Jackson earns bronze in steeplechase

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Junior Megan Jackson earned a bronze finish in the steeplechase and sophomore Shelise Williams clocked the fastest 400-meter prelim time to highlight day three for Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field at the SEC Outdoor Championships, in Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday.

Arkansas sits in second place in the team race with 45 points. Florida leads with 46 points and Kentucky rounds out the top three with 39 points.

"I’m a little disappointed in the steeplechase performance", head coach Lance Harter said. "I thought they would run a little more aggressively. Jillian Rosen ran a tactical race in her 1,500-meter prelim and she did what she had to do to advance to the finals. Samantha Learch ran a PR and had a really great race to qualify for the 1,500-meter finals. Shelise Williams continues to prove she is a force in the 400 meters and we expect a great race out of her in tomorrow’s finals."

Jackson picked up a bronze finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Saturday night. She clocked a time of 10:37.61. Jackson has now scored in the SEC steeplechase three times during her career and her bronze finish in 2009 is her career best. Freshman Cali George, in her SEC Championship debut, finished eighth to add a point to the team total. She clocked a time of 11:22.32.

In the long jump finals, senior Etienne Chaplin, rebounding from the heptathlon, picked up a fifth-place finish. Her best jump of the day measured 19-4.25. Freshman Whitney Jones was right behind her in sixth with a mark of 19-4.

Williams clocked the fastest 400-meter prelim time overall to automatically advance to Sunday’s finals with her heat win. Williams clocked a personal-best time of 52.74.

Junior Karen Thomas also clocked a personal best in the 400 meters. Clocking a 55.10, she advanced to the 400-meter finals based on time. She finished eighth overall in the prelims.

Arkansas also nabbed two qualifiers in the 1,500 meters. Sophomore Jillian Rosen finished second in her heat and fourth overall to automatically qualify for the finals. She clocked a time of 4:28.76.

Freshman Samantha Learch, in her SEC Outdoor debut, ran a personal-best 1,500-meter time of 4:28.06. She earned an automatic spot in the finals with a second-place finish in her heat.

The SEC Outdoor Championships will continue Sunday with six Razorbacks in the pole vault at 2 p.m. CST. For more information, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com or GatorZone.com.

Megan Jackson, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 3rd, 10:37.61

Cali George, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 8th, 11:22.32

Catherine White, 10,000 meters, 1st, 35:07.50

Denise Bargiachi, 10,000 meters, 2nd, 35:13.64

Christine Kalmer, 10,000 meters, 6th, 36:00.62

Etienne Chaplin, long jump, 5th, 19-4.25

Whitney Jones, long jump, 6th, 19-4

Etienne Chaplin, heptathlon, 1st, 5,594 points

Shelise Williams, 400 meters, 1st, 52.74

Karen Thomas, 400 meters, 8th, 55.10

Jillian Rosen, 1,500 meters, 4th, 4:28.76

Samantha Learch, 1,500 meters, 5th, 4:28.06

Download: SundayHeats.pdf