In his first-ever indoor meet, Taylor, who spent much of the last two years recovering from injury and training at the Tumbleweed camp in Florida, produced a fast 45.73s to finish second behind Fred Kerley at the opening meeting of the American Track League in Fayetteville.
Kerley won in an even more impressive 45.03 pulling away from Taylor in the final few metres after the Jamaican tried to challenge him late in the race. They were the only two runners under 46 seconds in the race in which Travean Caldwell was third in 46.25.
‘Cubby’ as Taylor was known during a stellar high school career, said he was pleased to show that his senior career was not over before it even began.
“So I did my first indoor race of my career and it turned out to be history but let’s leave that for later. It has been two years since I’ve gotten a serious injury and I hadn’t gotten the chance to prove myself back to the world,” Taylor said in a post on his Instagram page.
“Big thanks to my management team, my teammates and coach @ranareider for not giving up on me. The return is here guys, it’s here.”
The post was made under a video of the race that has been viewed more than 6500 times and generated many positive responses from his adoring fans.
The 18-year-old freshman, who holds the U18 world record for the 100m hurdles and share of the U20 World Indoor 60m hurdles title, proved her class in winning in 7.92, 0.01 outside her personal best set two weeks ago.
She was a comfortable winner holding off the challenge of compatriot Daszay Freeman, a sophomore at Arkansas, who ran a personal best of 7.99 for the silver medal.
Texas senior Chanel Brissett, who defeated Nugent at the Big 12 Championships in late February, was third in 8.01.
The other Jamaican in the final Trishauna Hemmings, a junior at Clemson finished eighth in 8.16.
The performance was particularly encouraging considering how close she was to her personal best of 1.90m, which won her a silver medal at the 2021 NCAA Division 1 Championships in Oregon in June.
“I believe it’s a great start to my season because I wasn’t performing at my best last indoor season due to a minor ankle issue, so opening my season with a 1.86m demonstrates how much I’ve improved and what the remainder of my track season will look like,” said the Texas A&M sophomore.
“Knowing that 1.90m is my personal best and that my season-opening is four centimetres off my personal best gives me confidence that I can do big things this season.”
The Jamaican champion credits her early improvement to her experience as a college freshman and changes she has made in pre-season.
“This season, background training is going great. After competing last year, I now know what to expect and what not to expect, allowing me to have a fuller knowledge of the sport,” she explained.
“I have been training really hard because I know what I want to accomplish this track season, therefore, new exercises have been incorporated into my training. I am working on specific areas of my jumps that hindered me last track season from going high bars, so I definitely believe with the help of my coach and his training I will fix that.”
With that in mind, and driven by her failure to make the qualifying standard for the Tokyo Olympics, Distin has ambitions of representing Jamaica at the major championships on the 2022 calendar, specifically the World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in England.
“My plan for this season is to just continue to do what I’m doing with regards to my training. I did not make the Olympic team this year because I did not make the qualifying mark of 1.96m but now since the Olympics have passed and gone, my eyes are on the world championship,” she said.
“As I stated before, I am training really hard and I have goals that I want to achieve so the height will come if I continue on the right path.
Her first goal is to achieve the qualifying mark and then take it from there.
“I definitely want to make the qualifying mark to qualify for the World Championship,” she said.
“As it relates to Commonwealth Games, I am not far from the qualifying mark so I am confident that I will make the mark.”
The 19-year-old, who entered the meet with a personal best of 7.29 done last season, first produced an easy 7.14 in qualifying before returning to run her new personal best in the final to win comfortably ahead of Georgia’s Kaila Jackson (7.20) and Florida’s Grace Stark (7.21).
Lyston’s time is the third-fastest in the world this year, fourth-fastest in collegiate history and equals the LSU school record done back in 2018 by Aleia Hobbs.
The men's equivalent saw USC's Travis Williams run 6.63 for third behind LSU's Myles Thomas (6.62) and USC's JC Stevenson (6.61).
Jamaican World Championship 4x400m relay medallist Stacey Ann Williams ran 51.86 to win the women’s open 400m ahead of Americans Kendall Ellis (52.12) and Bailey Lear (52.49). World Championships 400m hurdles finalist Andrenette Knight ran 52.53 for fifth.
