By Nate Allen
Special to the News-Times
FAYETTEVILLE - For the first time in its storied track history, the University of Arkansas hosts the Thorpe Cup, an annual summer dual outdoor meet between the best male decathletes and best female heptathletes of the United States and and Germany.
Named for the great decathlete Jim Thorpe, also a football and basketball great considered the greatest athlete of his time, the Thorpe Cup alternates being hosted by the U.S. and Germany.
It’s America’s turn and thanks in large part to Travis Geopfert, the Razorbacks’ men’s field events coach who has participated in the Thorpe Cup as a U.S. decathlete and coach, Arkansas hosts the two-day event at 5 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday at John McDonnell Field.
Actually, the international event starts at 5:30 p.m Thursday with an Olympic sendoff and introduction of the competing athletes on the Fayetteville Square.
Aside from the U.S. and German teams, which for the U.S. heptathletes include Alex Gochenour, the just graduated University of Arkansas senior whose All-American fourth-place helped the Razorbacks women win the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Olympics-bound Razorbacks and ex-Razorbacks men Omar McLeod and Clive Pullen (the hurdler and triple jumper both competing for Jamaica) and Razorbacks and ex-Razorbacks women Lexi Weeks and Sandi Morris (U.S. Olympic pole vaulters), Taylor Ellis-Watson (U.S. Olympic 4x400 relay runner), Chrishuna Williams (U.S. 800 meters) and Dominique Scott (South Africa 10,000 meters).
Also in attendance will be former Razorbacks U.S. men Olympians Mike Conley, Wallace Spearmon, Calvin Davis, Reuben Reina and Brandon Rock and Zambia’s Godfrey Siamusiye, former Lady Razorback U.S. Olympian and September UA Sports Hall of Honor inductee Christin Wurth-Thomas, Arkansas men’s head coach Chris Bucknam and past Olympic coaches Lance Harter, still the UA’s women’s coach, retired Arkansas men’s coach John McDonnell, along with guests Chris Huffins and Kip Janvrin, former U.S. Olympic medal decathletes, and former U.S. women Olympic medal heptathletes Sheila Burrell and Barbara Nwaba.
Though with the Olympics looming next month, the top three U.S and German decathletes and heptathletes obviously skip this meet, the best of the rest are still international caliber and still make the Thorpe Cup the most world renowned annually scheduled dual meet of decathletes and heptathletes.
“I have competed in it three times and I have coached in it three times,” Geopfert said. “So now hosting it is a real treat and the support of the administration to host the meet.”
Since the United States Track and Field Federation is involved in the Thorpe Cup, Bucknam, Harter and Geopfert all say this meet could be important to the UA being considered for hosting future big international meets and perhaps even the U.S. Olympic Trials.
“We want to make this a showcase opening eyes that we are the track capital,” Geopfert said.