Razorbacks split crew for Tyson Invitational and Husky Classic

FAYETTEVILLE – Action this weekend for the Razorbacks includes hosting the annual Tyson Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center on Friday and Saturday while members of the distance crew travel to Seattle for the Husky Classic.

In addition to the No. 2 Razorbacks, the Tyson Invitational will include No. 3 Florida, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 18 Nebraska, No. 22 Oklahoma State, and No. 25 South Dakota.

Among the rest of the 32 teams competing are: Arizona, Arizona State, Barton County CC, Butler CC, Campbell, Colorado, Houston, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Little Rock, Missouri Southern, MIT, Northwestern State, Oklahoma Christian, Rutgers, Southern Nazarene, SFA, TAMU-Commerce, TAMU-Texarkana, Texas State, Toronto, UT-Rio Grande Valley, and Youngstown State.

“Tyson Invitational will be exciting since we didn’t run all of our sprint cadre in New Mexico,” noted Arkansas women’s head coach Lance Harter. “The ones who did ran very fast and a lot of them established life-time bests.

“This will be the week where Britton Wilson runs the 400m for the first time. So, we’re really starting to put our aces, so to speak, in their primary event. We look forward to some great marks coming out of Tyson.”

Wilson races in the final section of the 400m along with teammates Paris Peoples and Rosey Effiong. The next to last section of the event includes another trio of Razorbacks with Amber Anning, Nickisha Pryce, and Aaliyah Pyatt.

Coverage of the Tyson Invitational will be on SEC Network + beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

In Seattle, the Husky Classic will be available on Runnerspace.com, which requires a subscription.

The Razorbacks will race at distances covering the mile, 3,000m and 5,000m on the oversized track at the University of Washington.

A primary race at 3,000m includes Lauren Gregory in the final section racing among a field that includes the Oklahoma State duo of Taylor Roe and Natalie Cook, Iowa State’s Cailie Logue, Colorado’s Ella Baran, Kentucky’s Tori Herman, and Oregon State’s Kaylee Mitchell.

“The meet in Seattle, traditionally, is where our distance crew really defines their ability at the SEC level as well as the national level,” stated Harter. “The races are going to be set up to give some of our kids who are developing a competitive race as well as our leader like Lauren Gregory a chance to establish a national time in the 3,000m.

“Lauren already has national times in the 5,000m, mile and distance medley relay. So, this gives her an opportunity to have multiple options at the national championships.”

Sprints in the Tyson Invitational will include Arkansas alums Jada Baylark and Taliyah Brooks. The open field in the 60m features Jamaican Tina Clayton, a two-time World U20 champion in the 100m.

Wilson is one of four individuals on the 2023 Bowerman watch who are competing at the Tyson Invitational. The group also includes Florida’s tandem of Talitha Diggs and Jasmine Moore along with LSU’s Favour Ofili.

An Invitational pole vault on Friday includes a pair of Razorbacks in Kaitlyn Banas and Grace Ridgeway while collegiate leader Amanda Fassold takes a week off from competition.

The Invitational long jump on Friday features Tara Davis, a two-time NCAA champion in 2021, against the Florida combo of Moore and Claire Bryant,

Saturday’s races include a pair of scintillating sections in the 200m. The final section has Razorback Joanne Reid facing a field that includes Diggs of Florida, Ofili of LSU, and McKenzie Long of Ole Miss.

The previous 200m section has Effiong racing against alum Baylark along with Leah Phillips of LSU and Florida’s Kynnedy Flannel.

In the 800m, Arkansas alum Shafiqua Maloney races in the same section as Peoples, Ainsley Erzen, and Lainey Quandt.

Sydney Billington faces another challenging high jump field, which will include alum Brooks.

The Razorback Invitational held in January rated as the highest ranked meet in competition score in the United States for the month and is currently second overall among U.S. meets behind the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix held in Boston on the first weekend of February.

Overall rankings of meets held in the world so far this year have the Razorback Invitational ranked fifth.

World Athletics | 2023 Competition Rankings