Prefontaine Classic serves as host of Diamond League Final

EUGENE, Oregon – The Diamond League season concludes this weekend at Hayward Field as the Prefontaine Classic serves as the Diamond League Final on Saturday and Sunday.

Four Arkansas alums and five athletes with ties to the Arkansas program have qualified to compete in the Diamond League Final. The prize money for each event is $30,000 for an individual winner, followed by $12,000 for the runner-up, with additional places receiving $7,000, $4,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000.

Coverage of the meet in the United States will be on Peacock as well as NBC (2 p.m. CT Saturday, 3 p.m. CT Sunday) and CNBC (2 p.m. CT Sunday).

Arkansas alums in the meet include Sandi Morris and Tina Šutej, who will both pole vault on Saturday. The progression in the vault starts at 14-5.5 (4.41) and moves to 14-11.5 (4.56), 15-5.5 (4.71), 15-9.25 (4.81), 16-1.25 (4.91).

The world lead in 2023 of 16-0.75 (4.90) is shared by Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy, who also shared the gold medal from the recent World Championships in Budapest.

This season Šutej has won five competitions among 12 meets during the outdoor season. She placed fourth at the World Championships with an outdoor national record of 15-9 (4.80). Morris has claimed a pair of victories this outdoor season among eight meets. She recently won at the Zurich Diamond League with a season best of 15-9 (4.80).

Sunday’s competition includes Razorback alums Jarrion Lawson and LaQuan Nairn in a long jump field of seven.

Nairn has produced three victories among nine meets, including a Diamond League win in Lausanne. Lawson registered a victory in Luzern this summer amid seven competitions. Recently, Lawson finished third in the Zurich Diamond League meet.

The long jump world lead in 2023 is a mark of 28-0.25 (8.54) set by Razorback Wayne Pinnock in the qualifying round at the World Championships. Arkansas freshman Jaydon Hibbert also holds the 2023 world lead in the triple jump, dating back to May with his leap of 58-7.5 (17.87) to win the SEC title and break the World U20 and U.S. collegiate records.

Arkansas volunteer assistant Shamier Little, coached by Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson, contests the 400m hurdles. She will be joined by a pair of athletes – Anna Cockrell and Gianna Woodruff – who train with Razorback women’s assistant coach Boogie Johnson.

Little qualified for both the 400m and 400m hurdles at the Diamond League Final, but the schedule has the two events separated by only 33 minutes on Sunday. So, Little opted for the 400m hurdles.

This will be the 11th hurdle race of the season for Little, who won the USATF title and was a silver medalist at the World Championships. Her season best of 52.80 ranks second in the world for 2023 behind a 51.45 by Femke Bol of the Netherlands.

Cockrell generated a career best of 53.34 in placing fifth in the World Championship final while Woodruff posted a season best of 54.46 finishing third in the Oslo Diamond League.

Another athlete training with Boogie Johnson is Jamal Britt, who is racing in the 110m hurdles from lane nine. Britt has clocked a season best of 13.14 twice this season along with a wind-aided 12.99.

Ryan Crouser, who trains in Fayetteville, returns to a familiar venue as the Oregon native headlines a field of six in the shot put. The world record holder has won four of the past five titles at the Prefontaine Classic.

Undefeated in nine meets this season, Crouser improved his world record to 77-3.75 (23.56) in May. Recently, he defended his World Championship title with a meet record of 77-1.75 (23.51).

SCHEDULE | Saturday

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SCHEDULE | Sunday

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