Razorbacks Post Three NCAA-Leading Marks

Final Results

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 3 Arkansas women’s track and field team saw tremendous success at the Arkansas Spring Invitational with event wins in seven competitions on Saturday afternoon. The day was highlighted by three NCAA-leading performances off the efforts of Taylor Ellis-Watson (200m), Dominique Scott (1,500m) and Lexi Weeks (pole vault).

Arkansas senior Alex Gochenour was the first event winner of the day capturing the victory in the 100-meter hurdles in a season’s best time of 13.21 — fourth best in the NCAA. Entered in the fastest heat of the event Gochenour powered down the track neck-in-neck with teammate Taliyah Brooks. Gochenour maintained her top speed through the final hurdle to cross the finish line a fraction of a second ahead of Brooks to claim the meet title.

Fellow upperclassman Brianna Swinton continued the Razorbacks dominance of the hurdles racing to a new personal best in the 400-meter hurdles of 59.04 to win the event. Swinton was promptly followed by Leigha Brown (59.06) and Damajahnee Birch (59.49) who finished second and third respectively with the eighth and ninth best 400-meter hurdle times in Arkansas history.

Upon completion of the intermediate hurdles nine-time All-American Ellis-Watson prepared for the start of the 200-meter dash. The veteran sprinter blasted out of the blocks whipping off curve to race to an NCAA-leading time of 22.70 in her 2016 outdoor debut.

Elsewhere on the infield, 2016 NCAA indoor pole vault champion Lexi Weeks kept her winning streak alive with a clearance at 4.50m/14-9 to place first at the Arkansas Spring Invitational and claim a share of the pole vault NCAA lead. The Cabot, Arkansas native has been the top collegiate-performer through seven-consecutive competitions including the 2016 SEC and NCAA Indoor Championships.

Two more Razorback freshmen had productive days as Sydney Brown and Kelsey Herman opened their outdoor seasons with event victories in the 3,000-meter run and long jump respectively. Brown ran away from her competition picking up a new personal best of 9:37.64 at 3,000 meters and coming through 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher. Herman (6.19m/20-3.75) won in the same dominant fashion leaping over 4 inches further than the long jump second-place performer to earn the No. 10 spot on Arkansas’s all-time best list.

Three-time NCAA champion Dominique Scott closed the spectacular night for the Razorbacks with an outstanding race at 1,500 meters. The Capetown, South Africa native wasted no time making her move in the race as sprinting out to the front of the pack upon the sound of the gun. Scott distanced herself from her competitors and made quick work of the four laps to cross the finish line in a 2016 NCAA best of 4:15.61. The Arkansas distance phenom was joined in the top three by teammates Devin Clark (4:24.39) and Valerie Reina (4:26.34) who finished second and third respectively — Clark with the seventh best NCAA performance of the season.

Arkansas will travel to Palo Alto, California for the Stanford Invitational and Austin, Texas for the Texas Relays next weekend as they continue their preparation for the outdoor championship season.

Arkansas Spring Invitational
John McDonnell Field
Fayetteville, Ark.

100 Meters
Kiara Parker (7) – 11.69
Payton Stumbaugh (8) 11.69
Kaylee McCarthy (28) – 12.38

200 Meters
Taylor Ellis-Watson (1) – 22.70
Payton Stumbaugh (3) – 23.48
Kiara Parker (7) – 23.81
Daina Harper (9) – 24.06
Kelsey Herman (11) – 24.16
Alex Gochenour (13) – 24.45
Kaylee McCarthy (23) – 25.31

400 Meters
Ceara Watson (7) – 56.21

800 Meters (Seeded)
Kailee Sawyer (7) – 2:15.00

1,500 Meters (Seeded)
Dominique Scott (1) – 4:15.61
Devin Clark (2) – 4:24.39
Valerie Reina (3) – 4:26.34
Regan Ward (unattached) (4) – 4:28.29

3,000 Meters
Sydney Brown (1) – 9:37.64
Aubree Worden (3) – 9:57.96
Kelsey Schrader (9) – 10:18.25
Logan Bishop (10) – 10:20.64

100 Meter Hurdles
Alex Gochenour (1) – 13.21
Taliyah Brooks (3) – 13.24
Kelsey Herman (4) – 13.33
Jaela Williams (12) – 14.13

400 Meter Hurdles
Brianna Swinton (1) – 59.04
Leigha Brown (2) – 59.06
Damajahnee Birch (3) – 59.49
Jaela Williams (21) – 1:07.45

3,000 Meter Steeplechase
Annika Sisson (4) – 10:57.32

4×100 Meter Relay
Arkansas A – DNF

4×400 Meter Relay
Arkansas B – 3:42.06

High Jump
Kelsey Herman (2) – 1.70m/5-7
Carmen Sitz (7) – 1.60m/5-3
Alyssa Parker (14) – 1.50m/4-11

Pole Vault
Lexi Weeks (1) – 4.50m/14-9
Tori Weeks (2) – 4.30m/14-1.25
Megan Zimlich (4) – 4.10m/13-5.25
Desiree Freier (5) – 4.10m/13-5.25
Ariel Voskamp (7) – 4.00m/13-1.50
Rylee Robinson (9) – 3.70m/12-1.50
Ariel LaChance (14) – 3.50m/11-5.75
Stephanie Diettinger (16) – 3.30m/10-10

Long Jump
Kelsey Herman (1) – 6.19m/20-3.75
Rachel Jantzi (24) – 3.87m/12-8.50
Taliyah Brooks – FOUL

Triple Jump
Rachel Jantzi – FOUL

Javelin
Keiryn Swenson (4) – 41.59m/136-5

Shot Put
Micah Dennis – FOUL

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