Noe collects 10k silver, Glenn sets world lead in 400m hurdles

GAINESVILLE – Arkansas produced a world-leading time in the 400m hurdle prelims by Rachel Glenn and freshman Paityn Noe capped the first day of the SEC Championships with a silver medal in the 10,000m.

Noe made a strong move in the latter half of the 10,000m race and was rewarded with a runner-up finish as she posted a time of 33:57.35 behind the 33:47.19 for winner Hilda Olemomoi of Alabama. In third place was Emily Covert of Tennessee in 34:03.03.

Razorback Sydney Thorvaldson, who won this race in Baton Rouge last year, finished eighth in 34:29.32 as Arkansas score nine points in its lone final on Thursday.

After posting a 400m hurdle time of 54.91 a few weeks ago on this same track, Glenn nearly lowered her career best by a full second with a sterling time of 54.02. That time takes over the world lead for 2024 and ranks Glenn the No. 7 performer on the collegiate all-time list and No. 2 on the UA all-time list behind Britton Wilson’s 53.08 from 2022.

The next best time from the 400m hurdle prelim was 55.82 by Gabrielle Matthews of Ole Miss, who was in the same heat at Glenn.

Qualifying on the first day of the SEC Championships had four Razorbacks advancing in three events for four finalists in Saturday events. In addition to Glenn the group included Sanu Jallow in the 800m as well as Amber Anning and Nickisha Pryce in the 200m.

Jallow advanced to the 800m final as runner-up in the third heat with a time of 2:05.53 to finish behind LSU’s Lorena Rangel Batres (2:04.97). Another pair of Razorbacks raced in the second heat with Analisse Batista (2:07.71) and Ainsley Erzen (2:08.55) placing third and fourth. They were 11th and 15th overall.

Anning posted an outdoor best of 22.66 as runner-up in the first prelim heat of the 200m into a -0.5 wind. Anning moves to No. 4 on the UA all-time list and No. 14 on the British all-time list. A 22.60 indoors by Anning became the British record.

In the third heat of the 200m prelim, Pryce finished second in a career best 22.75, moving to No. 5 on the UA all-time list while Rosey Effiong placed fourth in 22.90. The fifth heat had Ariane Linton setting a career best of 23.06, which ranks No. 11 on the UA all-time list.

Sara Van Aken is currently in ninth place with 3,067 points after the first day of the heptathlon.