Arkansas alums contend for World Indoor team at US Champs

SPOKANE, Washington – A mix of Arkansas alums and professional athletes training in Fayetteville are entered in this weekend’s USATF Indoor Championships, which are being held in The Podium on Saturday and Sunday, February 26-27.

The meet serves as Team USATF’s qualifying meet for the World Athletics Indoor Championships to be held March 11-13, 2022, in Belgrade, Serbia. The top two finishers per event, who have met the qualifying standard, will be eligible for the World Indoor meet.

Coverage of the meet will be available on CNBC from 4 to 6 p.m. each day. Live results and schedule: https://results.usatf.org/2022Indoors/

Live streams of all events are available as well at this link: https://bit.ly/3HjV4yD

Razorback alums who have entered the meet include Kiara Parker (60m), Marqueze Washington (400m), Nikki Hiltz (1,500m), Sandi Morris (pole vault), Jarrion Lawson (long jump), and Erich Sullins (weight throw).

The rest of the pro group includes Arkansas volunteer assistant Ryan Crouser (shot put) as well as athletes who are training in Fayetteville with Razorback coaches – Christina Clemons (60m hurdles), Darryl Sullivan (high jump), and Tara Davis (long jump). Davis noted on Friday through social media that she would not be competing due to travel delays.

Birmingham, England, served as host to the 2018 World Indoor Championships while the 2020 version scheduled for Nanjing, China, was postponed due to covid-19 and has been rescheduled for 2023. The most recent USATF Indoor Championships were held in 2020, while the 2021 version was canceled.

Morris set a World Championship record of 16-2 ¾ (4.95) in claiming pole vault gold in 2018. Washington ran in the heats of the 4×400 relay, and the US team earned silver medals in the final.

Morris is also the defending US champion, having claimed the 2020 title with a clearance of 16-0 ¾ (4.90). Crouser established a meet record of 74-1 ¾ (22.60) to win the shot put title in 2020.