024 USATF U20 Championships, Hughes improved his career best to 25-4.5.

Berntsen, of Tønsberg, Norway, recently set a season best of 24-11.25 (7.60) to win the Norwegian U20 title. His career best came in 2023 during the European Junior Championships in Jerusalem.