Britton Wilson garners national, SEC weekly honors

FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback junior earned a pair of weekly honors to match the pair of world-leading times she delivered over the weekend at Florida’s Tom Jones Memorial meet in Gainesville. USTFCCCA named Wilson the C0-National Athlete of the Week and she was also the SEC Runner of the Week.

Wilson claimed double wins in the 400m and 400m hurdles amid a talented field in each race. A 53.23 performance in the hurdles came first on Friday, the No. 3 collegiate mark all-time, while a 49.51 followed on Saturday, setting the collegiate outdoor record to go with her indoor collegiate record of 49.48.

Both efforts are the fastest by a collegian in the month of April. Wilson bettered the 49.71 set in the 400m by Courtney Okolo of Texas in 2016 along with a 53.60 set in in the 400m hurdles by Sydney McLaughlin of Kentucky in 2018.

“She had a fantastic weekend,” stated Arkansas associate head coach Chris Johnson. “She executed very well, and obviously there is more to go. I’m very, very proud of her in what she’s been able to accomplish thus far.

“We still have work to do, but to be a national athlete of the week, break a collegiate record, and have world-leading times in the 400m and 400m hurdles on the first real weekend in her open events is nothing short of phenomenal. So, let’s keep the ball rolling, but I’m very excited where she is at right now.”

Wilson had a strong challenger in the 400m in the form of Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas, who improved her Irish national record to 49.90 as the runner-up. It marked the first time a pair of collegians had run sub-50 seconds in the same race.

During the NCAA Indoor Championships, Wilson won in an American and collegiate record of 49.48 while Adeleke finished as the silver medalist, leading the first of two sections with a 50.45.

In the hurdle race at Florida, Wilson occupied lane 6 with professional Anna Hall in lane 5 while Kentucky’s Masai Russell was stationed in lane 7. Wilson’s 53.23 easily held off challenges by the pair as Hall finished runner-up in 54.48 with Russell third in 55.39.

“The Tom Jones meet had a phenomenal field, so thanks to Florida and the meet they put on,” said Johnson. “That hurdle field of Anna Hall and Masai Russell, those athletes are very talented. To be able to beat a field of that caliber is fantastic. It doesn’t stop there, we have to keep it going, and we’re very excited about where we’re headed.”

With the fastest 400m hurdle time ever run in the month of April, Wilson’s time in the 400m hurdles ranks No. 3 on the all-time collegiate list. Her career best in the event is 53.08 from a silver medal the 2022 USATF Championships last summer. In 2022, Wilson ran her season opening 400m hurdle race at the Texas Relays, setting a meet record of 54.37.

“The first half of her hurdle race was very smooth,” Johnson noted. “We have to clean up some things on the back half of the race. Even where she is at compared to last year at Texas Relays, she is a second faster this season.

“I think when the time is right and the conditions are good, we are ready to see something really fast.”

Wilson shared the National Athlete of the Week honor announced by USTFCCCA with Texas sprinter Julien Alfred, who posted a wind-aided collegiate all-time best of 10.72 in Florida and a wind-legal 21.91 in the 200.