Mixture of talent joins Razorback roster for 2023-24 season

FAYETTEVILLE – A mixture of talent will join the Razorback roster for the 2023-24 season from five additions to the program. The group includes prep sprinter Kaylyn Brown along with four transfers in high jumper Rachel Glenn, hurdler Destiny Huven, Jamaican jumper Nia Robinson, and heptathlete Sara Van Aken.

Brown, who competed at Mallard Creek HS in Charlotte, North Carolina, set a career best of 53.11 in claiming a 400m bronze medal at the 2022 USATF U20 Championships. She went on to earn a gold medal in the mixed 4 x 400m relay at the 2022 World U20 Championships. Brown ran in the prelims, supplying a 53.19 anchor split as Team USA set a then meet record of 3:18.65.

Glenn, a transfer from South Carolina, set a career best of 6-4 (1.93) in winning the 2021 NCAA Outdoor high jump title as a freshman, becoming the first freshman to accomplish since Destinee Hooker of Texas in 2006. In NCAA competition Glenn has added a silver and pair of bronze medals. Within the SEC, Glenn’s high jump medal collection includes a gold and two silvers.

A transfer from Wisconsin, Huven set school records of 12.82 in the 100m hurdles and 8.05 in the 60m hurdles with the Badgers. She finished sixth in 100m hurdles at 2022 NCAA Championships, posting a 12.92 in the final after a 12.82 career best in the semifinal. Huven won a Big 10 100m hurdle title in 2021 with a windy 13.02 after a wind-legal 13.03 in prelims.

Robinson, from Lucea, Jamaica, previously competed at Barton CC and South Florida prior to joining the Razorbacks. Proficient in three jumping events, Robinson has established career best marks of 5-11.5 (1.82), 21-11.5 (6.69), and 41-10.75 (12.77). She recently finished fifth in the long jump at the Jamaica Championships.

Van Aken, who transferred from Ole Miss, has placed fifth in the SEC heptathlon the past two seasons. She also placed eighth in the high jump at the 2023 SEC Outdoor meet. Career best marks include 5,456 (heptathlon), 3,850 (pentathlon), 19-5.25 (5.92) in the long jump and 5-9.75 (1.77) in the high jump.

At the 2022 North Carolina 4A State meet, Brown earned silver medals in the 200m and 400m as well as a bronze medal in the 100m. She also ran on bronze medal 4 x 400m relay in the State meet after claiming a silver medal in the relay during the indoor State meet. Career best marks for Brown include: 53.11 (400), 23.77 (200), and 11.55 (100).

Glenn is from Long Beach, California, where she competed at Wilson HS. In addition to the high jump, Glenn sports a career best of 56.43 in the 400m hurdles and has 4 x 400m relay experience.

In 2022, Glenn was a silver medalist in the high jump at the SEC Outdoor meet and placed sixth in the 400m hurdles. Indoors, Glenn was a silver medalist in high jump at SEC meet and bronze medalist at NCAA Championships. In addition, she split 53.69 on second leg of the fifth place 4 x 400 relay at NCAA meet and split 53.16 on third leg of the fourth place relay in SEC meet.

Huven is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended Nicolet HS, where she claimed a pair of Wisconsin state titles in the 100m hurdles. In 2023, Huven was a Big 10 silver medalist in the 100m hurdles and finished sixth in the 60m hurdles.

She set a career best of 8.05 in 60m hurdles prelims in the Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque. Then Huven returned to that venue for the NCAA Indoor meet, placing 14th in prelims. She collected a bronze medal in 100m hurdles at the 2022 Big 10 meet, with a windy 13.09 after a wind-aided 13.02 in prelims. She also earned a silver medal in 60m hurdles at the 2021 Big 10 Indoor.

Robinson won the 2023 American Athletic Conference long jump with a career best leap of 21-11.5 (6.69) while also finishing fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump. During this past season she placed second in the long jump at the Penn Relays (21-1.5|6.44) as well as the Florida Relays (21-0.5|6.41). Robinson claimed a long jump silver medal at the 2023 AAC Indoor meet.

In collecting nine NJCAA medals among three events while at Barton, Robinson’s total included one gold medal (long jump), six silver medals (high jump [3], long jump [2], and triple jump [1]), and a pair of bronze medals with one each in the long jump and triple jump.

Van Aken is from Shortsville, New York, where she earned 12 varsity letters at Red Jacket HS. She was the basketball team captain for two seasons and scored 1,177 points in her basketball career. Van Aken set her career best score in the heptathlon at the 2023 SEC Outdoor meet while her pentathlon best placed her ninth at the 2022 SEC Indoor.