Huskies win DMR in short-lived national leading time at Arkansas Qualifier...

UW's winning DMR team of Alex Rhodes (400), Reuben 
Reina Jr (1600), Thomas Diamond (1200) and Tyler
Bilyard (800). Shawn Price/Arkansas Athletics photo

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas--The University of Washington made a trip to the site of next month's NCAA indoor championships with one mission: ensure their return to Fayetteville in three weeks.

For the men's distance medley relay team of Thomas Diamond, Alex Rhodes, Tyler Bilyard, and Reuben Reina Jr, it was mission accomplished, as the Huskies won the event at the Arkansas Qualifier meet at the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

Diamond, the Australian import who set a personal best of 3:52.49 in the mile at last week's Husky Classic, ran the opening 1200 leg, clocking 2:51.09 to put the Dawgs in fourth at the first exchange.

The Huskies clawed their way into second, as last year's NCAA D3 400 champ Alex Rhodes, split 45.68, the second fastest time on the 400 leg before handing off to Tyler Bilyard for the 800 leg.

With Oregon leading through the first two legs, the Ducks still held the lead, despite Bilyard's split of 1:48.11 going into the anchor leg, featuring Razorback grad and last year's SEC mile champ, Reuben Reina Jr (Shawn Price/Arkansas Athletics photo) for the Huskies.

Reina responded with a 3:52.17 anchor leg to give the Huskies the win in a national leading time of 9:17.03.

Host Arkansas finished second in 9:17.30, with Oregon third at 9:18.55, and Oklahoma State fourth in 9:19.09.

After the race, both Oregon and Oklahoma State were disqualified--the Ducks for interference with the race, and the Sooners for an exchange violation.

As a side note, Oregon's recap noted that the Ducks will fly to Boston to run at Boston University for Sunday night's Saucony Battle for Boston meet, as they don't have a qualifying mark.

The Huskies' national leading time of 9:17.03 lasted less than two hours, as Villanova ran 9:16.10 at the Philadelphia Metro meet held at the University of Pennsylvania.

In the only other event involving the Huskies at the Arkansas Qualifier, freshmen Owen Powell (1:49.14) and Josiah Tostenson (1:50.30) finished second and fifth in their section of the men's 800. 

They placed sixth and ninth overall, as Arkansas' Rivaldo Marshall ran 1:45.62 to take the overall win.

Complete results of the Arkansas Qualifier are available here.

NOTE: The sports information office of the University of Arkansas and the University of Washington contributed to this report.

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