The Success

1984 -1990

The SUCCESS of the second period of the McDonnell Era was built on the lessons learned during the FOUNDATION and, in no small part inspired by the close calls. The coaching staff and the athletes who straddled both periods were determined to build on the progress that had been made.  This period was characterized by a singular determination and a hunger. There were no expectations but that from within. The Hogs worked hard and the coaching staff worked harder. Mike Conley set the tone and led the Razorbacks to 4 NCAA team titles and collected 9 individual titles. The 1985 team that Conley led is arguably the finest team ever in collegiate track history.

1984

1 NCAA Team Title
4 NCAA Individual Titles
(Conley 4)
3 SWC Team Titles
9 SWC Individual Titles
(Conley 4, Jasinski 2, Donovan 2, Ro Reina, DMR & Moloney- XC)

Arkansas won the first of 12 consecutive NCAA Indoor Titles in Syracuse and inched up to third at outdoor NCAA.

Mike Conley won both the long and triple jumps in Syracuse at the NCAA Indoor meet and became the first double National Champion and the first back to back Champion. Tommy Moloney finished a close second in the mile. The DMR team of Looney, DuPont, Swain and Gary Taylor finished 3rd and Marty Kobza was 4th in the shot putt. Just like that the door was blown wide up and the Hogs charged through.

At the. SWC indoors, the Hogs claimed the team title with five individual victories. Conley won both jumps, Bill Jasinski won the high jump, Roland Reina won the 2 mile and the DMR team were also winners.

At the Conference outdoors, Paul Donovan won the 1,500m and the 5,000m. Conley was also a double champion with victory in both broad jumps, Jasinski won the high jump. At the NCAA outdoor championships, the Razorbacks finished third, up from the previous years seventh placing. Conley won both jumps again. Mike Davis got on the podium with third in the long jump. Moloney and Donovan went two and four in the 1,500m. Marty Kobza and Mark Klee both had a fifth place showing in the shot putt and pole vault.

1985

3 NCAA Titles (Triple Crown)
6 NCAA Individual Titles
(Conley 4, Donovan, Haley)
3 SWC Team Titles
15 SWC Individual Titles
(Conley 4, Donovan 3, Haley 2, Jasinski 2, Kobza, Consiglio, DMR, 4 X 1 R)

Arkansas won its first NCAA Cross Country Title in State College, PA. The team was led by David Swain’s 14th place finish. Paul Donovan and Joe. Falcon followed in 23rd and 24th position. Gary Taylor and Espen Borge were the other scorers in 37th and 56th places. Swain won the conference cross country title and with five in first eleven positions, the Hogs beat Texas 35 to 88 points.

Arkansas won its first NCAA Outdoor title in Austin, TX and completed its first NCAA Triple Crown.

Mike Conley dominated, winning both jumps, finished second in the 200m in 20.21 and ran a leg of the 4 x 100 Relay. Roddie Haley beat two Olympic Medalists to win the 400m in 44.70 as a freshman. Haley also ran a leg on the 4 x 100m. Wallace Spearmon, Sr contributed a 3rd in the 200 and a leg on the relay Fred Cleary and Mike Davis were the other two members of the relay. Paul Donovan finished third in the 1500m and Bill Jasinski took third in the high jump with a height of 7’6”. Kobza earned fourth with a putt of 65’8”. John Register earned points with sixth in the long jump. Earlier at the conference each of the point scorers at nationals won a conference title: Conley – both jumps, Donovan – 1,500m, Haley – 400m, Jasinski – high jump and Kobza – shot putt. Register couldn’t win the long jump with Conley in the field.

Mike Conley won both jumps at the NCAA Indoors and Paul Donovan won the 1500m. The Distance Medley Relay of Liam Looney, Wallace Spearman senior, Espen Borge and Doug Consiglio finished second. As did the 4 x 400m team of Fred Cleary, Bill DuPont, Chuck Moss and Haley. Similarly, Jasinski was 2nd with a 7’4” clearance in the high jump. Joey Wells was runner up in the long jump. David Swain and Marty Kobza contributed points with 4th placings in the 3,000m and shot putt. At the conference indoors, the Razorbacks amassed eight individual titles, Conley won both jumps, Donovan won the mile and 2 mile, Doug Consiglio won the 1,000yds, Jasinski won the high jump, Haley won the 440yds and the DMR team were winners.

