UA's Stewart Gets Relief From Special Shoe

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Mychael Stewart can thank a large hole in the back of his left shoe for helping him qualify for his first NCAA Indoor Championships.

When he's walking around Arkansas' campus, Stewart wears a black protective boot to cover his injured left heel. He has the boot on at all times, except when he's at home -- and of course, when he's competing in the long jump.

That's when the Bentonville High graduate goes with the customized shoe with a hole so large in the back that his foot is visible.

"The outside of the shoe was rubbing the (sore) spot, and it would just irritate that spot and it would hurt every time I took a step on it," Stewart said. "So when there is nothing there, there is nothing to rub against it. I can run."

Stewart injured the outside of his left heel late last month when he landed awkwardly on the hard track at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships in Lexington, Ky. He tried running with different types of padding in his shoe, but none worked.

Out of desperation, Arkansas' trainers decided to cut a rather large chunk out of the back of Stewart's long jump shoe. As odd as it might seem, the junior has had more success with part of his shoe missing.

The Bentonville native qualified for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships when he recorded a personal-best distance of 25 feet, 2.75 inches on his sixth and final jump in last week's Arkansas Last Chance meet.

"That kid this year has really made a believer out of me," Arkansas track and field coach John McDonnell said of Stewart, a former walk-on. "He is a tough, tough athlete. He's the type of kid that can help you win a national championship because the pain threshold is very high for that kid."

Stewart and Arkansas teammate Alain Bailey will compete in the long jump competition at 6 p.m. tonight in the Randal Tyson Track Center.

Stewart hopes to win the event, and in the process, help Arkansas defend its 2006 NCAA indoor title by capturing the school's 43rd national championship. Nothing would please McDonnell more.

This has been a trying indoor season for the No. 12 Razorbacks, who have had to deal with a rash of viral infections and other illnesses.

"I think that we definitely feel like we're going to surprise a lot of people," said Stewart, who is the only member of the Razorbacks' track and field team from Northwest Arkansas.

Stewart was named the SEC field athlete of the week on Feb. 6 after finishing first in the long jump at the New Balance Collegiate Invite with a leap of 25-1.25.

He said his heel feels much better than it did several weeks ago, and it's improved even since last week. He said he doesn't feel pain when he walks.

Along with Stewart, five other Arkansas athletes will compete in the two-day indoor championships.

But being that he grew up only a short drive away in Bentonville, Stewart expects to have a rather large cheering section of family and friends in attendance.

"I hope I can get the entire city (to come out)," Stewart said, laughing.

But his "special" left shoe can only do so much.

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