Jallow-Lockhart breaks 800m meet record at McDonnell Invite

FAYETTEVILLE – A meet record by Sanu Jallow-Lockhart in the 800m highlighted the Razorbacks performance at the John McDonnell Invitational on Friday.

Jallow-Lockhart won the race in 2:01.50 to better the meet record of 2:03.20 set by Shafiqua Maloney in 2023 and was just shy of the facility record of 2:00.80 set Michigan’s Geena Gall during the 2009 NCAA Championships.

Maloney, who split 58.55 at 400m, paced Jallow-Lockhart through 600m. Then Jallow-Lockhart, who split 58.69 at 400m, continued at a brisk pace to win by nearly six full seconds over alum Tiana LoStracco (2:07.43).

Another pair of Razorbacks setting career best times in the race included Lanie Meeks (2:09.74) and Madeleine Gear (2:10.05).

Earlier in the meet Maloney won the 400m in 51.18 over another Arkansas alum Paris Peoples (51.36). Aaliyah Pyatt was the top Razorback finisher with a 52.11 for third. Additional Razorbacks in the race included Amirah Sharpe (52.20 PR), Joanne Reid (52.83), Ashanti Denton (53.01 PR), and Arianna Sharpe (53.19 PR).

In the 200m, Rosey Effiong won the final section in 22.99 (0.6 wind) and placed second overall to a 22.87 (0.1) by Jamaican professional Stacey Ann Williams, who won another section.

Finishing behind Effiong were professional Alexis Holmes (23.09) as well as a crew of Razorbacks that included Pyatt (23.44), Reid (23.59), and Sanaria Butler (23.69).

Arkansas alum Ackera Nugent registered a meet record in the 100m hurdles as she posted a winning time of 12.67 (0.9 wind) over alum Destiny Huven (13.00) and Razorback Simone Ballard (13.33). The 12.67 is the fifth fastest time in the world for 2025 and the top time by a Jamaican.

The previous meet record of 12.83 was set by Razorback Payton Stumbaugh in 2016.

Ruby Little finished off the meet with a victory in the 5,000m as she clocked 17:07.18 to finish ahead of Tabitha Fox of Missouri State (17:11.46) and Oklahoma State’s Colleen Stegmann (17:14.86).

Saira Prince competed in the 300m hurdles and placed third behind a pair of professionals with a time of 39.63. The previous top collegiate time recognized by USTFCCCA is 43.36 by Akron’s Jaclyn Siefring in 2018.

Professional Anna Cockrell won the race in 38.07, the second best time ever behind a 36.86 by Femke Bol of the Netherlands in 2022. Cockrell’s time tops the previous American best of 38.90 set by Sydney McLaughlin at Arcadia as a high school hurdler in 2017. Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight placed second in 38.65.

Arkansas alum Nia Robinson won the long jump with a mark of 21-1.25 (6.43) while Razorback Funminiyi Olajide was the runner-up at 20-4.25 (6.20). Sydney Billington and Heidi Hudson tied for third in the high jump as each cleared 5-7 (1.70).

Rachel Homoly led the Arkansas crew in the pole vault, placing fourth with a clearance of 13-7.75 (4.26). Hannah Estes matched that height in placing sixth. Bailee Wooten and Addison Richey finished eighth and ninth as they both made 12-8 (3.86).

Camryn Kirkland placed seventh in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 11:35.58.