The Hogs won 4 Penn Relays titles and the 4 x 1500m team of Keith Iovine, Gary Taylor, David Swain and Paul Donovan set a collegiate record of 14.50:2.

1986

1 NCAA Team Title
4 NCAA Individual Titles
(Donovan, Haley, Pascoe, 4 x 8000
2 SWC Team Titles
9 SWC Individual Titles
(Donovan 3, Jasinski, Falcon, Haley, G Taylor, Davis, 4 x 800 R )

Paul Donovan became the first Razorback to win 3 different NCAA titles – Mile, 4 x800 relay & 3000m

Roddie Haley broke the World Best becoming the first man to run under 60 secs for 500m, his time 59.94.

A DMR team of Gary Taylor, Haley, Espen Borge & Doug Consiglio broke the Collegiate Record. Haley ran the fastest relay leg ever at Penn – 43.7. Also at Penn Gary Taylor ran the fastest 1500 leg ever – 3.36.2 on the winning 4 x 1500m Relay team.

Doug consiglio set 3 Canadian records, 1 Collegiate Record and 2 school records; 2.19.64 for 1,000m CR, 3.38.73 for 1,500m both school records. His 3.55.91 mile ranked him second fastest in the world.

At the indoor conference meet, Joe Falcon had another great meet winning the mile and 2 mile. Bill Jasinski won the high jump and the 4 x 800m team were also victorious. Outdoors, Gary Taylor became the fourth consecutive razorback to beat runner up, Gwain Guy, from Rice University. Haley ran 44.48 to win the 400m, Mike Davis jumped 27’3’’ in winning the long jump. Joe Falcon won the 5,000m. The Razorbacks won the SWC Indoor team title and were 2nd at SWC Outdoors.

Arkansas won their third straight national team title indoors led by Donovan’s double victories in the 3,000m and the 4 x 800m Relay and Haley’s sub 60 in the 500m. Consiglio was second in 1,000m and Taylor was third in the mile.

Jeff Pascoe cleared 18’.0. 1/4’and became the lone Hog to win the Pole Vault at the NCAA outdoor meet as the Razorback finished fourth in the team race. Haley was runner up in the 400m, Mike Davis was fourth in the long jump. Borge and Consiglio were third and sixth in the 1,500m.

1987

2 NCAA Team Titles
4 NCAA Individual Titles
(Falcon 2, Haley, 4 x 800m)
2 SWC Team Titles
9 SWC Individual Titles
(Falcon 4, Haley 2, G Taylor 2, Brown, Cooper

The Hogs won their second NCAA XC title. Joe Falcon fell while leading with 200m remaining and still finished second in the individual race. Richard Cooper was 18th, Rueben Reina was 21st, Ian Cherry was 28th and Chris Zinn 37th.

At the SWC XC championships, Arkansas put six runners in top 10 with Falcon taking the individual honors.

At the NCAA indoor meet the Razorbacks won the team title for the 4th time. Roddie Haley set a World Best in the 500m with a 59.90 clocking. The 4 x 800m team of Liam Looney, Matt Taylor, Lorenzo Brown and Wayne Moncrieffe set Collegiate and Meet Records in victory.

Arkansas set a school record of 3.02.25 in the 4 x 400 Relay at NCAA Outdoors. Joe Falcon showed his range in winning the NCAA 10,000m. The Hogs finished fourth in the team race.

Falcon also doubled at the conference indoor meet, winning the mile and 2 mile events. Haley won the 600yds. Taylor won the 1,000yds. At the SWC outdoor, Gary Taylor repeated as 1500m Champion. He was joined by Lorenzo Brown, Richard Cooper and Roddie Haley as SWC champions in the 800m, 3,000m Steeplechase and 400m. Falcon showed the way with with titles in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

1988

2 NCAA Team Titles
4 NCAA Individual Titles
(Falcon 4, Floreal)
3 SWC Team Titles
12 SWC Individual Titles
( Falcon 3, M Taylor 2, Jefferson 2, Floreal, Brown, Register, Cooper. Chism )

The Hogs won their third NCAA XC title and Joe Falcon took the first Arkansas individual title. Falcon also won the Conference meet and led four other Hogs to top 8 finishes

Falcon became the first Razorback to win 5 different NCAA titles – 1500m, Mile, 3,000m,10,000m & XC

Arkansas keeps the NCAA Indoor streak alive with 3 scorers in Oklahoma City. Falcon and Matt Taylor go First and third in the mile. Falcon followed it up with an inspired victory in the 3,000m. Tyrus Jefferson came an invaluable second in the Long Jump. These three athletes sealed victory for the Razorbacks by a slim margin.

