FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2021 – COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT: Shawn Price
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Online Version: https://bit.ly/2PWxl2n
EUGENE, Ore. – Distance races were the feature events for the Razorbacks as the University of Oregon opened it’s new facility with the Hayward Premiere on Friday. Abby Gray and Katie Izzo registered times at 5,000m and 10,000m, respectively, which moved each runner to No. 6 on the Arkansas all-time list.
Abby Gray finished third in the Invitational 5,000m as she produced a career best time of 15:48.53. BYU’s Whittni Orton won the race in 15:42.33 while Utah’s Poppy Tank ran 15:45.07 as runner-up.
Joining Gray in the race were Logan Morris, who finished ninth in a career best of 16:00.88, and Gracie Hyde, who placed 14th in an outdoor best of 16:29.64.
In bettering her previous best of 16:06.60, Gray moved ahead an impressive array of alums on the Razorback top 10, which includes Jessica Daily, Kristen Gillespie, Amy Yoder Begley, Deena Drossin, and current teammate Carina Viljoen.
Katie Izzo placed ninth in the 10,000m with a time of 33:18.62. In December, running unattached, Izzo produced a best of 32:28.89 at this distance.
A pair of career best times were recorded by Razorbacks in the Invitational 1,500m as Arkansas runners finished 5-6-7. Kennedy Thomson produced the top finish among Razorback trio, posting a time of 4:19.09. Carina Viljoen followed in 4:19.57 while Krissy Gear clocked 4:21.21.
Quinn Owen, the first Razorback to race in the new Hayward Field, led her heat of the 1,500 through the first couple of laps and placed fifth in 4:26.31.
Outdoor debuts in the 5,000m were turned in by Corie Smith (16:49.42) and Adoette Vaughan (17:15.02) as they finished fifth and ninth. Meghan Underwood, who led the field in the early stages before being joined by Smith, did not finish.
Saturday Races
An Invitational 800m on Saturday included Kennedy Thomson and Quinn Owen representing the Razorbacks. Thomson clocked a career best of 2:05.42 to place third while Owen finished ninth in 2:08.33. Thomson’s time is No. 10 on the UA all-time list, moving her ahead of Nikki Hiltz.
In an earlier set of 800m races, Carina Viljoen placed fifth with a time of 2:08.28.