Whittaker named Indoor National Track Athlete of the Year
FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback sprinter Isabella Whittaker’s stellar display in winning the NCAA Indoor 400m title with an American and collegiate record earned her the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor National Track Athlete of the Year honor as announced by USTFCCCA on Monday.
Whittaker raced in the first section of the NCAA 400m final at the Virginia Beach Sports Center and blasted a world-leading time of 49.24 seconds to collect her first individual NCAA title as Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler, the world-leader at 49.78 entering the meet, managed a 49.97 in the second section to finish second overall.
The incredible time by Whittaker ranks No. 2 on the world all-time list with an equal No. 2 performance, trailing only a 49.17 set in 2024 by Femke Bol of the Netherlands. Whittaker bettered the American and collegiate record of 49.48 set by Razorback Britton Wilson in 2023 at the NCAA Indoor held at altitude in Alburquerque, New Mexico.
Even after the World Indoor Championships held this past weekend in China, Whittaker remained the world leader for 2025 as Arkansas alum Amber Anning claimed 400m gold in 50.60 seconds.
Whittaker and Butler were the only sprinters to produce sub-50 second times this indoor season. Overall, Whittaker generated four of the top 20 performances this season as she improved her previous indoor best of 51.69 she came into the season with as a graduate transfer from the University of Penn.
2025 World Indoor List | 400m
| 49.24 | Isabella Whittaker (US | Ar) | NCAA Indoor |
| 49.78 | Aaliyah Butler (US | Ga) | SEC Indoor |
| 49.90 | … Whittaker | SEC Indoor |
| 49.97 | … Butler | NCAA Indoor |
| 50.38 | Lieke Klaver (Ned) | Euro Indoor |
| 50.44 | Henriette Jaeger (Nor) | Torun, Poland |
| 50.45 | … Jaeger | Euro Indoor |
| 50.51 | Alexis Holmes (US) | USATF Indoor |
| 50.57 | Amber Anning (GB) | Tyson, Fayetteville |
| 50.59 | … Butler | SEC Indoor prelim |
| 50.60 | … Anning | World Indoor |
| 50.63 | … Holmes | World Indoor |
| 50.70 | Kaylyn Brown (US | Ar) | SEC Indoor |
| 50.76 | … Klaver | Lievin, France |
| 50.79 | … Anning | World Indoor prelim |
| 50.85 | … Butler | Clemson, SC |
| 50.86 | … Whittaker | SEC Indoor prelim |
| 50.87 | … Whittaker | Tyson, Fayetteville |
| 50.88 | Rachel Joseph (US | IaSt) | Big 12 Indoor |
| 50.90 | Dejanea Oakley (Jam | Ga) | SEC Indoor |
Putting an exclamation point on her NCAA Indoor exploits, Whittaker anchored Arkansas to a winning time of 3:25.20 with a 49.70 split. Both marks rank fifth on the all-time world list, respectively.
The overall relay time ranks third collegiately behind the collegiate record of 3:21.75 set by Arkansas in 2023 as well as the previous collegiate record of 3:24.09 set by the Razorbacks in 2022. Whittaker’s split ranks fourth all-time among collegians.
During the indoor season, with Whittaker supplying second leg carries on the 4 x 400m and a distance medley relay, she delivered splits of 50.37, 50.40 (DMR), and 50.45. Those times rank fourth, sixth, and seventh all-time among world second leg splits and second, third, and fourth among collegian performances all-time on the second leg of a relay.
For the 2025 indoor season, Whittaker produced four of the top 12 relay splits. Only two other sprinters, Butler and Bol, registered two splits among the top 12 this season.
2025 World Indoor 400m Splits
| 49.47 | Aaliyah Butler (US | Ga) | NCAA Indoor |
| 49.70 | Isabella Whittaker (US | Ar) | NCAA Indoor |
| 49.80 | Amandine Brossier (Fra) | Euro Indoor |
| 49.82 | Lurdes Gloria Manuel (Cze) | Euro Indoor |
| 49.85 | JaMessia Ford (US | SC) | SEC Indoor |
| 49.87 | … Butler | SEC Indoor |
| 50.02 | Sharlene Mawdsley (Ire) | Euro Indoor (mixed) |
| 50.36 | Femke Bol (Nth) | Euro Indoor (mixed) |
| 50.37 | … Whittaker | Tyson Inv. (2nd leg) |
| 50.40 | … Whittaker | Razorback Inv. (2nd leg DMR) |
| 50.42 | … Bol | Euro Indoor |
| 50.45 | … Whittaker | Razorback Inv. (2nd leg) |
| 50.56 | Amber Anning (GB) | Euro Indoor |
