Razorbacks well represented in 2023 World, U.S. rankings

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – World rankings for the 2023 season published by Track & Field News include seven current and former Razorbacks along with five athletes who train with Arkansas coaches earning a position among the top 10 selections.

In U.S. rankings by the magazine, Arkansas has 12 current and former Razorbacks as well as five athletes training with UA coaches among top 10 selections. Both world and U.S. rankings are derived from a combination of honors, win-loss records, and sequence of marks during the season.

2023 Razorbacks among the world rankings include Wayne Pinnock (No. 2, long jump), Carey McLeod (No. 4, triple jump), and Jaydon Hibbert (No. 4, triple jump) from the men’s program. Representing the women’s program are Britton Wilson (No. 6, 400m & No. 10, 400m hurdles), and Ackera Nugent (No. 9, 100m hurdles).

Pinnock and Hibbert finished the year as world leaders in the long jump and triple jump, respectively, with marks of 28-0.25 (8.54) and 58-7.5 (17.87). Pinnock claimed a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships after establishing the world-leading mark in the qualification round.

Meanwhile, Hibbert produced the world-leading triple jump mark in May with his SEC victory. Hibbert then produced the top mark overall at the World Championships with a 58-1 (17.70) in the qualifying round, but was unable to compete in the final due to an injury.

McLeod, who placed fourth at the World Championships, produced an indoor long jump mark of 27-6.75 (8.40) in winning the NCAA title on his last attempt. The performance ranked as sixth best overall among outdoor marks for the season.

The talented Wilson earned a world ranking in a pair of events as her 49.13 in the 400m was third fastest on the 2023 world list and a 53.23 in the 400m hurdles was fifth best for the year.

Nugent, who finished fifth in the 100m hurdle final the World Championships, produced the ninth fastest time on the year with a 12.43. Nugent’s wind-aided 12.25 to claim the NCAA title ranked as the third fastest all-conditions time for 2023.

Arkansas alums in the world rankings include pole vaulters Tina Šutej (No. 4) and Sandi Morris (No. 5). An indoor mark of 15-9.75 (4.82) by Šutej ranked fourth best on the year while a 15-9 (4.80) by Morris equaled the fifth best mark for the season. The Razorback pair finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in the World Championships.

Athletes who train with UA coaching staff include Shamier Little (No. 2, 400m hurdles & No. 10, 400m), Tara Davis-Woodhall (No. 3, long jump), Anna Cockrell (No. 6, 400m hurdles), Daliliah Muhammad (No. 9, 400m hurdles), and Jamal Britt (No. 10, 110m hurdles).

Little, the World Championships silver medalist in the 400m hurldes, joined Wilson in being world ranked in a pair of events. Little produced a season best of 52.80 in the hurdles, which was second best in the world, and 49.68 in the 400m, which was equal eighth best for 2023.

Davis-Woodall, a silver medalist at the World Championships, produced a season best long jump of 23-2.5 (7.07) that ranked third best in the world as well as wind-aided 23-4 (7.11) that was second best under all-conditions.

Cockrell, fifth at the World Championships, and Muhammad, a semifinalist at Worlds, generated times of 53.34 and 53.53 in the 400m hurdles as they were seventh and eighth on the world list for 2023. In the 110m hurdles, Britt’s time of 13.14 ranked 14th overall while a wind-aided 12.99 was sixth best under all-conditions.

Arkansas women’s 4 x 400m relay ranked fourth on the 2023 world list. The indoor world best of 3:21.75, set in mid-March by the Razorbacks to win the NCAA Indoor title, was only bettered at the World Championships in August by a trio of countries – Netherlands (3:20.72), Jamaica (3:20.88), and Great Britain (3:21.04).

A pair of Arkansas sprinters were part of Jamaica and Great Britain relays in Budapest, Hungary, as Nickisha Pryce ran third leg for Jamaica’s silver medal while Amber Anning supplied the second leg carry for the British bronze medal.

Arkansas alum Nikki Hiltz ranked No. 1 in the 1,500m among U.S. rankings while Krissy Gear ranked No. 2 in the 3,000m steeplechase. Britton Wilson ranked No. 2 in the 400m as well as No. 4 in the 400m hurdles. Sandi Morris ranked No. 2 in the pole vault while Taliyah Brooks ranked No. 3 in the heptathlon.

Razorback Rosey Effiong joined Wilson the 400m at No. 7, alum Logan Jolly joined Gear in the steeplechase at No. 8, and Razorback Amanda Fassold joined Morris in the pole vault at No. 10.

Razorback men among the U.S. rankings included Jarrion Lawson (No. 3, long jump), Erich Sullins (No. 7, hammer), and Chris Bailey (No. 8, 400m).

Arkansas newcomer Shawnti Jackson ranked in two events, No. 8 in the 100m and No. 10 in the 200m, as a high school senior. Jackson’s national high school record of 10.89 finished the year ranked equal No. 11 on the world list and equal No. 4 among American sprinters. Her 22.35 in the 200m ranked No. 12 among U.S. sprinters.

Athletes training with Arkansas coaches in the U.S. rankings included Little as No. 1 in the 400m hurdles and No. 3 in the 400m, Davis-Woodhall as No. 1 in the long jump, Cockrell and Muhammad No. 2 and No. 3 in the 400m hurdles, and Britt No. 5 in the 110m hurdles.