Arkansas wins NCAA title in distance medley relay with school record
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Arkansas closed out the first day of the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships in the Birmingham CrossPlex claiming a national title in the distance medley relay with a school record time of 10 minutes, 51.37 seconds while utilizing a line-up of Isabel Van Camp, Paris Peoples, Krissy Gear and Logan Jolly.
“That was beyond any one’s expectations,” stated Arkansas women’s head coach Lance Harter. “The idea that we had to change the line-up because of individual events for Shafiqua Maloney and Lauren Gregory in a tight schedule.
“It’s a tribute to our depth that we can come back with an entirely different line-up and actually run faster than the fastest time posted in the nation this season. It was great for those kids to get a chance to be part of a national championship and use that as momentum for the upcoming outdoor season.”
The Razorbacks totaled 18 points on the day from three finals and are currently in a tie for third place with Virginia Tech. Florida leads with 22 points while Ole Miss is second with 21 points with six of 17 events scored.
In addition to the distance medley relay victory, Lauren Gregory added five points by placing fourth in the 5,000m with a career best of 15:32.95. Three points were picked up in the pole vault as Elien Vekemans and Nastassja Campbell placed seventh and eighth, both clearing 13-11.75 (4.26).
Three different teams led the distance medley at the exchange points – Oregon State (1,200m), Oregon (400m), Kentucky (800m) – and then it was the Razorbacks turn on the anchor leg as Jolly passed Kentucky’s Tori Herman with a few laps remaining while holding off the challenge from Duck anchor Aneta Konieczek.
Splits for Arkansas include 3:22.76 for Van Camp over 1,200m, then 52.65 by Paris Peoples over 400m. Gear, who led off the previous school record, posted a 2:03.75 800m leg and Jolly finished it off with a 4:32.21 carry over the 1,600m leg.
“I knew if I was in first it was going to be fast, and if I wasn’t it was up to who ever was in the lead,” stated Jolly. “So, I was kind of happy just to follow the leader a little bit. Then I just let it kind of happen naturally.
“I got there, took a deep breath, and settled just a little. I got antsy and went around. I knew once you go around you can’t look back. So, when I noticed I put some distance on the field, I knew we were going to win this. At that point it was just finishing with speed. It was a great team effort.”
The Razorbacks bettered the facility record of 10:53.53 set in 2019 by Oregon and trimmed the UA school record from 10:51.63 set by a different foursome in January at the Razorback Invitational. The group racing in January included Gear, Britton Wilson, Maloney and Gregory.
“When Logan made her move it was so decisive and smooth,” noted Van Camp. “I could tell by the look on her face that we were going to win. I haven’t felt anything like that my entire life. It was amazing and I’m so humbled to be a part of this team of four ladies.”
Arkansas is the No. 3 school on the all-time collegiate list and now has the number 3-4-5 all-time performances. The Razorbacks are eighth on the world all-time list, and sixth on the U.S. all-time list. When combining with outdoor distance medley relays, Arkansas is ninth on the U.S. all-time list and seventh on the collegiate all-time list as the No. 5 school.
Stanford ended up placing second in 10:53.37 as anchor Julia Heymach supplied a 4:33.07 split. Oregon (10:55.52), Oregon State (10:58.76) and Kentucky (11:02.41) rounded out the top five places.
The Razorbacks were silver medalists in this event during the in 2021. Previous titles in this event were claimed in 2014 and 2015.
Arkansas also has the top seed in the 4×400 relay from the Razorbacks collegiate record during the SEC Indoor. No school has ever won both the distance medley and 4×400 at the same NCAA Indoor.
Qualifying in prelim races had a pair of Razorbacks advancing in two events. Saturday’s action will also include Gregory in the 3,000m and the 4×400 relay.
Britton Wilson won her heat of the 400m in 51.92, which was third fastest overall in the prelims. Texas A&M’s Charokee Young led the field with a 51.70 while Stacey Ann Williams of Texas followed in 51.89.
Shafiqua Maloney claimed the final spot in the 800m final with a 2:04.20, which placed her fourth in the first heat.
Jada Baylark placed sixth in the second heat with a 7.20, finishing 10th overall as the final time qualifier to the final was 7.18.
Jayla Hollis missed advancing to the 200m final by 0.01 of a second as her 23.33 placed ninth overall. Joanne Reid posted a time of 23.48 and placed 13th overall.
Rosey Effiong and Morgan Burks-Magee finished 13th and 15th in the 400m. Hollis placed 14th overall in the 60m hurdles while Daszay Freeman fell and did not finish.
