EDWARDSVILLE - Brandon Battle, the star track sprinter from Edwardsville High School who set two school records in a historic sweep of the three major sprint races at the IHSA Class 3A state track meet June 19 at Charleston, has committed to run at the University of Arkansas, one of the NCAA's premier programs, in an announcement made on the MileSplitIL page on Instagram.
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Battle, a recent graduate of EHS, made history in his sweep of the 100, 200, and 400 meter races at the state meet, breaking two school records in the process, Battle took the 100 meters in a school record 10.61 seconds, the 200 meters in 21.65 seconds and the 400 meters in a school-record 46.48 seconds, the fastest time in the state and third fastest in the United States this season. It was also the second-fastest time ever in Illinois.
"First, I would like to give thanks to God for giving me this ability," Battle said in a statement on his Twitter page. "Without Him, competing at this level wouldn't be possible. Next, I would like to give thanks to my parents, because I wouldn't be in this position without their love and support throughout my life. I would also like to thank my coaches and teammates for always being there and pushing me to reach my highest potential. With that being said, I will now be continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Arkansas. Go Razorbacks!"
Battle had originally signed with Eastern Illinois this past January, but de-committed from the Panthers shortly after his historic performance in the state meet.
Arkansas has one of the most successful track programs in the NCAA, having won a combined 34 indoor championships in both the SEC and the old Southwest Conference, 20 NCAA Division-I indoor titles, 10 outdoor championships, and numerous SEC and SWC titles. The program has also produced many Olympians such as Mike Conley, Tyson Gay, Kenny Campbell, Frank O'Mara, and Niall O'Shaughnessy.
The Razorbacks' current head coach, Chris Buckman, has won a total of 21 SEC championships combined, eight NCAA regional titles, and 70 individual SEC champions. He's also produced 310 All-Americans and won the 2013 NCAA Division-I indoor National Championship in his 13 seasons at Arkansas. Buckman has also won eight SEC cross country titles.
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