By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — When Scott MacPherson completed his final workout in preparation for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Tuesday, the distance runner started to think.
That was it. No more training sessions as an Arkansas distance runner. And it means MacPherson only has one more race.
“I was just kind of looking around and thinking the next time I’ll be in here it will be for a national championship. Then that’s it.” MacPherson said. “It’s kind of hitting me.”
Arkansas will say so long to MacPherson when the Razorbacks compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held in the Randal Tyson Track Center today and Saturday. The senior — will compete in the 5,000-meters tonight after winning the Southeastern Conference title in the event two weeks ago.
He also will be chasing his first national title as he says farewell to the Randal Tyson Track Center. Teammate Dorian Ulrey is the most likely Arkansas distance runner to win an individual title this weekend, but MacPherson said he would love nothing more than to turn in the race of his career.
“I think I have to have the same mindset as conference, which basically is: This is my track,” MacPherson said. “I’m the one that’s sweating blood on it for every week for the past five years. So I think I have to be confident.”
No matter what happens, Arkansas coach Chris Bucknam said he’ll always be thankful for MacPherson’s contributions the last two seasons. The Plano, Texas, native has been a workhorse for the Razorbacks in the distance events, playing a key role in helping them win a handful of conference championships.
In fact, MacPherson ran three distance events during the 2009 SEC Outdoor meet. He won the steeplechase, finished third in the 10,000 and was fourth in the 5,000.
He later earned his first All-America honor with a fifth-place finish in the steeplechase during the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
More recent, he made an incredible sacrifice at the 2010 SEC Indoor meet by pushing the pace in at 3,000-meter race in which Arkansas scored big points.
MacPherson’s efforts at the front led to a fifth-place finish, but his work helped vault the Razorbacks to the team title for the second straight year.
“I always kind of thought of him as the mutant,” said Ulrey, who will compete in the 3,000 meters and the distance medley relay this weekend. “He would just go out and kill those workouts. He’s like me. He’s a small guy. I’m like, ‘Where does he get the power?’ I really look up to him in that respect.
“He just helps us all to see that we can do anything if we put our minds to it.”
MacPherson may have meant even more off the track, though, helping the Hogs bridge the gap between coaches. He remembers what it was like to run for former Arkansas coach John McDonnell, but has been an integral part of Bucknam’s tenure.
“He was able to adjust to the daily change of a different coach,” Bucknam said. “I think that bled into the rest of the team. … It certainly has made the transition easier.
“I’ll always be grateful for his great attitude and his acceptance of our new staff.”
He’ll have a chance to help the Razorbacks reach for a national championship this weekend before he’s done. Programs like LSU, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Oregon are favorites to walk away with the title, but Arkansas is hoping the six athletes who are competing will score big in their events.
MacPherson still plans to train in Fayetteville in hopes of making the Olympic team in 2012 even after his Arkansas career ends. But he would like nothing more than come through in the 5,000 as he runs his final race as with the Razorbacks.
“It’s going to be different,” MacPherson said. “I’m not sure what to expect. It’s kind of scary. … Right now I’m focused on (tonight’s race), then Saturday and rooting the team on.
“After that it might sink in.”
Three More Arkansas Athletes To Watch
1. Dorian Ulrey — Ulrey won both the mile and 3,000 meters at the SEC meet, but will concentrate on the 3K during the NCAA meet. He is one of the favorites in the field and also will run a key leg for Arkansas’ distance medley relay team.
2. Shelise Williams — Williams has had a big year on the indoor track and will be competing for the national title in the 400. It’s a loaded field, but Williams — the SEC champ — could surprise as she competes in front of the home crowd.
3. Tina Sutej — Katie Stripling has more experience in national meets, but Sutej is coming off a SEC Indoor Championships win in the event. The sophomore’s personal best in the event is rated No. 2 in the nation this season.
