No. 2 Razorbacks Heading to Eugene with 17 Qualifiers
AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 2 University of Arkansas women’s track and field team closed out the NCAA West Preliminary with five more national qualifiers Saturday. With their performances during the three-day meet and additional heptathlon entries, the Razorbacks are sending 17 qualifiers to the NCAA Championships which will be held June 10-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
#NCAATF Qualifiers
Amethyst Boyd – javelin
Taliyah Brooks – 100m hurdles
Taliyah Brooks – heptathlon
Taylor Ellis-Watson – 400 meters
Desiree Freier – pole vault
Alex Gochenour – 100m hurdles
Alex Gochenour – heptathlon
Jessica Kamilos – 3,000m steeplechase
Shannon Klenke – 3,000m steeplechase
Sandi Morris – pole vault
Diane Robison – 10,000 meters
Dominique Scott – 5,000 meters
Dominique Scott – 10,000 meters
Rebekka Simko – 800 meters
Ariel Voskamp – pole vault
Chrishuna Williams – 800 meters
Briana Swinton/Chrishuna Williams/Regine Williams/Taylor Ellis-Watson – 4x400m
Competing in their third event of the weekend, multi-event standouts Taliyah Brooks and Alex Gochenour added the 100-meter hurdles to their NCAA schedules. Brooks finished seventh overall in the three-heat quarterfinal round with a time of 13.28 while Gochenour secured her spot in Eugene in 11th place at 13.40. Both Razorbacks have already qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon.
Dominique Scott will be doubling at the NCAA Championships after Saturday’s qualifying run at 5,000 meters. Bunched in the lead pack for the last half of the race, Scott turned it on over the final 400 meters to win her heat and finished with a time of 15:50.07 as the top overall qualifier. On the first day of the NCAA West Preliminary, she qualified for the national meet at 10,000 meters. Scott set school records in both events during the outdoor season.
Scheduled to be the first Razorback in action but delayed by lightning, school-record holder Amethyst Boyd advanced to the NCAA Championships in the javelin for the second-consecutive year. Competing in the final flight, she recorded a best mark of 47.92m/157-3 on her first throw of the competition. Boyd finished ninth overall and enters the NCAA meet with a season’s best of 159-3 from the SEC Championships.
In the final event of the weekend, the 4×400-meter relay team of Brianna Swinton, Chrishuna Williams, Regine Williams and Taylor Ellis-Watson won their heat and finished third overall with a season-best time of 3:30.74. Chrishuna Williams is a past NCAA champion in the event as a member of the victorious 2013 team. She will also compete at 800 meters at the NCAA Championships while Ellis-Watson has individual duties at 400 meters.
2015 NCAA West Preliminary | Day 3
Mike A. Myers Stadium
Austin, Texas
1,500 Meters (quarterfinal)
21. Therese Haiss – 4:25.69
100m Hurdles (quarterfinal)
7. Taliyah Brooks – 13.28Q
11. Alex Gochenour – 13.40Q
5,000 Meters (semifinal)
1. Dominique Scott – 15:50.07Q
28. Diane Robison – 16:50.40
44. Valerie Reina – 17:34.80
4x400m Relay (quarterfinal)
3. Swinton/C. Williams/R. Williams/Ellis-Watson – 3:30.74Q
Javelin (first round)
9. Amethyst Boyd – 47.92m/157-3Q
Q – national qualifier
For more information on Arkansas track and field including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter.
