John McDonnell Invitational next home meet for No. 4 Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE – No. 4 Arkansas hosts the John McDonnell Invitational on Friday, April 25, with 27 teams scheduled to compete.
Field events start the competition at 10:30 a.m. while running events begin at 2:45 p.m. Live streaming on SEC Network + begins at 2:45 p.m. Live results are available through flashresults.com at this link.
“For this home meet we will train through it for the most part,” stated Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson. “They’ll be ready to perform at a pretty good level just to kind of see some of the kids run back to back weeks. Some kids need the races.”
Teams competing include Allen CC, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Central Arkansas, Coffeyville CC, Crowder, Evangel, Harding, Indian Hills CC, Kansas City, Missouri Southern, Missouri State, North Texas, NorthWest Arkansas CC, Oklahoma Baptist, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts, Pittsburg State, Saint Vincent, Southern Nazarene, Southwest Baptist, Truett-McConnell, Tulsa, UT Tyler, and Wichita State.
In addition, a crew of Razorback distance runners will be competing at the Payton Jordan Invitational hosted by Stanford on Friday. Scheduled to race are Paityn Noe, Sydney Thorvaldson, Bradley Weimer, Mackenzie Rogers, and Olivia Pielemeier.
“We also have a crew going out to Payton Jordan and we’re looking for them to drop some good times in the 5,000m, steeplechase, and 1,500m. We’re looking forward to them really getting after it.”
A featured event at the John McDonnell Invitational will be a 300m hurdle race that includes Razorbacks Rachel Glenn and Saira Prince along with professionals Anna Cockrell and Andrenette Knight.
World Athletics has officially recognized the 300m hurdles as an official event for it to receive world best status this season. The women’s current all-time best is 36.86 by Femke Bol of the Netherlands. The men’s event will be held during the first Diamond League meet of 2025 on Saturday in China.
The 100m hurdles field includes alums Ackera Nugent, the 2024 world leader with a Jamaican national record of 12.24, and Destiny Huven along with Razorbacks Simone Ballard and Shania Myers.
Sanu Jallow-Lockhart competes in the 800m along with Madeleine Gear and alum Shafiqua Maloney.
In the final section of the 400m, Arkansas sprinters include Analisse Batista, Ashanti Denton, Amirah Sharpe, Joanne Reid, and Aaliyah Pyatt along with alums Paris Peoples and Maloney. Rosey Effiong races at 200m and is joined by Denton, Pyatt, and Reid in the final section.
A field of 25 in the pole vault will include five Razorbacks with Rachel Homoly, Hannah Estes, Addison Richey, Emily Cloutier, and Bailee Wooten. The long jump field includes Funminiyi Olajide and Myers while Sydney Billington and Glenn are scheduled to compete in the high jump.
