Razorbacks offset three individual titles by Trojans with 43 points in final four events, including 21 from pole vaulters, to capture first team crown since 2015; Oregon’s Hull earns second championship with 3,000 victory, Ohio State’s Olatoye, Rizk also triumph

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

USC’s speed appeared to have the Trojans on the fast track to potentially capture their first women’s team title Saturday at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships.

RESULTS | POST-RACE INTERVIEWS | PRE-MEET INTERVIEWS

But Arkansas relied on a strong finish, highlighted by the most decorated pole vaulting trio in collegiate history, to accumulate 43 points in the final four events and secure its first crown since 2015 and second overall at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

Arkansas rallied from a 41-19 deficit through 13 events to produce a 62-51 victory over the Trojans, who matched their best indoor finish from 1986.

Senior Lexi Jacobus became the first female pole vaulter in Division 1 history to win three indoor titles, clearing 15 feet, 1.50 inches (4.61m), with twin sister Tori Hoggard and fifth-year senior Desiree Freier both clearing 14-7.50 (4.46m) to place third and fourth, as the Razorbacks amassed 21 points to close the deficit to 48-46 with only two events left.

Jacobus also equaled the achievement of Indiana State’s Kylie Hutson (2009-10) with her fourth career national pole vault title, tying for the most in Division 1 history. It marked the third consecutive year that Jacobus, Hoggard and Freier all earned All-America honors, combining for 51.5 points during that span.

Jacobus and Hoggard also became the only teammates in Division 1 history in any event to receive All-America recognition together in four consecutive years.

Taylor Werner (9:01.75) and Lauren Gregory (9:08.0) placed second and seventh in the 3,000 meters to give Arkansas a 56-48 advantage, before the Razorbacks added to their lead with a third-place finish in the 4x400 relay in 3:30.86, ahead of two-time champion USC, which finished sixth in 3:32.47.

Senior Payton Chadwick finished third in both the 60-meter hurdles in 7.97 seconds and the 200 meters in 22.99, along with contributing to the title-clinching 4x400 relay for Arkansas, which scored in eight events overall.

The Trojans excelled in the sprints and hurdles, with sophomores combining for three individual victories, the most for the USC women in a single year at the indoor finals.

Chanel Brissett captured the 60-meter hurdles in 7.90 seconds, Twanisha Terry secured the 60-meter dash in 7.14 seconds and Kaelin Roberts won the 400 in 51.50.

USC scored all of its points in five track events, producing three All-Americans in the 60-meter hurdles, becoming the first team in Division 1 history to achieve the feat, along with two All-Americans in the 200.

Oregon placed third overall with 32 points, led by senior Jessica Hull, who followed her impressive anchor leg on the victorious distance medley relay Friday to add the 3,000 title Saturday in 9:01.14.

Ohio State finished fourth with 28 points, including a pair of first-time champions.

Senior Sade Olatoye rebounded from a fifth-place finish Friday in the shot put to win the weight throw with a fourth-round effort of 80-3 (24.46m), elevating to the No. 3 all-time collegiate indoor performer.

Senior Julia Rizk surged past 2017 national champion Karisa Nelson of Samford in the final 50 meters of the mile to prevail by a 4:37.63 by a 4:38.24 margin, giving the Buckeyes their first national indoor title in any distance event.

North Carolina A&T senior Kayla White achieved an impressive double, winning the 200 in 22.66 and placing second in the 60 hurdles in 7.92 seconds. White became only the third female athlete in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history to capture a national indoor title.

South Carolina, led by 400 runner-up Aliyah Abrams (52.27), won its first 4x400 title since 2007 by clocking 3:30.76 to edge Texas A&M in 3:30.85. Stephanie Davis, Tatyana Mills and Wadeline Jonathas joined Abrams in producing the fifth national indoor 4x400 championship for the Gamecocks.

Penn State junior Danae Rivers held off a late challenge from Penn junior Nia Akins in the 800 final to capture the title by a 2:03.69 to 2:03.74 margin.

Following a third-place finish Friday in the long jump, Florida senior Yanis David won her first career national title in the triple jump with a sixth-round effort of 46-0.50 (14.03m). It marked the first championship for Florida in the event since Ciarra Brewer in 2015 and fifth straight crown for the Southeastern Conference after Georgia’s Keturah Orji won the past three titles.

Texas Tech senior Zarriea Willis, a three-time All-American, captured her first national high jump title with a third-attempt clearance at 6-1.25 (1.87m).

Red Raiders teammate Chinne Okoronkwo also made Division 1 indoor history by not only qualifying for the finals in the pole vault and triple jump, but earning All-America honors in both events. Okoronkwo finished eighth in both competitions, clearing 13-11.75 (4.26m) in the pole vault and producing a leap of 42-11.75 (13.10m) in the triple jump.