Britton Wilson among four collegiate record holders on Bowerman watch list

NEW ORLEANS – The first update to the watch list for the 2023 women’s Bowerman includes four athletes who set a collegiate record in January, including Arkansas’ Britton Wilson.

During the same week the Bowerman preseason watch list was released in mid-January, Wilson produced the first collegiate record of the season with a 1:25.16 effort in the 600m at the Arkansas Invitational.

The performance by Wilson bettered the previous collegiate record of 1:25.80 set by Texas A&M’s Athing Mu in 2021. In addition to being the best collegian in the event, Wilson ranks No. 11 on the world all-time list and No. 7 on the U.S. all-time list.

Wilson finished second in the race to professional Shamier Little, who trains in Fayetteville as a volunteer assistant at Arkansas. Little won the race in 1:24.65, which places her No. 8 on the world all-time list and No. 5 on the U.S. all-time list.

“We were doing the 600 to have a little fun,” noted Arkansas women’s associate head coach Chris Johnson. “We didn’t even have the 600 national record in my purview. I never thought of it like that, we just wanted to have a really good run and move on.

“Obviously, they ran really well, going 25 flat through the first 200, which is pretty hot for a 600. Then 53 through 400, and Shamier finished in 31 with Britton at 32 low. It tells you the fitness they’re in and the shape they’re in at this juncture. So, it’s exciting to see what can happen.

“To set a collegiate record and for Shamier to run a lifetime best by four or five seconds, we’re off to a good start. It’s exciting and we want to continue to build off that, but not necessarily chase records. I’m not in the business of chasing records, we want to execute and be at our best when it matters most.”

During the Razorback Invitational, Wilson was entered in the 800m, but she was ill during the week did not race. Little, meanwhile, contested the 400m and finished second in 50.64, which is second fastest in the world for 2023 behind the winning time of 50.59 by Abby Steiner, the 2022 Bowerman winner. Little was just shy of her indoor career best of 50.57 from 2021.

The primary event for Wilson and Little during the outdoor season is the 400m hurdles and both raced in the World Athletics Championships final in 2022.

“They continue to press the envelope, and seeing each other while being competitors, if you will, it keeps both of them on their toes and keeps them sharp,” Johnson said of the training partners. “Shamier has been fantastic as a volunteer and a mentor to Britton. I think it’s jelling well, and things are coming together.

“In their event it’s tough, the 400m hurdles is one of the best premier events for the women in the world. So, if you’re not ready to run 52 low you might not even be in the conversation.”

Kentucky’s Masai Russell, who makes her Bowerman watch list debut this week, produced a collegiate record in the 60m hurdles on the weekend of January 20-21 with a 7.75 victory in Lubbock to better the 7.78 previous record shared by Clemson’s Brianna McNeal (2013) and Florida’s Grace Stark (2022).

On the same weekend, Julien Alfred of Texas improved her 60m collegiate record with a 7.02 victory in New Mexico to better the 7.04 she set in 2022.

The final weekend of January included a collegiate record in the mile for North Carolina State’s Katelyn Tuohy, who ran 4:24.26 to place third among a field of professionals at the Armory in New York City. Tuohy’s effort bettered the previous record of 4:25.91 set by Jenny Simpson of Colorado in 2009.

Joining that foursome on the February watch list for the Bowerman are Adelaide Aquilla (Ohio State), Talitha Diggs of Florida, Lamara Distin of Texas A&M, Jasmine Moore of Florida, Favour Ofili of LSU, and Jorinde van Klinken of Oregon.

At the recent Razorback Invitational, collegiate leading marks for the 2023 season were established by Diggs in the 400m (51.34), Distin in the high jump (6-2.75|1.90), and Ofili in the 200 (22.53). Moore’s long jump of 21-9.5 (6.64) currently ranks second in the nation.