Arkansas advances seven, including trio in 400m at USATF
EUGENE – Arkansas alum Taliyah Brooks is currently in second place in the heptathlon at the USATF Championships while eight athletes advanced from the first round of their respective events at Hayward Field on Thursday.
The lone final involving an Arkansas athlete on the initial day was in the 10,000m with Jacob McLeod placing 24th with a time of 30:22.37.
Scoring 3,890 points through the first four events of the heptathlon, Brooks trails the leading score of 4,009 by Anna Hall. Chari Hawkins is currently third with 3,831 points. In the decathlon, Daniel Spejcher is 15th with a tally of 3,861 points.
In qualifying races, Chris Bailey produced the leading time in the men’s 400m with a 45.05 over Vernon Norwood (45.06) and Bryce Deadmon (45.12) from the same heat. James Benson II, another Razorback in the prelims, did not finish.
Three Razorbacks advanced in the women’s 400m. Britton Wilson led the trio with a time of 50.08 behind the leading time of 49.79 by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Rosey Effiong (51.35) and Paris Peoples (51.95) raced in the same heat, finishing first and third to secure automatic qualification to the semifinal.
Arkansas alums Logan Jolly and Krissy Gear raced in the same prelim heat of the 3,000m steeplechase and finished 1-2 in the race with times of 9:48.46 and 9:48.41. They were ninth and 10th overall with a faster second heat.
Another alum, Nikki Hiltz, claimed the final prelim heat of the 1,500m in 4:11.55 to earn an automatic qualification to the final.
Incoming Razorback freshman Shawnti Jackson advanced in the women’s 100m with an 11.05w (2.1 wind) to place second in her heat behind an 11.03w for Morolake Akinosun.
Brooks started the heptathlon with the leading score in the 100m hurdles as her 12.98 produced 1,127 points over the 1,112 scored by Hall with a 13.08. Brooks equaled her career best of 6-0.5 (1.84) in the high jump for 1,029 points while Hall countered with a 6-1.5 (1.87) for 1,067. Hall moved into the lead by 23 points.
A mark of 49-7.75 (12.90) by Brooks in the shot put was fifth best overall for 721 points. A 23.67 was third best in the 200m for 1,013 points.
Marks for Spejcher included 11.07 in the 100m, 22-2.5 (6.77) long jump, 49-7.75 (15.13) shot put, 6-2.75 (1.90) high jump, and 51.57 in the 400m.
Arkansas alum Jada Baylark ran 11.22w for seventh in the same heat as Jackson, the only windy race among the four prelim heats. In the men’s 100m, Marqueze Washington posted a time of 10.32. Austen Dalquist contested the men’s 1,500m, clocking 3:44.08 to place 24th overall.