Arkansas Junior and reigning Jamaican National champion Nickisha Pryce ran 51.58 for third in the college women’s 400m behind schoolmate Amber Anning (50.56) and Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler (51.34).
Pryce was a semi-finalist in the 400m at the World Championships in Budapest last August.
Florida Senior Jevaughn Powell ran 46.28 for third in the college men’s 400m behind USC’s William Jones (45.24) and Texas A&M’s Auhmad Robinson (46.15).
2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and World Championship 100m hurdles finalist Ackera Nugent ran 7.94 for second in the women’s open 60m hurdles won by the USA’s Tia Jones in 7.85. Christina Clemons ran 7.95 for third.
Jamaica’s Phillip Lemonious, who won the NCAA Outdoor title competing for the University of Arkansas last season, ran 7.68 for third in the men’s 60m hurdles. Interestingly, the top two finishers in the race, Texas A&M’s Connor Schulman and Jaqualon Scott, also ran 7.68. Their times when rounded up to the thousandths were 7.672, 7.673 and 7.675.
St. Vincent's Shafiqua Maloney ran 2:02.29 to take top spot in the women's 800m ahead of Sanu Jallow of Arkansas (2:02.60) and Gabija Galvydyte (2:02.82).
In the field, Arkansas high jumper Romaine Beckford, the defending NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion, improved his indoor career best to 2.27m with his victory on Friday evening.
The winning height moves Beckford to No. 4 on the UA all-time list and No. 3 on the Jamaican all-time indoor list with the equal No. 4 performance.
Having won the competition, Beckford opted for the Olympic standard of 2.33m as his next height and had three attempts with his last try coming closest to clearing.
Mississippi State’s Sherman Hawkins and USC’s Elias Gerald both cleared 2.17m for second and third, respectively.
Elsewhere in the field, Jamaican Oklahoma Junior Nikaoli Williams produced 7.86m for second in the men’s long jump behind Florida’s Malcolm Clemons (8.06m). Clemons’ teammate Caleb Foster jumped 7.68m for third.
Perhaps the best performance on the day came from 2022 Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Rasheed Broadbell.
The 23-year-old produced a personal best 7.56 to take the men’s 60m hurdles ahead of countryman Tyler Mason who ran a personal best 7.65 in second. LSU Sophomore Matthew Sophia was third in 7.67, also a personal best.
The women’s 60m Open saw a Caribbean top three as Tina Clayton won ahead of twin sister Tia with Bahamian Anthonique Strachan finishing third. Tina’s winning time was a season’s best 7.25 while Tia’s time in second was 7.28 and Strachan’s in third was 7.30.
The men’s equivalent saw reigning Jamaican National 100m champion Rohan Watson run 6.76 to finish as runner up behind American Lawrence Johnson who ran 6.70. Another American, Tony Brown, ran a personal best 6.78 in third while Jamaica’s Michael Campbell ran 6.80 in fourth.
The College men’s 60m saw Bahamian Florida Sophomore Wanya McCoy produce a personal best 6.65 to finish second behind LSU Sophomore Myles Thomas (6.62). Thomas’s teammate, Godson Oghenebrume, also ran 6.65 in third.
The women’s College 400m saw Jamaican National champion Nickisha Pryce produce a personal best 51.04 to take the win. Her time also puts her #3 on the all-time Jamaican indoor list.
The Arkansas Junior finished ahead of her schoolmate Kaylyn Brown who ran a personal best 51.49 for second while Rosey Effiong completed the Arkansas 1-2-3 with 51.65 in third.
The women’s Open 400m saw Lanae-Tava Thomas and Stacey Ann Williams run 51.88 and 52.33 for second and third, respectively. American Alexis Holmes won in a meet record 50.80. Another Jamaican, Andrenette Knight, ran 52.68 in fourth.
In the field, 2019 World champion and national record holder, Tajay Gayle, opened his season with 8.15m to finish second in the men’s long jump. Gayle, who also took bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last year, also produced a 7.99m effort in his series on Friday.
