Nation's best at Tyson this weekend
FAYETTEVILLE – No. 11 Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field will continue the 2010 indoor season with the Tyson Invitational, at the Randal Tyson Track Center, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12-13.
On Friday, running and field events will begin at 12 p.m. Friday night, the invitational running (60 meters, 800 meters, mile, 5,000 meters, 60-meter hurdles) and field (women’s pole vault and long jump) events begin at 7 p.m. Admission is free to all spectators. On Saturday, running events start at 12:40 p.m. and field events start at 12 p.m.
No. 17 Auburn, Arizona State, No. 22 Baylor, No. 2 BYU, No. 7 Clemson, No. 5 Florida, No. 10 Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, No. 25 Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Liberty, No. 3 LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, No. 19 Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, No. 4 Oregon, No. 9 Penn State, No. 13 South Carolina, Stanford, TCU, Tulsa and No. 21 Virginia Tech will be competing with the Hogs at the Randal Tyson Track Center Friday and Saturday.
Arkansas senior Karen Thomas, junior Shelise Williams, junior Edina Brooks and freshman Regina George hold the leading time in the NCAA in the 4×400-meter relay (3:33.18). Arkansas student-athletes also hold the leading marks in the SEC in the 400 meters (Williams), the 5,000 meters (Miranda Walker) and the 4×400-meter relay.
Senior Katie Stripling and sophomore Tina Sutej have already punched their tickets to the NCAA Indoor Championships in March in Fayetteville. Both cleared the auto pole vault height of 13-11.25 at the 2010 opener. Williams and George in the 400 meters, freshman Stephanie Brown and sophomore Kristen Gillespie in the 800 meters and Brown in the mile all dipped below the NCAA provisional qualifier. The Razorbacks also picked up provisional qualifiers from senior Janice Keppler in the pole vault, in the 4×400-meter and distance medley relays.
At the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, Arkansas teams set new school records in the 4×400-meter and distance medley relays in less than 24 hours. The quartet of Thomas (54.56), Williams (52.02), Brooks (54.05) and George (52.53) combined for a time of 3:33.18 to win the championship 4×400-meter relay. Their time is the Arkansas school record, the NCAA and SEC leader and an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying time. The quartet broke the school record of 3:33.67 set by Tominque Boatright, Jessica Cousins, Sasha Rolle and Paige Farrell in 2006 at the Iowa State Last Chance.
Sophomore Samantha Learch (1,200 meters; 3:26), Williams (400 meters; 52.2), George (800 meters; 2:07.2) and Gillespie (mile, 4:39.8) combined for a time of 11:06.56 in the distance medley relay to finish fourth. The quartet’s time is the Arkansas school record, ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC.
The Razorbacks are seated at No. 11 and are one of six SEC schools in the current USTFCCCA poll. The LSU Tigers are No. 3, the Florida Gators are fifth, the Tennessee Lady Vols are sixth, South Carolina is No. 13 and Auburn is 17th.
Download: TysonStartList.pdf
