No. 3 Razorbacks among contenders for SEC Outdoor title

LEXINGTON – No. 3 Arkansas enters the 2025 SEC Outdoor Championships eager to claim another conference title after finishing runner-up a year ago. The Razorbacks have won seven of the past 10 SEC Outdoor Championships held and were runner-up twice among that stretch of meets.

Kentucky will serve as host for this year’s conference meet, which begins Thursday, May 15, and concludes on Saturday, May 17. Coverage of the meet is available on the SEC Network + while the finals on Saturday will air on SEC Network. Live results are available here.

In the top 25 national rankings teams within the SEC are led by No. 1 Georgia and followed by No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Texas A&M, No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 Florida, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 13 Texas, No. 19 LSU, No. 23 Alabama, No. 24 Auburn, and No. 25 Tennessee.

In conference rankings, which account for team depth, it’s Texas A&M leading the SEC ahead of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and LSU.

“We’re not 100 percent healthy, but we make no excuses going into the SEC Championships,” said Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson. “We’re going to go out there to compete and vie for a SEC title.

“I think Georgia, on paper, is really good. They have a well-rounded team and have done a fantastic job with those young ladies. Texas A&M is trending well and you can never count out Florida. Oklahoma looks really good on paper as well.”

A powerhouse in the 400m, Arkansas displayed its dominance in 2024 with a 1-2-3-5 SEC Outdoor finish for 28 points before completing a NCAA super sweep with a 1-2-3-4 finish. The Razorbacks have claimed the past three SEC Outdoor 400m titles with Britton Wilson (2022, 2023) and Nickisha Pryce (2024).

Arkansas has totaled nine wins in the SEC Outdoor 400m since 2012 with the following Razorbacks – Regina George (2012, 2013), Taylor Ellis-Watson (2015, 2016), Daina Harper (2017), and Kethlin Campbell (2019) – in addition to Wilson and Pryce.

Returning in the 400m this season are 2024 silver medalist Kaylyn Brown and fifth-place finisher Rosey Effiong, who rank third and seventh this season nationally with times of 50.35 and 50.66, respectively.

Depth in the event for Arkansas includes Sanaria Butler (51.62), Joanne Reid (51.71), Arianna Sharpe (51.91), Aaliyah Pyatt (52.02), Amirah Sharpe (52.20), and Ashanti Denton (52.38). That accounts for eight Razorbacks among the top 20 in the SEC this season.

In event rankings this outdoor season, which calculate a four-person average in an event, Arkansas leads the 400m with an average of 51.08 over Georgia (51.57), Tennessee (51.80), South Carolina (52.21), and Duke (52.37).

A second group of Razorbacks in the 400m produce an average of 52.13, which ranks fourth nationally.

Other returning medalists from 2024 for Arkansas include Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (800m silver), Paityn Noe (10,000m silver & 5,000m bronze), and Rachel Glenn (high jump silver).

Glenn ranks second in the nation in the 400m hurdles with a 53.48 and is equal third in the high jump with a 6-2.25 (1.89) clearance. Glenn claimed the 2025 SEC Indoor title with a 6-6 (1.98) height to defeat Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko, who won the 2024 NCAA Outdoor title as well as the 2025 NCAA Indoor title.

Joining Glenn in the 400m hurdles is Saira Prince, who ranks fourth in the SEC this season with a 55.49. Sydney Billington is equal seventh in the SEC high jump this year with a 5-10 (1.78) mark.

Noe was the high point scorer during the SEC Indoor meet this season with 16 points off a 5,000m victory and third place in the 3,000m. She ranks fourth in the nation in the 10,000m this season with a 31:59.22 and leads the SEC. At 5,000m, Noe ranks second in the SEC.

Sydney Thorvaldson, who finished fourth in the 5,000m a year ago, ranks third in the SEC in the 5,000m this season and is fifth in the 10,000m. Bradley Weimer ranks eighth in the 10,000m.

Jallow-Lockhart ranks second in the conference this season with a 2:01.50 and leads a talented crew of Razorbacks in the event.

Depth in the 800m this season has included Anna Podojil (2:05.10), Ainsley Erzen (2:05.19), and Analisse Batista (2:05.47). Combined with Jallow-Lockhart they broke the collegiate record in the 4 x 800m at the Texas Relays this season with a time of 8:16.12.

Olivia Pielemeier and Erzen rank 15th and 16th in the conference at 1,500m this season. Pielemeier is also 15th in the 5,000m. Mackenzie Rogers, who placed seventh in the 3,000m steeplechase a year ago, ranks 11th this season heading into the conference meet.

In the 100m hurdles, Simone Ballard is equal 11th in the league while Shanie Myers ranks 14th. Rachel Homoly is the top Razorback in the pole vault, equal eighth, while Hannah Estes ranks 10th. In the long jump, Funminiyi Olajide ranks 13th heading into the meet.