The event was won by Florida Senior Malcolm Clemons with 8.17m while Bahamian Laquan Nairn produced 7.93m for third.
McLeod, a junior at the University of Tennessee, improved on his previous best of 8.25m set at the SEC Championships two weeks ago that earned him a silver medal.
However, his 8.26m jump saw him finish third behind winner JuVaughn Harrison of LSU, who won with a collegiate-leading leap of 8.45m.
It was the second-best jump at a division-one championship, only bettered by Carl Lewis 8.48m set 40 years ago in 1981. The all-time collegiate record of 8.59m is held by Alabama’s Miguel Pate.
Isaac Grimes of Florida won the silver medal with his personal best effort of 8.35m.
In what was a competition of high quality, the top four competitors went beyond eight metres as Ja’Mari Ward of Missouri’s personal best of 8.11 saw him finish just outside the medals.
McLeod will go for gold in the triple jump later today. His 17.17m at the SEC Championships makes him the number-one seed in the competition.
In a race where the first six athletes ran personal bests, Thomas, the 2018 World U20 110m hurdles champion, now a senior at LSU, took the win in a close finish over Iowa’s Jamal Britt, who was timed in 7.52.
Trey Cunningham of Florida State claimed the bronze in 7.53, just 0.02 seconds separating the three medalists. Former Jamaica College athlete Phillip Lemonius, who is now a sophomore at Arkansas, just missed out on a medal clocking 7.54 for fourth.
In the men’s triple jump, University of Tennessee’s Carey McLeod was upset by Oregon’s Emmanuel Ihemeje, who produced a new personal best and collegiate-leading 17.27m for the win.
McLeod, the former Kingston College star only managed 16.93m for third. Going into the competition, McLeod held the collegiate-best mark of 17.17m set at the SEC Championships two weeks ago.
The silver medal was won by TCU’s Chengetayi Mapaya, who got a personal best 16.95m.
Later today, four Caribbean women – Joella Lloyd, Kemba Nelson, Kiara Grant and Halle Hazzard – will contest the women’s 60m final while Charokee Young of Texas A&M will go in the 400m finals.
Williams, the 2019 World Championship 100m hurdles bronze medalist, was one of two Caribbean athletes who won at the meeting held in Fayetteville, Arkansas as Asa Guevara won the 300m in 33.11 over the USA’s Jemiel Trimble (33.38).
The 2015 World Champion easily won her preliminary heat in 7.90 giving an indication of what was to come. In the final, she unleashed but had to fight hard to hold off the challenge of Tonea Marshall to win in 7.86.
Marshall was a close second in 7.89 while Great Britain’s Cindy Sember was third in 8.01.
The winning time was the third-fastest in the world this year, joint with Marshall’s 7.86 set at the same venue on January 24.
The men’s event was won by the USA’s Michael Dickson in 7.53. He finished clear of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ruebin Walters who stopped the clock at 7.68. Wellington Zaza of Liberia was third in 7.71.
In the women’s 400m, Jamaica’s Chrisann Gordon finished in second place in 52.06, more than a second behind the USA’s Shamier Little who won the event in a personal best 50.57, the third-fastest time in the world this year.
Sparkle McKnight from Trinidad and Tobago was fifth in a season-best 54.14.
Rajay Hamilton was fourth in the men’s 800m in a personal best 1:47.57. The race was won by Kenya’s Michael Saruni in 1:45.34.
Bahamas’ Laquan Nairn jumped 5.89m, which surprising good enough for third in the long jump won by the USA’s Marquis Mendy with 8.19m.
Greg Vann finished second with 7.47m.
The USA’s Allison Felix was second in the women’s 60m in 7.28 and then returned to win the 200m in a personal best of 22.59, the fourth-fastest time in the world this year.
Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn also ran a personal best of 22.91 while Shawnti Jackson was third in 23.45.
Miller-Uibo, who is likely to run the 200m at the Olympics in Tokyo this summer, won in a world-leading and personal best 22.40 blowing away 400m hurdler Shamier Little who clocked a solid 23.40 for second place.
Miller-Uibo’s time, a Bahamian national record, tied the facility record set by Bianca Knight in 2008 and was just 0.07s off the American record set by Gwen Torrence in 1996.
