Arkansas alum defends 1,500-meter run title
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Arkansas alums and athletes training in Fayetteville had a successful weekend at the USATF Indoor Championships as berths to the World Athletics Indoor Championships were on the line.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Arkansas alums and athletes training in Fayetteville had a successful weekend at the USATF Indoor Championships as berths to the World Athletics Indoor Championships were on the line.
Wins were attained by Arkansas alum Nikki Hiltz in the 1,500-meter run as well as three athletes who train in Fayetteville — Ryan Crouser (shot put), Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump) and Alexis Holmes (400-meter dash). Meanwhile, in the British Indoor Championships which took place last weekend, Cindy Sember claimed her third title in the 60-meter hurdles.
Four Razorback alums also finished among the top five in USATF Indoor finals with Sandi Morris runner-up in the pole vault, Chris Bailey third in the 400-meter dash, Jarrion Lawson third in the long jump and Kiara Parker fifth in the 60-meter dash.
The top two finishers with the qualifying standard will advance to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, on the weekend of March 1-3.
Hiltz claimed gold in the 1,500-meter run with a winning time of 4:08.35 over the challenge from Emily Mackay (4:08.7). In fourth place through the first 700 meters of the race, Hiltz moved into second place behind Gabrielle Jennings over the next pair of laps.
Then Hiltz took over the lead and cruised to the finish with laps of 31.93 seconds and 28.68 seconds to secure the victory. Mackay followed with laps of 32.05 seconds and 28.78 seconds.
Crouser opened his 2024 season with a world-leading mark of 74-9.75 that bettered the meet and facility record of 74-1.75 that Crouser established in 2020. The series for Crouser included marks of 71-3.5, 72-8, 73-6, 74-9.75 and 72-8.
Last Friday, Davis-Woodhall set a career best and world-leading mark of 23-6.75 that is the sixth best mark on the all-time world indoor list. Davis-Woodhall also became the No. 2 performer with the No. 3 performance on the United States alltime indoor list.
The series for Davis-Woodhall included marks of 22-4.75, 22-1, foul, 22-3.75, 236.75 and 23-0. Davis-Woodhall bettered the facility record of 22-11.25 that she shared with Janay DeLoach.
Holmes registered a meet record time of 50.34 seconds in winning the 400-meter dash over a 51.23 by Talitha Diggs and 51.76 from Quanera Hayes. The previous meet record of 50.71 was set in 2012 by Sanya Richards-Ross. The facility record of 49.48 was established by Britton Wilson in winning the 2023 NCAA Indoor title.
Sember claimed her second consecutive British 60-meter hurdle title in 7.99 seconds ahead of an 8.24 for runnerup Abigail Pawlett. Sember also won an indoor title in 2019.
Morris cleared 15-7 in the pole vault to earn a trip to Scotland. Katie Moon won the event with a 15-9 clearance. Morris passed on the 15-9 height and had three misses at 15-11.
Bailey posted a time of 45.76 seconds in placing third in the 400-meter dash final behind a 45.47 winning time for Brian Faust and a 45.48 runner-up for Jacory Patterson.
Lawson led the long jump field for rounds 3-4-5, but then his mark of 26-5 was passed in the final round by USC’s Johnny Brackins, with a 27-0 and Isaac Grimes, with a 26-5.5.
A season best time of 7.15 seconds placed Kiara Parker fifth in the 60-meter dash final after she ran 7.18 in the prelim. The 7.15 effort equals the third best time in Parker’s career, which she previously ran in 2019.
