No. 4 Razorbacks sweep regional awards

FAYETTEVILLE – The No. 4 University of Arkansas women’s track and field team swept the South Central Region awards as released Monday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Head coach Lance Harter was voted the South Central Region Coach of the Year and Chris Johnson was named the South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year, while seniors Regina George and Makeba Alcide have been tabbed the South Central Region Track Athlete and Field Athlete of the Year, respectively.

Harter guided Arkansas to the 2013 SEC indoor team title; fourth SEC indoor title in program history—all under Harter—and first since 2003. The win represented Harter’s 20th overall SEC team title. Arkansas has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country this year, matching the program’s all-time high. The Razorbacks are currently ranked third and have 12 entries—10 individuals and two relays—ranked within the top 16 on the NCAA Division I Qualifying List.

In his return to Fayetteville, Johnson coached Arkansas to a pair of SEC titles at 400 meters from George and in the 4x400-meter relay. George is the NCAA leader at 400 meters with her time of 51.40 and has broken the school record three times in 2013. She is currently ranked No. 4 in the world in the event and ninth on the all-time collegiate list. The 4x400-meter relay turned in a school-record time of 3:29.60 at the SEC meet, good for the eighth-fastest time in collegiate history. Johnson was a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 2003-04.

George was the SEC champion at 400 meters and 4x400 relay. She ran an NCAA-leading and school-record time of 51.40 to win 400-meter SEC title. That places George as the No. 9 all-time collegiate performer at 400 meters and No. 4 time in the world in 2013. She anchored the 4x400-meter relay to world-leading, NCAA-leading and school-record time of 3:29.60 at SEC meet. The relay time is the eighth fastest in NCAA history and puts Arkansas fifth on all-time performer list. George is also eighth-fastest woman this year at 200 meters (23.00).

Alcide broke the collegiate record in the pentathlon with 4,569 points at SEC Championships to become a back-to-back SEC champion in the pentathlon. She owns the No. 1 and 7 pentathlon scores in collegiate history, both totals are from 2013. With her performance at the conference meet, she broke the SEC Championships meet pentathlon record, lowered her own school record and reset national record of native St. Lucia. Alcide is also ranked fourth in the NCAA in the high jump.

Arkansas will host the NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center for the 11th time in program history. For tickets, visit the Razorback Ticket Center on Razorback Road by Baum Stadium, log on to the online ticket center at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or call 800-982-HOGS (4647). Keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field with the team’s RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.

2013 USTFCCCA Division I Indoor Track & Field Region Awards
(South Central Region)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Lance Harter

Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year
Chris Johnson

Women’s Track Athlete of the Year
Regina George

Women’s Field Athlete of the Year
Makeba Alcide