The Bahamian said afterwards she was pleased with the run having wanted to get a chance to see what kind of shape she was in and was thankful to have finished the race healthy.
In the men’s equivalent, Richards, the 2018 Commonwealth Games 200m champion clocked 20.74 to win the 200m in a Trinidad and Tobago 1-2 finish. Deon Lendore clocked 20.89 relegating American Rodney Rowe (20.95) to third.
Meanwhile, in the Women’s 600m T&T’s Sparkle McKnight clocked 1:29.32 for third behind the USA’s Sammy Watson who won in 1:28.29 just ahead of Puerto Rico’s Gabby Scott (1:28.30).
Mario Burke ran 6.68 for third in the Men’s 60m that was won by the USA’s Maurice Eaddy in 6.63. Marvin Bracy was second in 6.66.
In the field, Jamaica’s Chanice Porter jumped a season-best 6.52m to finish second in the long jump event won by the USA’s Kendell Williams with her best jump of 6.60m. Yanis David of France was some distance back in third with 6.32m.
Nelson, a transfer from the University of Technology in Jamaica, clocked 7.24 in a close finish ahead of Tamara Clarke, a senior at Alabama who crossed in 7.28s.
Jada Baylark of Arkansas, who was third, was given the same time as Clarke.
The win was Nelson’s second this season after taking the 60m dash at the Razorback Invitational in 7.19 in early February.
Meanwhile, Damion Thomas, a senior at LSU, ran a season-best time of 7.69 but had to settle for second place in the 60m hurdles.
The race was won by Florida State senior Trey Cunningham who ran a season-best 7.55.
Thomas’ LSU teammate Eric Edwards Jr was third in a season-best 7.71.
Maloney, unbeaten so far this season in the 800m both indoors and outdoors, showed her class on Friday in the one lap event, speeding to a new personal best and national record 50.75 to take top spot.
Her time was also an Arkansas Twilight record, bettering Britton Wilson’s 50.97 set in 2022.
American Kendall Baisden was way behind in second in 52.91 while Sudan’s Hiba Saeed was third in 53.45.
2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and world championship finalist in the sprint hurdles, Ackera Nugent, tried her hand successfully at the 200m on Friday. She ran a season’s best 23.12 to win ahead of 400m podium finishers Hiba Saeed (23.49) and Kendall Baisden (23.58).
Phillip Lemonious, who also took sprint hurdles gold at the NCAA Championships last year, ran a season’s best 13.52 to win the event on Friday ahead of Arkansas’s Elijah Morris (13.70) and Brevin Sims (13.73).
The 2016 Olympic champion ran 7.53 while holding off the challenge of American Michael Dickson who crossed in 7.58. Trinidad and Tobago’s Ruebin Walters was third in 7.68.
In the women’s equivalent, Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter won in 7.95 just managing to hold off a fast-finishing Brittany Anderson, who was 0.02 behind in 7.97. Gabbi Cunningham was third in 8.08. Rushelle Burton returning to competition from injury was fourth in 8.20.
For the second week running Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare managed to hold off Christania Williams in the 60m dash. This time, however, the Nigerian ran a personal best of 7.10 after separating from the Jamaican who equalled her personal best of 7.14.
Teahna Daniels of the USA was third in a season-best 7.17.
The winner of the Women’s 400m was determined over two heats by time trial and Shamier Little was easily the fastest winning Heat One in a personal best 51.33. Shakima Wimbley also of the US took second after winning Heat Two in 52.12.
Jamaica’s Shian Salmon ran a personal best of 52.85 for second in Heat One but was third overall.
In the men's event, Michael Cherry of the USA won heat one in a personal best 45.24 for the win. Second and third were determined by a battle between Deon Lendore of Trinidad and Tobago and Christopher Taylor of Jamaica. Lendore emerged as the second-place finisher after winning Heat 2 in 46.08 to Taylor' 46.09, which was good enough for third overall.
Laquan Nairn jumped a personal best and national record 8.16m in the Men’s Long Jump but had to settle for second as the USA’s Marquis Dendy won the event with a world-leading 8.21m on his final jump of the competition.
