Despite late DQ in 4x400 relay denying Arkansas a third straight victory in the event, Glenn equals collegiate record in high jump at 6-6.75 (2.00m) and team showcases strength in sprints with sweep of top three spots in 400 to hold off Florida by 55-50 margin, despite 3,000 and 5,000 double by Valby; Ford prevails in 200 in 22.34 and anchors South Carolina to relay win, with Lyston elevating to No. 2 all-time at 7.03 in 60 and Whittaker edging Rose in 800 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

BOSTON, Mass. – When a lineup is as deep, versatile and cohesive as the Arkansas women’s track and field team, with the right balance of elite global competitors and a strong supporting cast, even a disqualification in the 4x400-meter relay wasn’t enough to derail the Razorbacks’ quest to capture the program’s 50th national championship.

Arkansas was looking to become the first women’s quartet in NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships history to win three consecutive 4x400 titles, and the Razorbacks believed they had achieved the feat Saturday to punctuate a fifth team crown at the TRACK at New Balance.

But Arkansas was penalized following the race for multiple steps on the lane line during the final event, resulting in South Carolina capturing the 4x400 championship in 3:26.20.

Despite having the 10 points subtracted from their total, the Razorbacks had already done enough by relying on Rachel Glenn matching the collegiate record in the high jump with a 6-6.75 (2.00m) clearance and Amber Anning, Nickisha Pryce and Rosey Effiong taking the top three spots in the 400-meter final to accumulate 55 points, holding off a Florida group that received a sweep of the 3,000 and 5,000 titles from Parker Valby as part of its 50-point performance.

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Georgia took third with 33 points and Oregon finished fourth at 31 points, with both teams benefiting from the Arkansas disqualification to secure sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 4x400. Oregon was originally tied for fourth with Ole Miss at 30 points, but by elevating one place in the relay, the Ducks secured sole possession of the final spot on the team podium.

Arkansas has won all five women’s indoor championships in the past nine years, but this one was the first under the guidance of coach Chris Johnson, following the retirement of coach Lance Harter last year.

The Razorbacks also achieved back-to-back indoor crowns for the first time, becoming the first program to achieve the feat since Oregon in 2016-17. And the same group that contributed Arkansas’ 49th team championship last year in New Mexico also wound up being responsible for delivering No. 50 to the Fayetteville faithful.

Glenn was the catalyst Saturday for the Razorbacks, with the high jump final concluding several hours before the rest of the women’s schedule started, not only winning her first career indoor title, but matching the collegiate all-time mark achieved Feb. 24 by Texas A&M standout and Jamaican competitor Lamara Distin with a first-attempt 2-meter clearance.

Glenn, who missed last season with a torn left patellar tendon, secured her first NCAA title since winning the outdoor crown in 2021 as a freshman at South Carolina.

Distin, who was attempting to become the second female athlete in collegiate indoor history to win three consecutive high jump championships, was unable to respond following Glenn’s 6-6.75 clearance and placed second at 6-5.50 (1.97m).

Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko, representing Cyprus, took third at 6-3.25 (1.91m), edging Nigerian competitor and Texas Tech freshman Temitope Adeshina, who finished fourth based on overall misses.

Arkansas then relied on its strength to deliver in the biggest possible way in the 400 final, capturing 24 points after British athlete Anning won the title in 50.79, Jamaican competitor Pryce secured second in 51.0 and Effiong took third in 51.03.

Much like the distance medley relay quartet of Mia Cochran, Joanne Reid, Sanu Jallow and Tiana LoStracco finishing fourth Friday in 10:56.15 to earn five impactful points, Destiny Huven seized her moment in the spotlight Saturday by clocking a lifetime-best 7.99 to place fourth in the 60-meter hurdles final, won by USC’s Jasmine Jones in a personal-best 7.77 to ascend to the No. 3 all-time collegiate competitor, with Florida’s Grace Stark earning second in 7.81 and LSU’s Alia Armstrong grabbing third in 7.94.

Effiong (23.10), Pryce (23.18) and Anning (23.62) added six more points by placing sixth, seventh and eighth in the 200, with South Carolina standout JaMeesia Ford prevailing in 22.34 to improve on her performances as the fastest freshman in collegiate indoor history, No. 4 all-time overall and the American Under-20 indoor record holder, eclipsing her 22.36 efforts at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational and SEC Championships.

McKenzie Long of Ole Miss was runner-up in the 200 in 22.51, followed by Oregon’s Jadyn Mays at 22.60, Georgia’s Kaila Jackson clocking 22.63 and Tennessee’s Jacious Sears running 22.69 to place fifth.

