Denton McDowell shine on final day of Mt. SAC

WALNUT, Calif. – Seniors Aneita Denton and Beyonka McDowell were at their best on Sunday at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays as they nearly broke two of the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback track team’s oldest records in the 800-meter run and long jump, respectively.

In the 800, Denton ran her first half-mile of the outdoor season to the tune of 2:03.94 to miss the Arkansas record by a mere 0.16 seconds. Winning the competition easily against world-class post-collegiate competition, Denton was a fraction of a second off the 1994 record of Tanya Blake who finished her race in 2:03.78. Her time is also the fastest in the nation this season, besting Chloe Jarvis’ mark of 2:05.61 and the second fastest in the world.

“Aneita did a great job,” Arkansas associate head coach Rolando Greene said. “She set herself up well in the first lap to really come out strong over the final 200. She stuck to the race plan that we set up before the meet and to run that kind of time is a tribute to her abilities. Aneita is blessed with incredible talent and this was shown today.”

While McDowell’s long jump doesn’t match up to Denton’s 800-meter run in terms of facts and figures, it was no less unimpressive. McDowell leaped to 20 feet, five and three-quarter inches to record the fourth longest jump in UA history. Not only did the mark rate among Arkansas’ all-time best, it proves that McDowell is one of the best jumpers in the nation as she finished fifth in the competition.

“Beyonka was jumping against a top notch field,” Greene said. “Several of those jumpers will be in the NCAA final and she was right there with them.”

Also putting together a season best performance was senior Erica Sigmont in the 1,500-meter run. Sigmont cruised to 4:23.04 to finish ninth in the invitational section of the race that was littered with just three collegiates. Sigmont’s time ranks her ninth on the national descending order list.

Rounding out Arkansas’ list of top notch performers at the meet was senior Kasia Williams in the 100-meter hurdles when she ran 13.27. Just off her season best of 13.13, Williams felt sluggish throughout the day but stepped up when the spotlight shined to finish 2nd in the Olympic Development section of the race.

For more information about Lady Razorback track or about Arkansas women’s athletics, visit www.ladybacks.com.