Charles Brown of the USA was third with a jump of 7.81m.
This remarkable performance also established a new Jamaican national record, making Pryce the first Jamaican woman to run the 400m under 49 seconds. Her time was the world-leading mark this year until American Sydney McLaughlin Levrone ran 48.75 seconds at the New York Grand Prix on Sunday.
The achievement was part of a larger triumph for the University of Arkansas Women's team, which claimed the national title. Pryce, alongside teammates Kaylyn Brown, Amber Anning, and Rosey Effiong, completed a historic 'super sweep' by securing the top four places in the 400m finals. The quartet later shattered the collegiate record in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:17.96, cementing a dominant victory and a memorable conclusion to their NCAA season.
On Tuesday, Pryce took to Instagram to reflect on her incredible journey and express her gratitude. "As my college athletic career came to a close, I couldn’t have asked for a better finish. It was a moment I will never forget, and it was the perfect way to end my time as a college athlete. Looking back on all the hard work and dedication I put into my sport over the years, I felt proud and grateful for the memories I had made along the way," she shared.
Pryce continued, "It was a fitting conclusion to a collegiate chapter of my life that I will always cherish. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to @razorbacktfxc @capt_johnson and each and every member of our college track team. It has been an incredible journey filled with hard work, dedication, and unforgettable moments. I am so grateful for the support and encouragement that you have all shown me throughout my time on the team. Thank you for pushing me to be the best athlete I could be and for always believing in me. I will cherish the memories we have made together on and off the track forever. Thank you for being a part of my college track experience and for making it truly special."
Pryce's record-setting 48.89 seconds and her contributions to the 4x400m relay marked significant milestones in her career. "48.89, 400m Collegiate Record Holder, 4x400m Collegiate Record Holde, Jamaican National Record Holder??," she proudly posted, signing off with, "Signing Out ~ N. Pryce."
Looking ahead, Pryce is expected to sign a professional contract soon as she prepares to compete at Jamaica's national championships later this month. Her sights are set on securing a spot on her country's team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a goal that now seems well within her reach given her recent performances.
Pryce's collegiate career may have come to an end, but her legacy at the University of Arkansas and in the realm of collegiate athletics will endure, inspiring future generations of athletes to reach for greatness.
The 23-year-old Arkansas junior, who won gold at the 2022 NCAA Championships, produced 8.03m at the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville on Wednesday to advance with the day’s second furthest jump behind USC’s Johnny Brackins who jumped a personal best 8.15m to advance.
Another Jamaican, Oklahoma junior Nikaoli Williams, produced a personal best 7.99 to book his spot in the 24-man field set to compete from June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Oregon.
Arizona State junior Brandon Lloyd threw 19.26m to secure qualification in the men’s shot put.
On the track, a number of Caribbean men booked spots in Friday’s quarterfinal round to determine who will make the trip to Oregon.
Trinidadian Minnesota junior Devin Augustine (10.28), Jamaican USC junior Travis Williams (10.30) and Jamaican Baylor sophomore Riquan Graham (10.32) all made it through to the quarterfinals of the men’s 100m.
Augustine also ran 20.66 to advance in the 200m.
The top 12 fastest men from Friday’s quarterfinals will advance to the NCAA Championships.
In the 400m, Jamaican Texas Tech sophomore Shaemar Uter (45.68), Jamaican Baylor senior Demar Francis (45.75) and Grenadian Arizona State senior Gamali Felix (45.90) advanced to the quarterfinals.
A pair of Jamaicans, Texas A&M junior Kimar Farquharson and Iowa junior Rivaldo Marshall, ran 1:47.72 and 1:48.31, respectively, to advance to the quarterfinals of the 800m.
Jamaican Arkansas senior Phillip Lemonious and UTEP junior Jordani Woodley advanced in the 110m hurdles with times of 13.38 and 13.41, respectively.
Lemonious is the defending NCAA champion.
The 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships is set for June 5-8 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
“These two weeks are going to be very important. I have a lot to work on,” she said. “I am going to use it to train and just get consistent and I am coming for the NCAA record.”
