Arkansas Takes Over As NCAA Leader
NEW ORLEANS — Coming off a home victory at the Razorback Invitational the Arkansas women’s track and field team has been elevated from No. 2 to No. 1 in the most recent national polls, moving ahead of the defending indoor national champion Oregon Ducks.
The Razorbacks have been the highest-ranked Southeastern Conference program since the beginning of the year, debuting at No. 2 in the preseason national polls which were announced in early January. Closely trailed in the rankings by league rival, Georgia, the Razorbacks were bumped to the top of the leader board off the heels of a pair of national-leading performances by All-Americans Taliyah Brooks (heptathlon) and Lexi Jacobus (pole vault).
In addition to Brooks and Jacobus in their signature events, head coach Lance Harter’s squad boasts 10 NCAA top-10 event performances.
| NCAA Top-16 Marks by Razorbacks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Rank | Athlete | Year | Mark/Time |
| 60m | 8 | Jada Baylark | So | 7.22 |
| 200m | 4 | Payton Chadwick | Jr | 22.99 |
| 800m | 15 | Nikki Hiltz | Sr | 2:05.16 |
| Mile | 5 | Nikki Hiltz | Sr | 4:33.44 |
| 3,000m | 6 | Nikki Hiltz | Sr | 9:04.64 |
| 60mH | 7 | Taliyah Brooks | Sr | 8.09 |
| 10 | Payton Chadwick | Jr | 8.10 | |
| 16 | Janeek Brown | Fr | 8.16 | |
| Pole Vault | 2 | Lexi Jacobus | Jr | 15-2 3/4 |
| 3 | Tori Hoggard | Jr | 14-10 3/4 | |
| 6 | Desiree Freier | Jr | 14-4 3/4 | |
| Long Jump | 2 | Taliyah Brooks | Sr | 21-6 3/4 |
| 12 | Payton Chadwick | Jr | 20-8 | |
| Pentathlon | 2 | Taliyah Brooks | Sr | 4,395 points |
Pressing on through the indoor season the Razorbacks will send a group to Lubbock, Texas this weekend for the Texas Tech Open, while middle distance standout Nikki Hiltz is set to take on the Wanamaker Mile in New York at the prestigious New York Road Runners Millrose Games. Arkansas will return home for competition Feb. 9-10 as the host of the Tyson Invitational.
Nationally Ranked SEC Programs (11)
1. ARKANSAS
2. Georgia
5. Florida
6. Texas A&M
7. LSU
9. Kentucky
10. Ole Miss
14. South Carolina
15. Tennessee
18. Mississippi State
22. Alabama
For more information on Arkansas women’s track and field, including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
