Williams wins the 400 at McDonnell Field

FAYETTEVILLE – Junior Shelise Williams won the 400 meters, sophomore Tina Sutej won the pole vault and the 4×400-meter relay picked up a victory for No. 23 Arkansas Razorback women’s track and field at the John McDonnell Invitational on Saturday.

"We really had a good day in some great conditions," head coach Lance Harter said. "Once the wind died down it turned into a great day for competing. Tina Sutej is returning to form in the pole vault and it’s good to see that event coming together for us. Leah Orley and Brittany Hyter turned in some great hurdles races. Shelise Williams and Regina George stole the show in the sprints and we ended with a strong mile relay team. Miranda Walker also had a positive showing in the 1,500 meters."

To open the running finals, junior Edina Brooks, freshman Regina George, junior Shelise Williams and sophomore Whitney Jones combined for a time of 45.20 and a second-place finish in the 4×100-meter relay. The Razorbacks won the final running event of the day, the 4×400-meter relay. The "A" team of senior Karen Thomas, George, Williams and Jones won the event with a time of 3:37.41.

Arkansas’ "B" team of Brooks, freshman Gwendolyn Flowers, sophomore Brittany Hyter and freshman Leah Orley finished second with a time of 3:41.50.

Williams won the invitational 400 meters. She clocked a time of 52.29, ranking her No. 2 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the SEC. George was second in the invitational 400 meters with her personal-best time of 53.31. Brooks was third with a personal-best time of 54.00.

Sophomore Tina Sutej finished second overall and first among collegians in the pole vault. She cleared a season- and personal-best height of 14-1.75. Senior Katie Stripling finished third with a clearance of 13-9.25 and senior Janice Keppler was fourth with a height of 13-3.25. Junior Shantel Thompson finished eighth in the long jump. Her best leap of the day measured 18-1 (2.4w).

Orley won the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 59.78. She clocked a personal-best time of 14.45 (2.2w) to finish sixth in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles. She clocked a prelim time of 14.64 (2.9w). She also finished sixth in the javelin (112-11) and ninth in the long jump (17-8.75).

Hyter finished second in the 100-meter hurdles. She clocked a prelim time of 13.60 (2.9w) and improved to 13.54 (2.2w) in the finals. Both times are personal bests. She also finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:00.20.

Freshman Rachel Werner finished sixth in the finals of the 100 meters. She clocked a prelim time of 12.17 and a final time of 12.07 (2.0w). Her final time is a personal best. She also finished eighth in the 200 meters with a personal-best clocking of 24.74 (2.3w). Also in the 200 meters, Flowers was sixth in 24.52 (2.3w) and Thomas was third in 24.23 (2.3w). Both times are personal bests.

In the invitational 200 meters, George was second overall and first among collegians with her personal-best time of 23.56 (2.5w). Jones was third with a personal-best time of 23.81 (2.5w). Brooks was fifth in 24.23 (2.5w).

Sophomore Cali George clocked a personal-best time of 10:53.41 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to finish second. Senior Miranda Walker finished sixth in the invitational 1,500 meters. She clocked a time of 4:28.69 in her first collegiate 1,500-meter race. Sophomore Taylor Johnson was 13th in the invitational 1,500 meters. She finished in a time of 4:36.49.

At Saturday’s meet, the women’s outdoor track and field award winner for the 100 Years of the Razorback: Fan of the Century was recognized, Constantino Garcia. Garcia won the grand prize drawing that includes a travel bag of Razorback track and field equipment.

The Razorbacks will compete next when they travel to Walnut, Calif. for the Mt. SAC Relays, Thurs.-Sat., April 15-17.

Download: CompiledResults.pdf