She wasn’t kidding.
On today’s first day of the NCAA National Indoor Championships in Arkansas, Gittens smashed the collegiate, facility and meet records held by Kendell Williams to crown herself NCAA national champion.
On March 11, 2016, Williams of the University of Georgia set the collegiate and meet records of 4703 points. She also held the facility record of 4678 points set on March 14, 2015. These are no more as the 22-year-old Trinidadian scored a personal best 4746 points to take gold and exact revenge on Georgia’s Anna Hall, who won the SEC title a fortnight ago.
Hall secured the silver with 4401 points while Erin Marsh of Duke scored 4344 points for third.
Gittens, who had set a personal best 4612 points on January 29, started out well-running 8.27s for the 60m hurdles, the second-best time overall behind Marsh’s 8.13s.
The time, though, earned Gittens 1068 points. She would then earn another 1145 points in the long jump after clearing a personal best and school record 1.93m.
Her worst score of the day came in the shot put when a mark of 13.86m earned her 785 points.
By then she had established a lead of 277 points over Hall going into the final two events. At the SEC’s, trouble with the long jump run up saw her struggle, only managing a mark of 4.11m. She had no such trouble today leaping to 6.58m, just four centimetres shy of her personal best of 6.62m.
With only the 800m to come, Gittens needed 673 points to break the collegiate record. Her time of 2:28.22 was the 15th best time of the competitors but it earned 715 points that took her past the previous records.
In a final where three Caribbean nations – Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada – were represented, Nelson stormed to victory, pulling away from the stacked field to produce a massive personal best that is both a meet and championship record, eclipsing the 7.07 held jointly by Oregon’s Hannah Cunliffe and LSU Aleia Hobbs.
The time, a school record, was also just 0.03 off the 7.02 facility record set by Tiana Madison (Bartoletta) in 2012.
It was also the second-fastest time in the world this year behind the 7.03 set by Switzerland’s AJla Del Ponte at the recent European Indoor Championships in Torun.
USC’s Twanisha Terry, the pre-race favourite, who went into the final with the fastest time, 7.09, won the silver medal in 7.14s.
It was a Jamaican 1-3 as former Jamaica national junior record holder Kiara Grant took third in 7.16.
Antigua’s Joella Lloyd, who two weeks ago set a new national record of 7.15 was sixth in 7.23 while Grenada’s Halle Hazzard, a senior at Virginia, was eighth on 7.27.
Nelson, 21, attended Mt Alvernia High School in Montego Bay, Jamaica and transferred to Oregon in October 2020, having spent her first three years of college at the University of Technology in Kingston.
In doing so, she became the first Jamaican-born female athlete to attend the University of Oregon, having expressed a desire to compete in NCAA-level athletics.
Having fulfilled her desire, she expressed her delight on Instagram afterwards saying, “What a way to close out the indoor season.”
Pryce, a standout athlete from St. Mary, Jamaica, entered the outdoor season with a personal best of 50.21 in the 400m. She made remarkable improvements, culminating in a collegiate and Jamaican record of 48.89 seconds, which she set while winning the NCAA 400m title. Pryce's victory spearheaded an unprecedented Arkansas sweep of the top four spots in the event, earning the Razorbacks a crucial 29 points towards their team total.
Throughout the season, Pryce demonstrated consistent progress, achieving career-best marks of 50.13, 49.72, 49.32, and finally 48.89. Her extraordinary performances were pivotal as Arkansas amassed 61 of its 63 championship points on the final day of the NCAA Championships. This remarkable achievement allowed Coach Johnson and his team to complete a sweep of the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor team championships in his debut season as head coach.
In addition to her NCAA title, Pryce also secured the SEC 400m title with a time of 49.32, which at the time ranked third on the collegiate all-time list. Her dominance in the 400m was instrumental in Arkansas's 1-2-3-5 finish at the SEC Championships, contributing 28 points to the team’s total.
Pryce's achievements have cemented her place in history as the first collegian and first Jamaican to run under 49 seconds in the 400m. She surpassed the 22-year-old Jamaican record of 49.30 set by Lorraine Fenton in 2002.
