Pair of All-America performances on NCAA Indoor first day
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Arkansas scored three points from two finals they were involved in during the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Center with Nia Robinson and Paityn Noe earning frist-team All-America honors.
Robinson picked up two points in the long jump, placing seventh. Noe earned a point in the 5,000m with an eighth-place finish.
Through six women’s finals held on Friday, Illinois tops team scoring with 21 points. They are followed by Oklahoma and Washington with 19 points apiece with BYU fourth with 18 points.
In qualifying events for Saturday finals, Isabella Whittaker advanced in the 400m with a time of 51.61.
Robinson had a mark of 21-2 (6.45) in placing seventh in the long jump while teammate Funminiyi Olajide placed 11 with a distance of 20-9 (6.32). Baylor’s Alexis Brown won the event with a distance of 22-7.75 (6.90).
Noe produced a time of 15:11.89 in placing eighth in the 5,000m final. It’s the second fastest time in UA history behind the school record of 15:11.27 that Noe set in winning the SEC title.
Alabama’s Doris Lemngole won the 5,000m in 15:05.93 over BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry (15:06.17) and New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei (15:07.57).
Whittaker was one of three sprinters to post a time of 51.61 in the 400m prelims. Auburn’s Vimbayi Maisvorewa led the field with a 51.51 in the first section. In section two, LSU’s Ella Onojuvwevwo won in 51.61 (51.608) while Georgia’s Dejanea Oakley claimed section three in 51.85 over Razorback Kaylyn Brown (52.06).
The final section featured Whittaker and Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler, the current world leader in 2025. They both produced 51.61 times with Butler holding a slight edge, 51.604 to 51.607. The top eight times advanced to the final with 51.86 serving as the last qualifying time.
In the 800m prelims, with the top three advancing along with the next two fastest times, neither Sanu Jallow-Lockhart or Analisse Batista reached the final as well as defending champion Juliette Whittaker of Stanford (2:02.35).
Jallow-Lockhart finished fifth in the first prelim heat with a 2:02.57 to place 11th overall while Batista placed seventh in the second heat in 2:03.03 to finish 14th overall. A time of 2:02.14 was the final time qualifier for the final.
Anya Jackson contested the 200m prelims and posted a time of 23.23 to place third in her section and 12th overall. TCU’s Indya Mayberry led the field with a 22.50 over a 22.50 for defending champion JaMeesia Ford of South Carolina. The final qualifier to the final was 22.96.
Saturday’s events for the Razorbacks include Rachel Glen and Sydney Billington in the high jump final as well as Robinson competing in the triple jump. On the track, Whiitaker races in the 400m final while Noe races in the 3,000m. Arkansas caps the meet with it’s 4 x 400m relay.
