FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021 – COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT: Shawn Price
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
Online Version: bit.ly/3u2j03a
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The opening weekend of outdoor action for the Razorbacks produced a pair of SEC weekly honors for sprinter Tiana Wilson and pole vaulter Nastassja Campbell. Following stellar performances during the 93rd Texas Relays, Wilson was named Co-SEC Runner of the Week while Campbell was chosen as SEC Newcomer of the Week.
In becoming the first Razorback to capture the women’s 100m title in the history of the Texas Relays, Wilson posted a career best of 11.12 seconds, surpassing the Olympic Games and U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 11.15. Wilson recorded the fourth fastest wind-legal winning time in meet history, dating back to 1976 when the women’s 100m was first contested at the Texas Relays.
Campbell became the fourth Razorback to win a Texas Relays title in the pole vault, setting a pair of career best heights along the way. She claimed the elite division of the University competition with a winning height of 14-9 ½ (4.51), the current outdoor collegiate leader, which ranks her No. 5 on the all-time UA list.
Wilson joined an impressive group of sprinters with her 11.12 equaling the fourth fastest wind-legal winning time at the Texas Relays. The top times include Aleia Hobbs of LSU (10.86 in 2018), Dawn Sowell of LSU (10.93 in 1989), Morolake Akinosun of Texas (11.07 in 2016), and Carlette Guidry of Texas (11.12 in 1991).
In clocking 11.12 twice at the Texas Relays, Wilson matched the 2021 world-leading time set at altitude by Zambia’s Rodah Njobvu the previous week. In addition to being the world leader for the 2021 season, Wilson is the current American and collegiate leader.
Wilson posted a windy 11.12 (2.7 wind) in the prelim, to lead the field of 59 in the qualifying round as the next best time was an 11.24w. In the final, Wilson ran away from a talented field with LSU’s Thelma Davies runner-up in 11.21 while the North Carolina A&T combo of Cambrea Sturgis (11.23) and Jonah Ross (11.30) followed.
Wilson, who had previous career best times of 11.65w and 11.66, moved to No. 4 on the UA all-time list. The three Arkansas sprinters faster than Wilson in school history include Kiara Parker (11.02), Jada Baylark (11.04) and Veronica Campbell (11.10).
Tied in the pole vault with two other vaulters after they each needed a third attempt to get over 14-5 ½ (4.41), Campbell was the lone vaulter to navigate over 14-9 ½ and she did so on her first attempt.
Campbell, who had a previous outdoor best of 14-3 ½ (4.36), earned the fifth Texas Relays title by an Arkansas pole vaulter. Previous Razorback winners include Katie Stripling (2010), Tina Sutej (2011, 2012), and Sandi Morris (2015).
Sutej and Morris share the collegiate meet record of 14-11. Campbell’s last height attempt was at 15-1 ½ (4.61), which is a half inch over the U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying standard.
USTFCCCA Outdoor Rankings
The first installment of the outdoor national rating index has the Arkansas women ranked No. 3 based on data from competitions held so far this outdoors season.
LSU and Texas are currently No. 1 and No. 2, with both teams having competed in two outdoor meets so far in 2021. Following the Razorbacks among the top 10 are USC, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Virginia, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina State and Oklahoma.
Other SEC programs in the women’s rankings include Alabama (11), South Carolina (12), Kentucky (13), Tennessee (15), Florida (19), and Georgia (24).
Arkansas has eight top five performances for the 2021 outdoor season from their efforts during the Texas Relays.
Four of those marks are current collegiate leaders:
1) 11.12 Tiana Wilson | 100m
1) 51.67 Paris Peoples | 400m
1) 14-9 ½ Nastassja Campbell | Pole Vault
1) 3:26.63 Arkansas | 4x400 Relay
The Razorback foursome of Peoples (51.5), Kethlin Campbell (52.5), Morgan Burks-Magee (52.00), and Shafiqua Maloney (50.58) produced the fourth-fastest winning time for the 4x400 in Texas Relays history and won the event for only the second time, with the first title occurring in 2010.
Texas set a meet record of 3:23.75 in 2004, while other faster winning times at the Texas Relays include a 3:26.27 by USC in 2017 as well as a 3:26.38 by Texas in 2014.
Other top five collegiate marks established by the Razorback crew this past weekend includes:
2) 51.72 Shafiqua Maloney | 400m
3) 12.97 Yoveinny Mota | 100m Hurdles
5) 14-1 ¾ Lauren Martinez | Pole Vault
5) 5,326 G’Auna Edwards | Heptathlon