FAYETTEVILLE – No. 7 Arkansas embarks on a journey to achieve a podium finish in placing among the top four teams at the NCAA Championships in Eugene this weekend with nine entries in six events.

Defending champion Georgia enters the meet ranked No. 1 nationally, followed by Florida, Oregon, Texas A&M, USC, South Carolina, Arkansas, Illinois, Texas Tech, and BYU among the top 10 teams.

“It’s a high stakes track and field meet, we understand that and we’ve been there before,” stated Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson. “I think nothing prepares you like the SEC conference and being able to compete in that gauntlet. I think we’re ready to go.

“I’m very proud of the group that we have here. With nine opportunities to score we feel we can get some things done. We have a strong group in the events we have. We’re looking forward to going out there and competing very hard.”

The latest form chart compiled by Track & Field News has the Razorbacks tying for fourth place with host Oregon and totaling 35 team points. Georgia is predicted to score 65 for the team title followed by South Carolina (40) and USC (37).

“With this team, with the number of entries that we have, to be considered one of the top four teams in the country would be nothing short of extraordinary,” said Johnson. “It’s kudos to these young ladies who work really, really hard and put themselves in this type of position.

“So, we’re excited about the opportunity, we know we have to go out and perform. Certain things have to happen for those things to happen. I think we’re more than ready for those things. These young ladies are prepared and ready to go. We’re not going to let anything get in our way of that.”

NCAA Championships | ESPN event links

ESPN 2 Thursday 5 p.m. PT | links https://shorturl.at/j3Lns

ESPN 2 Saturday 5 p.m. PT | links https://shorturl.at/x4KIg

Semifinals on Thursday include the 400m, 800m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and 4 x 400m relay for Arkansas while Maria Arboleda will contest the high jump on Saturday.

Sanu Jallow-Lockhart posted the second fastest ever collegiate time in the 800m with a 1:57.74 during the NCAA West meet and claimed her first SEC title in the event this season after placing runner-up in five previous conference races.

She is joined in the 800m with teammate Analisse Batista, who improved her career best to 2:00.31, second best on the UA all-time list.

“The main goal is to win and contribute the points to the team,” noted Johnson. “Personally, Sanu has some goals that she set for herself. Being able to run fast, setting a PR and pushing limits is something that’s going to be very dependent on the weather as well as the competition and how the race sets up. The No. 1 goal is to win and everything else will be a cherry on top.”

Kaylyn Brown, who shares the U.S. collegiate record with Britton Wilson at 49.13, has a season best of 49.54 as runner-up in the SEC Championships. In previous NCAA Outdoor meets, Brown finished second in 2024 with her 49.13 performance and was fifth a year ago.

This season Brown ranks second among collegians and third on the world list behind a world-leading 48.92 for Georgia’s Dejanea Oakley.

Sanaria Butler, who produced a 49.86 career best, ranks fifth among collegians this season and is No. 6 on the UA all-time list. Butler placed third in the SEC 400m with a 50.22.

“The 400m is very competitive and we have great respect for everyone who is in the field,” said Johnson. “We feel these two young ladies can be game changers for us. So, the expectation is to finish as high as possible and we always look to win.”

Saira Prince improved her best in the 400m hurdles to 55.16 during the NCAA West meet and ranks No. 3 on the UA all-time list and sixth among collegians this season. Prince finished fifth in the SEC Championships with a 55.27.

Freshman Morgan Herbst produced a time of 56.09 in the 400m hurdles that ranks No. 6 on the UA all-time list and she is the fourth fastest freshman this season. Herbst finished sixth in the SEC Championships with a 56.50.

In the 100m hurdles, Gabriella Cunningham improved to a career best of 13.02 during the NCAA West.

A clearance of 6-1.5 (1.87) at the NCAA West meet by Arboleda ranks her No. 3 on the UA all-time list and she is equal No. 6 among 13 collegians at that height this outdoor season. Arboleda collected a pair of bronze medals in SEC Championships this year.

Arkansas has dominated the 4 x 400m relay this season, establishing five meet and facility records, while producing a world-leading time of 3:20.04 that ranks No. 2 on the all-time collegiate list behind the 3:17.96 collegiate record the Razorbacks set in 2024 at the NCAA Championships in Eugene.

The facility record at Hayward Field is 3:17.79 by the United States during the 2022 World Athletics Championships while the collegiate best is the Arkansas mark from 2024.

NCAA Championships | 9 entries | 8 athletes | 6 events

400m	Kaylyn Brown, Sanaria Butler
800m	Sanu Jallow-Lockhart, Analisse Batista
100m Hurdles	Gabriella Cunningham
400m Hurdles	Saira Prince, Morgan Herbst
4 x 400m Relay	Sanaria Butler, Analisse Batista, Kaylyn Brown, Sanu Jallow-Lockhart
High Jump	Maria Arboleda SHARE Weather Sponsored Close