NCAAs SECs highlight 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field team will begin the 2010 indoor slate with the hosting of the Arkansas Invitational, Jan. 8, at the Randal Tyson Track Center.

The Razorbacks will host six meets during the indoor season at the Randal Tyson Track Center, including the SEC Indoor (Feb. 26-28) and the NCAA Indoor Championships (March 12-13). Also on the schedule are the Arkansas Invitational, the Razorback Invitational and the Arkansas Last Chance.

Arkansas will travel for indoor meets to the Virginia Tech Invitational, Jan. 15-16, in Blacksburg, Va., the Texas A&M Challenge, Jan. 29-30 in College Station, Texas, and the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, Feb. 5-6 in New York, N.Y.

"Our schedule is such that we get the best of both worlds," head coach Lance Harter said. "We host home meets in the best facility in the nation and travel to some great meets to face some competition we wouldn’t normally see."

The outdoor season will begin with the Arizona Invitational, March 19-20, the Stanford Invitational and the Razorback Spring Invitational, March 26-27. The Razorback Spring Invitational will be a one-day event (March 26) at John McDonnell Field.

Trips to Texas Relays (March 31- April 3), Drake Relays (April 22-24) and Penn Relays (April 22-24) highlight the month of April. The John McDonnell Invitational is set for April 9-10.

The championship season will begin May 14-16 with the SEC Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. Arkansas has been named to the NCAA West Regional after reconfiguration and will compete in Austin, Texas, May 27-29. The collegiate season will conclude with the NCAA Championships, June 9-12, in Eugene, Ore., on the campus of the University of Oregon.

Led by seniors Megan Jackson, Janice Keppler, Katie Stripling and Karen Thomas, the 2010 version of the Razorbacks boasts five juniors, seven sophomores and welcomes 13 freshmen and newcomers.

"This is a very dynamic group of student-athletes," Harter said. "There’s youth, there’s experience and there’s excitement in all the event groups."

Arkansas’ pole vault crew is made up of three-time SEC Champion and indoor and outdoor school record holder Stripling, 2009 All-American and two-time All-SEC performer Tara Diebold and NCAA qualifiers Keppler and Tina Sutej.

The Razorback sprinters are led by 2009 All-American and SEC runner-up at 400 meters, Shelise Williams. Williams will also play a vital role on the 4×400-meter relay. She is joined by two-time All-SEC performer and All-American Whitney Jones and All-American Thomas.

Jackson, senior Ashley Williams, juniors Miranda Walker and Jillian Rosen and sophomore Samantha Learch will take over the reins of Arkansas’s formidable distance crew.

For more information on the team, the schedule or to purchase tickets, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.