Zaya Akins, Jahnile Registre and Jayla Jamison joined Ford on the South Carolina 4x400, with USC elevating to second in 3:27.62.

Although Valby won the 3,000 in a championship meet record 8:41.50, Kenyan competitor Flomena Asekol didn’t finish the race and Florida didn’t have a 4x400 relay in the final, placing their ceiling at 50 points, allowing Arkansas’ marks in the 200 to be the determining factors in the final outcome following the 4x400 disqualification.

Nia Robinson, representing Jamaica, also delivered a significant performance by finishing fourth in the long jump Friday for the Razorbacks, contributing five points with her personal-best 21-6.25 (6.56m) effort.

In addition to Valby accounting for 20 points with her distance double, Stark secured sixth in 7.20 in the 60-meter dash final, in addition to her runner-up performance in the 60 hurdles and Claire Bryant securing second in the long jump at 22-0.25 (6.71m)..

Alida Van Daalen, a Dutch competitor, placed fifth in the women’s shot put at 58-2.50 (17.74m) for the Gators, who also took third in the DMR in 10:54.40 and had Asekol earn eighth in the mile in 4:35.34.

Harvard’s Maia Ramsden, a New Zealand athlete, won the mile title in a championship meet record 4:25.13.

Billah Jepkirui, representing Kenya, surged late to finish second in a personal-best 4:27.14, just ahead of New Zealand competitor Kimberley May of Providence and her lifetime-best 4:27.36.

Georgetown’s Melissa Riggins also achieved a personal-best 4:29.02 for fourth, Virginia’s Margot Appleton lowered her lifetime-best to 4:29.07 to take fifth and West Virginia’s Ceili McCabe, representing Canada, secured sixth by clocking 4:29.26, also producing the fastest performance of her career.

The highly anticipated matchup in the 800 final didn’t disappoint, with Stanford sophomore Juliette Whittaker rallying late to edge LSU’s Michaela Rose by a 1:59.53 to 1:59.81 margin.

Rose was third behind Stanford’s Roisin Willis and Whittaker last year at the Division 1 indoor final in Albuquerque, with the LSU standout capturing the NCAA outdoor championship in Austin, Texas. Rose is still No. 2 in collegiate indoor history at 1:59.25 and now boasts three of the top five all-time performances, with Whittaker surpassing Willis as the No. 3 performer overall.

BYU’s Meghan Hunter clocked 2:02.15 for third, holding off Australian athlete Hayley Kitching of Penn State in 2:02.16.

Although Valby triumphed in the 3,000, BYU followed its DMR victory and strong performances Friday in the 5,000, with Lexy Halladay-Lowry finishing fourth in 8:53.08, Riley Chamberlain securing sixth in 8:56.89 and Sadie Sargent grabbing ninth in 9:02.90.

Olivia Markezich, who was caught on the anchor of the DMR by Chamberlain on Friday, resulting in Notre Dame placing second by a 10:51.42 to 10:53.14, led through the 2-kilometer mark of the 3,000 final, before Valby showcased her strength in the final five laps again.

Markezich earned another runner-up finish in 8:46.71, with Kenyan competitor and Alabama freshman Doris Lemngole taking third in 8:50.70 and teammate Hilda Olemomoi placing fifth in 8:55.88.

Brianna Lyston, a Jamaican competitor, elevated to the No. 2 all-time collegiate competitor in the 60-meter dash by running 7.03 to capture the title for LSU, with Jackson placing second in 7.08.

Lyston missed the indoor season last year as a result of injury, but returned to become the first LSU female sprinter to capture the championship since Aleia Hobbs in 2018.

Mays took third in 7.12, Sears was fourth in 7.13 and Florida State’s Shenese Walker earned fifth in 7.19.

Texas Tech standout Ruta Lasmane, representing Latvia, ascended to the No. 4 indoor performer in collegiate history in the triple jump final, prevailing with a third-round effort of 47-5.75 (14.47m).

San Jose State’s Emilia Sjostrand, the No. 2 all-time indoor athlete in Sweden, secured second place at 45-0.25 (13.72m), with Canadian competitor Mikeisha Welcome of Georgia taking third with a mark of 44-11.75 (13.71m).

Virginia Tech’s Victoria Gorlova, a Russian athlete, finished fourth with a personal-best 44-9.50 (13.65m).

Colorado State’s Mya Lesnar overcame a sluggish start in the shot put final to deliver a 60-9.50 (18.53m) performance in the fourth round, becoming the first female athlete in program history to capture an indoor title.

Oregon’s Jaida Ross secured second with a fourth-round mark of 60-7.25 (18.47m) and Jalani Davis of Ole Miss followed her weight throw victory Thursday by taking third in the shot put at 59-6.75 (18.15m).