Isabella Whittaker named SEC Runner of the Week

FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback senior Isabella Whittaker earn the women’s SEC Runner of the Week accolade following an impressive 400m victory at the Razorback Invitational along with a pair of stellar relay legs in the 4 x 400m and distance medley.

Whittaker set an indoor career best of 51.29 to win the 400m over a pair of Arkansas alums in Amber Anning (51.31) and Rosey Effiong (51.67) as the trio produced the world’s second, third, and fourth fastest times in 2025.

In improving her previous indoor best of 51.69, Whittaker moved to No. 7 on the UA all-time list with her 51.29.

On Friday evening of the Razorback Invitational, Whittaker supplied the Razorback distance medley a 50.40 split on the 400m leg. It’s the fastest split recorded on that leg of the relay, topping the previous best of 51.68 by Oregon’s Hannah Waller (2018). The previous best by an Arkansas sprinter was 51.90 by Morgan Burks-Magee in 2019.

Arkansas finished fourth in the distance medley relay in 10:55.09, which ranks No. 7 on the UA all-time list.

Capping the meet on Saturday, Whittaker ran second leg of the winning 4 x 400m relay as Arkansas delivered a collegiate-leading 3:27.47 that currently ranks No. 2 in the world for 2025 and No. 7 on the UA all-time list. Georgia finished second in a school record of 3:27.95, the third fastest time in the world this season.

Whittaker split 50.45 on the second leg of the 4 x 400m relay, which ranks as the second fastest collegian ever behind a 50.21 by Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler and No. 5 in the world all-time.

Butler ran first leg of the relay for Georgia and split 51.43, the fastest ever by a collegian on that leg of the indoor 4 x 400, bettering the previous best of 51.47 set by Razorback Amber Anning in 2023.

Whittaker bettered the field by two seconds on her second leg carry and moved Arkansas into the lead.