NCAA Championship weekend next stage for No. 5 Arkansas

EUGENE, Ore. — A potent Arkansas Razorback squad will enter Hayward Field as defending champions this week from its 2019 national outdoor title with the University of Oregon hosting the NCAA Outdoor Championships from June 9-12.

Coverage of the NCAA Championships will air on ESPN2 and ESPNU with field events available on ESPN3.

“To have this many qualifiers into the NCAA Championships we were very fortunate,” noted Arkansas women’s head coach Lance Harter. “Now we just need to make sure all those bullets hit the target as best they can.”

The No. 5 Razorbacks, who compete on Thursday and Saturday, advanced 17 entries in 11 events from the NCAA West Preliminary round, third best entry total among the women’s teams. USC led with 20, followed by 19 for LSU.

“Our team scoring total is going to come from all angles,” stated Harter. “If we can get some 1s, 2s, and 3s, then that makes a big difference. If we have others who can contend for a win or be right up near a win, those totals add up pretty quick.”

Arkansas hosted and won the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championship in March and then placed 10th in the NCAA Cross Country Championships held two days later.

In USTFCCCA’s Terry Crawford Program of the Year, the Razorbacks currently have a total of 11 points, trailing BYU (8) by three. The Cougars placed seventh indoors and then captured the cross country title.

While Arkansas ranks No. 5 in the latest USTFCCCA national rating index, BYU is ranked 11th. If those positions hold through the NCAA meet, then the Razorbacks would hold a three-point edge over the Cougars for the program of the year honor.

The battle for the national championship outdoors will likely be a very tight tussle between No. 1 LSU, No. 2 USC and No. 3 Texas A&M.

“LSU will probably go in as the favorite with Southern California having a very experienced and deep team as well,” said Harter. “Texas A&M is the one most people don’t pay as much attention to, because they’ll only strike in about five or six events, but they potential can win each of those events. They can end up scoring in the 50 to 60 range very quickly as could LSU or USC.

“There are seven teams that could score 40 points or more and we’re in that conversation.”

Seven SEC programs are ranked among the top 10 heading into the NCAA Championship weekend. Other teams include No. 4 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 9 Florida.

Finals on Thursday include the pole vault, long jump and 10,000m for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas, who has scored points in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor meet 16 of the past 17 years, has three vaulters in the field – Lauren Martinez, Mackenzie Hayward, and Bailee McCorkle, who was an All-American during the NCAA Indoor meet in placing eighth.

This is the sixth time in the last seven NCAA Outdoors held in which multiple Razorbacks have qualified for the national meet and it’s the fifth occasion in that span, and sixth time overall, for Arkansas to advance three vaulters.

G’Auna Edwards contests the long jump while Katie Izzo races in the 10,000m.

Tiana Wilson was one of just two sprinters to qualify in four events from the NCAA Preliminary rounds in the 100, 200, 4×100 and 4×400. The other sprinter is Symone Wilson of LSU.

Joining Wilson in semifinal races on Thursday is Jada Baylark in the 100, 200, and 4×100. Krissy Gear races in the 1,500m while Shafiqua Maloney is in the 800m. Arkansas advanced three in the 100m hurdles with Daszay Freeman, Yoveinny Mota, and Jayla Hollis, and the Razorbacks are in both relay events.

Saturday’s final day will have Lauren Gregory in the 5,000m along with others who advance from the semifinal round.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS | Arkansas Schedule

Thursday | June 10

CT	PT	Event	Round	Entries
5:32 p.m.	3:32 p.m.	W 4×100 Relay	Semifinal	Arkansas
5:46 p.m.	3:46 p.m.	W 1,500m	Semifinal	Krissy Gear
6:00 p.m.	4:00 p.m.	W Pole Vault	FINAL	Lauren Martinez, Mackenzie Hayward, Bailee McCorkle
6:32 p.m.	4:32 p.m.	W 100m Hurdles	Semifinal	Daszay Freeman, Yoveinny Mota, Jayla Hollis
6:46 p.m.	4:46 p.m.	W 100m	Semifinal	Tiana Wilson, Jada Baylark
7:00 p.m.	5:00 p.m.	W Long Jump	FINAL	G’Auna Edwards
7:14 p.m.	5:14 p.m.	W 800m	Semifinal	Shafiqua Maloney
7:44 p.m.	5:44 p.m.	W 200m	Semifinal	Jada Baylark, Tiana Wilson
8:08 p.m.	6:08 p.m.	W 10,000m	FINAL	Katie Izzo
8:48 p.m.	6:48 p.m.	W 4×400 Relay	Semifinal	Arkansas

Saturday | June 12

5:02 p.m.	3:02 p.m.	W 4×100 Relay	FINAL	(Arkansas)
5:11 p.m.	3:11 p.m.	W 1,500m	FINAL	(Gear)
5:42 p.m.	3:42 p.m.	W 100m Hurdles	FINAL	(Freeman, Mota, Hollis)
5:52 p.m.	3:52 p.m.	W 100m	FINAL	(Wilson, Baylark)
6:14 p.m.	4:14 p.m.	W 800m	FINAL	(Maloney)
6:37 p.m.	4:37 p.m.	W 200m	FINAL	(Baylark, Wilson)
6:55 p.m.	4:55 p.m.	W 5,000m	FINAL	Lauren Gregory
7:21 p.m.	5:21 p.m.	W 4×400 Relay	FINAL	(Arkansas)