Shawn Price

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Seven victories highlighted a dominant performance by the nationally No. 1 Arkansas  Razorbacks women's indoor track team  in Friday’s Arkansas Qualifier in the Randal Tyson Track Center.

With a tally of 167 points, the Razorbacks doubled the scoring output of Kansas State (84) to win a fourth consecutive meet this season after going undefeated during the cross country campaign. The rest of the field included Missouri (42), Arizona (33), Washington State (29), Kansas (27), UCLA (25), Vanderbilt (14), Arizona State (11), and Utah (2).

In the 60m hurdles a win by Daszay Freeman produced a time of 8.20 seconds, just off her career best of 8.15, while in third place Yoveinny Mota posted a 8.24 that equaled the Venezuelan national record set by Genesis Romero in 2020. Jaya Hollis placed sixth in 8.39.

“We had a great breakthrough in the hurdles as Daszay Freeman broke into the 20s with an 8.20 flat, which is a season best,” said Arkansas head coach Lance Harter. “Yoveinny Mota set her national record for Venezuela with an 8.24. So, the hurdles kind of got everything rolling.”

Entering the weekend as the 400m collegiate leader, Paris Peoples won the 800m in a career best of 2:09.08 while teammate Isabel Van Camp ran a career best of 2:10.33 in fourth place. Paris, who has an outdoor best of 2:10.75 from high school, previous ran an indoor 800m in 2019 and clocked 2:19.59.

The Razorbacks depth in the mile was on display as three of the top four finishers established career best times. Kennedy Thomson led the way in 4:39.19 as Gracie Hyde (4:41.80) and Abby Gray (4:43.24) followed with Quinn Owen (4:47.08) in fourth.

Kennedy’s effort was the top collegiate time in meet history, bettering a 4:41.62 by Oklahoma State’s Natalja Piliusina in 2011. The top mark of 4:38.85 was established by Therese Haiss with Nike in 2018.

“In the mile, Kennedy Thomson broke 4:40 for the first time and added a little more depth to our mile cadre,” noted Harter. “Gracie ended up with a 4:41, so we now have six runners at 4:41 or better in the mile. That’s incredible depth.”

Just as dominant were the Arkansas sprinters, taking places 1-6 in the 200 and 2-3-4 in the 400.

Tiana Wilson, who won the 60m in 7.35 after equaling her PR of 7.34 in the prelims, claimed the 200 title in 23.29 with Rosey Effiong runner-up at 22.30. Both marks were career best times, moving the pair to No. 7 and No. 8 on the Razorback all-time list.

Jada Baylark, runner-up to Wilson in the 60 with a 7.37, finished third in the 200 at 23.42. The next three finishers included Hollis (23.75), Morgan Burks-Magee (23.78) and Kethlin Campbell (23.98).

Effiong led the crew in the 400 in a career best of 52.80, with Burks-Magge third in 52.92 while another career best from Shafiqua Maloney had her posting a 52.94.

“Our 400m runners went ballistic today with three of them under 53 seconds, led by Rosie Effiong, and then came back in the 200m and did the same thing with Tiana Wilson leading the group,” noted Harter.

In the 4x400 relay the Hogs won in 3:33.44, topping UCLA (3:36.65) by a couple of seconds with a quartet of Wilson (53.27), Baylark (54.30), Hollis (53.40), and Effiong (52.47).

Superlatives in the field events had Bailee McCorkle and Nastassja Campbell both clearing 14-2 ½ (4.33) to finish first and second in the pole vault. McCorkle improved her season best from a 14-1 ¼ effort while Campbell improved her best as a Razorback by half an inch, and remains in the No. 10 position on the Arkansas all-time list.

Clearing 13-5 ¼ (4.10) had Elien Vekemans tying for third place while Mackenzie Hayward finished sixth with the same height clearance. Kaitlyn Banas tied for eighth at 12-7 ½ (3.85).

Following her heptathlon performance last week, G’Auna Edwards placed second in the long jump with a leap of 20-5 ¾ (6.24).