Arkansas Represented by Rijo and Sims at SEC Career Tour
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Razorbacks Atalyia Rijo, from softball, along with Brevin Sims, from men’s track and field, will represent the University of Arkansas during the ninth-annual SEC Career Tour, which takes place December 3-5 in Atlanta.
The tour marks the eighth time student-athletes from each SEC university will convene in Atlanta to participate in the career tour leading up to the SEC Football Championship Game. The event was held virtually in 2020.
Rijo, who saw limited action in 2024 due to injury, started 55 games at shortstop as a freshman in 2023, tallying 27 hits, including six doubles and five home runs, in addition to 24 RBI and 24 runs scored. Defensively, she posted a .942 fielding percentage and turned 13 double plays on 189 total chances. Rijo earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 13, 2023, after posting a .636 batting average and .733 on-base percentage with seven hits, 11 total bases, five RBI and four walks during the Hogs’ 5-0 opening weekend at the UNLV Rebel Kickoff in Las Vegas.
Sims, a hurdler with the Razorback track and field team, finished fifth in the 2024 SEC Indoor 60m hurdles. During the indoor season, Sims established a career best of 6.97 in the 60m and 7.75 in the 60m hurdles. During the 2024 outdoor season, Sims set a career best of 13.73 in the 110m hurdles and qualified for the NCAA West First Round. In 2023, Sims qualified for the NCAA West meet in two events – 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles.
The goal of the career tour is to provide exposure for SEC student-athletes who are seeking career opportunities in various fields. The program allows student-athletes to connect with human resource recruiters and submit resumes for jobs and gain valuable knowledge of professional branding.
The group is scheduled to visit the headquarters and meet with executives at several corporations and organizations in the Atlanta area, including Mercedes Benz Stadium, Metro Atlanta Chamber, One Digital, Southern Company and Porsche North America.
The 31 student-athletes will begin the three-day event at the site of the SEC Championship Game where they will meet with Mercedes-Benz Stadium staff and take a tour of the facility. Also included on the agenda during the week is a visit with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and executive coaching by Randy Hain, founder and president of Servian Partners and co-founder of the Leadership Foundry.
2024 SEC Career Tour Participants
Drayden Bell (Alabama men’s swimming & diving)
Mela Delmenico (Alabama women’s swimming & diving)
Atalyia Rijo (Arkansas softball)
Brevin Sims (Arkansas men’s track & field)
Carson Bedics (Auburn men’s track & field/cross country)
Ariel Sharpe (Auburn women’s track & field)
Liz Harrison (Florida lacrosse)
Josh King (Florida men’s track & field)
Vanessa Deniz (Georgia ymnastics)
Brandt Pancer (Georgia baseball)
DaRoyce Flemons (Kentucky men’s track & field)
Alysia Johnson (Kentucky women’s track & field)
Jackson Rimes (LSU men’s track & field)
Gaby Rivera (LSU women’s tennis)
Jo-Lauren Keane (Ole Miss women’s cross country)
Ford Maberry (Ole Miss men’s track & field)
Karli Schmidt (Mississippi State volleyball)
Rebecca Walk (Mississippi State volleyball)
Addie Dobson (Missouri women’s golf)
Xavier Lovett (Missouri baseball)
Jaxon Dowell (Oklahoma men’s golf)
Dana Guzman (Oklahoma women’s tennis)
Junior Saint Juste (South Carolina men’s soccer)
Aaron Bell (Tennessee men’s track & field)
Camryn Sarvis (Tennessee softball)
Allyson Little (Texas women’s track & field/cross country)
Brendan McCourt (Texas men’s swimming & diving)
Cori Cansdale (Texas A&M equestrian)
Dallas Hankamer (Texas A&M men’s golf)
Dylan Ballard (Vanderbilt men’s cross country)
Sonya Macavei (Vanderbilt women’s tennis)
