Razorbacks Touted As Preseason Power
NEW ORLEANS – An undeniable juggernaut year after year, the Arkansas women’s track and field team enters its 2018 indoor season as the No. 2 team in the USTFCCCA preseason national rankings.
The Razorbacks are sandwiched between familiar foes with national rival Oregon at No. 1 and league rival and third-ranked Georgia. Along with Arkansas and Georgia, eight additional Southeastern Conference teams including No. 6 Florida, No. 7 LSU, No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 15 Mississippi State, No. 17 South Carolina and No. 20 Alabama earned a spot in the preseason polls.
Six-Headed Pentathlon/Pole Vault Monster
Arkansas returns a loaded roster complete with remarkable depth in the pentathlon and pole vault events. Head coach Lance Harter’s 2018 squad features three All-American multi-event performers including two-time NCAA pentathlon runner-up Taliyah Brooks, Payton Stumbaugh Chadwick and Kelsey Herman. Elsewhere in the field, All-American pole vaulter trio of Deisree Freier, Tori (Weeks) Hoggard and Lexi (Weeks) Jacobus also look to be a formidable force and major contributors to Arkansas’ run toward a third NCAA title.
Off the Course, Back to the Track
With a successful cross country season behind them, All-Americans Devin Clark, Nikki Hiltz and Taylor Werner will lead the way for the Razorbacks on the track. Last season, Hiltz put up big points for the Razorbacks during the indoor and outdoor seasons, placing sixth in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships and second in the 1,500-meter at its outdoor counterpart.
Waiting in the Wings: Impact Freshman
Janeek Brown | Hurdles | Wolmer’s Girls School
• 2015 U-18 CARIFTA Games 100-meter hurdles champion
• 2015 Jamaican Champs Class 2 100-meter hurdles champion
Ashton Endsley | Middle Distance | Abilene HS
• 2017 TX UIL 6A State Championships 3,200-meter runner-up
• 2017 TX UIL 6A State Championships 1,600-meter third place
Morgan Burks Magee | Sprints | Rockwall-Heath HS
• 2017 TX UIL 6A State Championships 400-meter champion
• 2017 TX UIL 6A Region II Championships 100-meter third place
Carlie Queen | Jumps | Summit Christian HS
• 2017 USATF Jr Championships high jump third place
• 2017 MSHSAA Class 3 State Championships high jump champion
Joy Ripslinger | Middle Distance | Assumption HS
• 2017 New Balance Nationals (Indoor) and USATF Jr (Outdoor) All-American at 800 meters
• 2017 IHSAA 3A State Championships 400, 800, 1,500 and 3,000-meter champion
Arkansas will open the year this Friday at home, hosting the Arkansas Invitational at the Randal Tyson Track Center. Season tickets and passes are available online, contacting the Razorback Athletics Ticket Center at 800-982-HOGS, or visiting in person. The Ticket Center is located just east of Baum Stadium at 1295 S. Razorback Road in Fayetteville.
For the latest information on Arkansas men’s and women’s track and field, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
