Arkansas 4x400 relay breaks Razorback Invitational meet record
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas won the 4×400 relay in a meet record time of 3:29.38 to cap the Razorback Invitational weekend at the Randal Tyson Track Center with Rosey Effiong supplying an anchor leg of 51.61 seconds.
The Razorback’s time, which ranks No. 5 on the UA all-time list and is the second-fastest effort by Arkansas this season, bettered the previous meet record of 3:30.66 set by USC in 2017.
“I think that a lot of the tone that was set on Friday in the 200m and the school record in the distance medley really kind of set the standard of expectation,” noted Razorback women’s head coach Lance Harter. “These young ladies came back today and really answered the challenge.
“To be dominant in the 400m with Morgan Burks-Magee getting a big PR at 52.06 and one of the top times in the nation. Then we went to the 800m and have Quinn Owen run a two-second PR in 2:04. We’re committed to a whole team performance, and I think today we harvested those marks across the board.”
Finishing runner-up to the Razorbacks in the 4×400 relay was USC in 3:33.38 with LSU (3:34.40) and Oregon (3:35.13) placing third and fourth. Splits for Arkansas included Morgan Burks-Magee (53.14), Shafiqua Maloney (52.03), Jada Baylark (52.60), and Effiong produced the fastest split among the teams competing.
Earlier in the meet, Burks-Magee led a 1-2-3-4 Razorback sweep in the 400m with a career best 52.06, which ranks third on the 2022 collegiate list, and improves her No. 6 position on the UA all-time list. Her previous PR was 52.10.
“I’m very pleased and very happy,” said Burks-Magee. “I’m feeling thankful and blessed. It was nice to finally execute my race properly. It took four years in the making but I finally listened to my coach, and it all came together.
“My teammates are doing well also. For them to put that all together on the relay it came together nicely. It’s like putting a puzzle together, we have all the edge pieces and now we are putting in the center with more difficult things. It’s piece by piece with each meet and we’re getting it together. It’s nice to see it progress.”
A career best of 52.61 followed for Britton Wilson as runner-up, Maloney placed third in 52.69, and Effiong clocked 52.76 in fourth place. Britton later anchored a Razorback B 4×400 in 52.98 as they posted a time of 3:37.80.
Competing unattached in the pole vault, Arkansas newcomer Amanda Fassold set a career best in clearing 14-2.5 (4.33) to win a jump-off against Oklahoma State’s Ariadni Adamopolou. Fassold’s previous indoor best was 13-5.25 (4.10) while competing at Azusa Pacific, and her outdoor best is 14-0.5 (4.28).
“Amanda is one of our red-shirts who will join us outdoors,” said Harter. “She looked great in clearing a PR for the win.”
Fassold and Adamppolou were clean with first attempt clearances through 13-11.25 (4.25) and then each had three misses at 14-2.5. Moving to a jump-off, both then made the 14-2.5 height on a first attempt.
The bar moved up to 14-4.5 (4.38), and following a miss by each, the bar returned to 14-2.5 and the result was a miss by each vaulter. With the bar lowered to 14-0.5 (4.28), Fassold cleared to win the competition.
Razorbacks competing in the event included a 3-5-6-9 finish from Bailee McCorkle, Kaitlyn Banas, and Mackenzie Hayward as they all cleared 13-7.25 (4.15) with Grace Ridgeway setting a collegiate best of 12-11.5 (3.95).
Quinn Owen produced a two-second career best in the 800m, as her 2:04.03 made her the top collegian behind a meet record 2:00.92 from professional Brooke Feldmeier with Arkansas teammate Krissy Gear placing seventh in 2:06.34.
Owen, who had a previous best of 2:06.40, moves to No. 5 on the UA all-time list while Feldmeier bettered the meet record of 2:02.30 by Texas A&M’s Jazmine Fray in 2018.
A competitive mile was won in 4:34.35 by Oklahoma State’s Taylor Roe with Razorback Lauren Gregory runner-up in 4:35.10. Those efforts are currently the fourth and sixth best times among collegians in 2022. Arkansas also had Isabel Van Camp (4:45.17) and Carmie Prinsloo (4:51.50) in the event.
Jada Baylark finished as runner-up in the 60m with a 7.21 to place behind a 7.16 for Oregon’s Kemba Nelson.
Heidi Nielson led a Razorback trio in the 3,000m as she clocked 9:21.30 to place fifth in her debut. Sydney Thorvaldson followed in seventh place with a 9;24.97 as Julia Paternain ran 9:36.79 in 12th place.
In the 60m hurdles, Jayla Hollis (8.14) and Yoveinny Mota (8.20) finished fifth and seventh. LSU’s Alia Armstrong broke the meet record with a 7.86, which ranks equal No. 3 on the all-time collegiate list and share the 2022 collegiate lead with Florida’s Grace Stark. The previous meet record of 7.92 was set by LSU’s Tonea Marshall in 2020.