At the NCAA outdoor, Falcon won the 1,500m in 3:38.91 and Edrick Floreal won the triple jump with 56’4.75” Richard Cooper was third in the. 3,000m steeplechase. Rueben Reina was fifth in the 5,000m

Arkansas won the SWC indoor title with 5 individual titles: Two contributed by Falcon – mile and 3,000m and one each by Lorenzo Brown (800m), Jefferson (long jump) and john Register (55mHurdles). The Razorbacks reclaim the SWC Outdoor title after a rare 2 year sabbatical with 6 individual victories and 5 runners up spots. Richard Cooper repeated as steeplechase champion as did Falcon in the 5,000m, 10,000m double. Floreal won the triple jump and Jefferson won the long jump. Matt Taylor earned his first conference individual title with victory in the 1,500m.

1989

1 NCAA Title
3 NCAA Individual Titles
(Floreal 2, Reina)
3 SWC Team Titles
10 SWC Individual Titles
( Reina 4, Floreal 3, Boakes, Bradley, 4 x 800m R)

Reuben Reina ran 3:59.35 and Eric Henry narrowly missed breaking four by .04 seconds (4:00.03) at the Arkansas Invitational.

The Hogs won their 7th SWC triple crown. Reuben Reina and Edrick Floreal captured two indoor conference titles each. The Hogs had the first 5 finishers in both mile and the 3000m with Rueben leading the way in 4:02.87 and a school record 8:01.35 – capturing 60 points in just two events.

The Razorbacks won NCAA Indoor Championship number seven with two victories – Floreal won the triple jump and Reina winning the 3000m.

The Hogs trailed Texas 64-52 going into the last day of the SWC Outdoor championships. But led 91-88 after the 1,500m. Floreal, Boakes, and Bradley won the triple jump, 1,500m and 800m. A massive display in the 5,000m by the Hogs clinched the title. Reina led 6 Hogs to top 8 placing. Final score Arkansas 162- 131 over Texas.

At the NCAAs, Edrick Floreal became the first man to win 3 straight NCAA outdoor triple jump titles with a record leap of 56-6.5in. Boakes and Reina had podium finishes in the 1,500m and 5,000m respectively. With contributions from Bradley and Kaminski in the 800m and javelin, the Razorbacks lost the title by 8 points to LSU.

1990

2 NCAA Title
3 NCAA Individual Titles
(Floreal 2, Reina)
3 SWC Team Titles
10 SWC Individual Titles
( Reina 4, Floreal 3, Boakes, Bradley, 4 x 800m R)

Eric Henry led the Hogs to a conference title with his runner up finish. At nationals, his 22nd placing was the highlight of the meet and he led the team to a fifth placing in the team race.

Indoors, the Razorbacks easily outdistanced Baylor at the SWC Indoor Championships by 58 points. The Hogs placed one through seven in the 3000m and one through six in the mile. Rueben Reina finished first in both, with times of 4:02 and 8:01. Victorious also were the 4 X 800m relay team and Edrick Floreal in both horizontal jumps. At the Nationals, Floreal won the triple jump and was second in the long jump. Reina won his first national title in the 3,000m. The Hogs defeated Georgetown to win the team title and setup another triple crown attempt.

Outdoors at the SWC, the Hogs had five champions again. Reina had double victories just like indoors but this time in the 5,000m and 10,000m, Floreal was the winner in the triple jump, Robert Bradley won the 800m and Johann Boakes, a Swede, won the 1,500m in a pedestrian. 3:58.29.

Reina and Boakes both finished third in the 1,500m and 5,000m at nationals. Floreal claimed victory in the triple jump and managed to finish in the runner ups spot in the long jump. The Hogs were prevented from an NCAA triple crown by LSU by a mere eight points.

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