Women’s Track Set to Compete at USATF Outdoor Championships

EUGENE, Ore. – Eight student-athletes from the University of Arkansas women’s track and field program will take part in this weekend’s USATF Junior and Senior Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field.

The country’s best athletes look to earn a spot on the national team, secured by a top three finish and achieving the IAAF qualifying standard. Entry to the international team championship circuit includes the Pan Am Games from July 20-26 in Toronto, Canada, NACAC Championships from August 7-9 in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the World Championships in Beijing, China from August 22-29.

USATF will also select the top two finishers in each individual event to represent the country at the 2015 Pan Am Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada held July 31 – August 2.

Arkansas senior Chrishuna Williams kicks off the meet for the Razorbacks on Thursday in the first round of the 800 meter run. Williams broke the program record this year with 2:01.61 performance at the Payton Jordan Invitational. Taylor Ellis-Watson joins Williams on the track as one of the four best collegiate qualifiers at 400 meters.

Sandi Morris enters with the nation’s third-best performance in the pole vault. The Bowerman semifinalist has cleared 15 feet eight times this year, earning her a national title and NCAA record.

100-meter hurdle duo Taliyah Brooks and Alex Gochenour compete Friday in the event’s preliminary round. Gochenour also qualified in the heptathlon and has a career best of 6,027 points.

Two-time All-American freshman Desiree Freier leads the Razorback charge into the USATF Junior competition. Freier, who finished fourth at the national meet, is the top qualifier in the pole vault

Arkansas native Kelsey Herman will compete on Friday in the first of two rounds of the 100-meter hurdles. Sydney Brown takes on a field of 28 in the 3,000 meters on Sunday.

For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.