Robert Black

Reed And Werner Pursue Podium In Peru

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Cross country season may be around the corner, but track and field remains the top priority for rising sophomores Maddy Reed and Taylor Werner.

Reed and Werner will compete at the 2017 Pan-American Junior Championships on July 21-23 in Trujillo, Peru as members of the United States’ junior team.

The young distance duo closed out their freshmen collegiate campaigns for Arkansas as NCAA outdoor qualifiers and found further success later in the summer on the national stage at the 2017 USATF Junior Championships. Both runners earned spots on Team USA by topping the podium in their respective events – Reed in the 1,500 and Werner in the 3,000.

“Maddy was not going to be denied a spot on that team,” head coach Lance Harter said. “She knew Taylor was going to make it so she really changed gears on the last lap and flew to a lifetime best by four seconds. It’s great to have two young talents motivating each other and I’m excited to see how they perform this weekend.”

Peru-bound with their 82 compatriots, Reed and Werner look to rise to the occasion once more, hoping to earn glory for the USA.  Reed will be the first Razorback on the track, scheduled to compete in the 1,500 semifinal at 9:10 a.m. CT on July 21. Werner will race for gold in the 3,000 final that afternoon at 4:05 p.m.

Upon their return, the pair will shed their red, white and blue for cardinal red and white, resuming their roles on the perennial top-ranked Arkansas women’s cross country team.

2017 Cross Country Schedule
Fri, Sept. 1 – Cowboy Duals (Stillwater, Okla.)
Sat, Sept. 16 – Riverside Invitational (Riverside, Calif.)
Sat, Sept. 16 – Southern Stampede (Joplin, Mo.)
Sat, Sept. 30 – Chile Pepper Festival (Agri Park)
Sat, Sept. 30 – Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Sat, Oct. 14 – Pre-Nationals (Louisville, Ky.)
Fri, Oct. 27 – SEC Championship (Athens, Ga.)
Fri, Nov. 10 – NCAA South Central Regional (College Station, Texas)
Sat, Nov. 18 – NCAA Championship (Louisville, Ky.)

Bold denotes a home event.

For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.