Razorbacks break school record in sprint medley relay
AUSTIN – Arkansas broke its school record in the sprint medley as they finished second in the race with a time of 3 minutes, 41.51 seconds at the 95th Texas Relays on Friday.
Racing with a relay order of Ashanti Denton (200m), Joanne Reid (200m), Rosey Effiong (400m), and Britton Wilson (800m), the Razorbacks became the fourth fastest school ever with the sixth-best performance on the all-time collegiate list. Wilson anchored the relay with a 2:04.50 split on the 800m leg.
The previous UA school record of 3:42.36 was set during a Texas Relays victory in 2015.
Texas won the race in a collegiate and meet record of 3:36.10, bettering the previous mark of 3:38.93 set by Texas A&M in 2022. Georgia (3:48.81) placed third in the race with Clemson (3:49.66) fourth.
In early relay prelims, Arkansas advanced in the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400. Racing at 9:30 a.m. in prelims of the sprint relay, the Razorbacks posted a time of 43.98 as runner-up in the final of five heats. The Arkansas foursome included Ackera Nugent, Reid, Ariane Linton, and Effiong.
The Razorbacks were runner-up to a meet record of 42.38 by Texas, who bettered the 42.42 they set in the prelims of last year’s Texas Relays.
In the 4 x 400, Arkansas won its heat in 3:31.46 with a crew of Aaliyah Pyatt, Denton, Nickisha Pryce (53.03), and Paris Peoples (52.64). Texas had the leading time of 3:31.20.
A pair of Razorbacks advanced to the final of the 100m hurdles, where prelim winds ranged from 3.4 to 6.6. Nugent and Madison Langley-Walker were first and second in the same prelim heat, posting times of 12.95 and 13.14w with a 3.9 wind.
Racing at the Stanford Invitational on Friday, Laura Taborda set a career best of 9:54.59 to place third in the 3,000m steeplechase and moved to No. 6 on the UA all-time list.
Heidi Nielson produced a career best of 16:05.37 for third place in the third section of the 5,000m while Claire McCune finished 10th with a career best of 16:13.84. Nelson bettered her previous outdoor best of 16:30.50 from 2022 as well as her recent indoor PR of 16:16.56 which placed her fourth at the 2023 SEC Indoor.
In early session 1,500m races, Carmie Prinsloo ran 4:24.28 while Katie McCune set a career best of 4:27.03. Nyah Hernandez set a career best in the 5,000m with a 16:27.31.
Competition in San Marcos, Texas, at the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Texas State, Lainey Quandt led a Razorback crew in the 800m as she won the section in 2:07.95, setting an outdoor career best.
Ainsley Erzen finished third with a 2:10.44 while Analisse Batista placed fourth in 2:13.03.