Her time of 48.89 also eclipsed the previous collegiate record of 49.13 set by fellow Razorback Britton Wilson in 2023. On the 2024 world list, Pryce ranks second behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who recorded a time of 48.75. Pryce’s time also ties her for 13th on the all-time world list alongside Mexico’s Ana Guevara from 2003.
The culmination of Arkansas's season was highlighted by an emphatic victory in the 4 x 400m relay at the NCAA Championships, where the Razorbacks set a collegiate record and world-leading time of 3:17.96. Pryce's impressive third-leg split of 49.19 was crucial in securing the title. This performance broke the previous collegiate record of 3:21.92 set by Arkansas at the NCAA West meet, narrowly surpassing Kentucky’s 3:21.93 from the 2022 SEC meet.
Coach Chris Johnson's leadership was instrumental in guiding the Razorbacks to these historic achievements. Under his guidance, Arkansas scored in eight different events to capture the NCAA outdoor team title, edging out Florida by four points. This victory followed their triumph at the NCAA Indoor meet, where they won by five points.
Maloney, known primarily for her prowess in middle-distance events, delivered a remarkable performance in the 400m, setting a new meet record with a blistering time of 50.94 seconds. This stunning achievement surpassed the previous meet record of 51.47 seconds set by Jamaica's Nickisha Pryce at the 2023 edition of the event.
The 25-year-old athlete's triumph marked a significant milestone in her outdoor season, as she had not competed in the 400m distance since July 2022 when she clocked a time of 52.35 seconds. Maloney's outstanding performance in Fayetteville also shattered her personal best of 51.72 seconds, achieved back in March 2021.
Reflecting on her remarkable achievement, Maloney expressed joy and gratitude for her performance, highlighting the challenges and rewards of returning to the 400m distance after a hiatus.
"One thing I do not miss about the 400 is them ashy knees," Maloney jokingly remarked after her race. "Back after two years with a new outdoor PR! Finally, a part of the 50. Club. To God be the glory! Without him I am nothing, with him, I am all that you see."
In a race that featured fierce competition, Iowa State's Rachel Joseph secured second place with a personal best time of 51.63 seconds, while Omolara Ogunmakinju of Harding University finished closely behind in third place, also achieving a lifetime best of 51.90 seconds.
The John McDonnell Invitational also a witnessed solid performance from Jamaican sprint hurdler Phillip Lemonious, who claimed victory in the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.89 seconds. Brevin Simms of Arkansas and William Spencer, both representing the host Razorbacks, finished closely behind Lemonious with identical times of 13.99 seconds, securing the second and third positions, respectively.
Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson of Oregon and Alfred’s Texas teammate Kevona Davis also qualified for Eugene with times of 10.85 and 11.04, both also wind-aided, respectively.
Davis will also contest the 200m in Eugene after running 22.49 to qualify second fastest in the West Region behind teammate Kynnedy Flannel (22.40).
Jamaicans Stacey Ann Williams of Texas (50.66) and Charokee Young of Texas A&M (50.80) were the fastest qualifiers in the Women’s 400m.
Barbados' Jonathan Jones of Texas and Jamaica's Jevaughn Powell of UTEP ran 44.85 and 44.87, respectively, to be the top two qualifiers in the Men's equivalent. 44.87 is a new personal best for Powell, the former Edwin Allen and Kingston College standout.
Another Bajan, Rivaldo Leacock of New Mexico, ran a new personal best 49.63 to advance in the Men's 400m hurdles.
Texas Tech's Demisha Roswell was the second fastest qualifier in the Women's 100m hurdles with 12.78 while Baylor’s Ackera Nugent ran 12.93 to also advance.
Former Hydel High and current Texas A&M star Lamara Distin and Texas' Trinidadian Olympian Tyra Gittens both cleared 1.81m to progress in the Women's high jump while Gittens also produced 6.40 to advance in the long jump. Former Herbert Morrison athlete Daniella Anglin, now a freshman at South Dakota, also cleared 1.81m to advance in the high jump.
Bahamian Kansas State senior Kyle Alcine achieved a personal best 2.15m to advance in the Men's high jump.
