Razorbacks open outdoor season at Texas Relays, Stanford Invite
AUSTIN – Arkansas opens the outdoor season this weekend competing at the 96th Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium from Wednesday through Saturday. Meanwhile, a group of Razorback distance runners will compete at the Stanford Invitational on Friday.
Coverage of the Texas Relays will be available on the Longhorn Network while the Stanford Invitational will be available on FloTrack.
Texas Relays | Longhorn Network: Wednesday 6:30 p.m., Thursday 7 p.m., Friday 9:30 a.m. & 5 p.m., Saturday 1:30 p.m.
The Razorbacks are entered in seven relay events at the Texas Relays – 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400 University, 4 x 400 University Invitational, 4 x 800, Sprint Medley, and Distance Medley.
Arkansas has previously won 10 relay titles at the Texas Relays – 4 x 400 (2010), 4 x 400 University (2023), 4 x 800 (2005, 2010), Sprint Medley (2007, 2011, 2015, 2016), and Distance Medley (2000, 2005).
Twice the Razorbacks have claimed a pair of relay titles in the same year at the Texas Relays – 2005 in the 4 x 800 and distance medley, then in 2010 in the 4 x 400 and 4 x 800.
“We’re ready to get going with the outdoor season,” stated Arkansas women’s head coach Chris Johnson. “Now it’s time to move on and open up the outdoor season with the same goals in mind.
“Primarily we will be racing in relays and also have some individual events. The goal is to run some relays and kind of break ourselves in for the outdoor season.”
Johnson first competed at the Texas Relays in 1995 with Lamar University when the track was located in Memorial Stadium, the Longhorn’s football facility.
“Being from Texas, personally, the Texas Relays are near and dear to my heart. Arkansas has usually gone to the Texas Relays, for the most part, and has a good rivalry with Texas, who is always ready to run fast. It’s important from a recruiting stand point. It’s also important from a coaching stand point and a competition stand point. Plus, Texas will be in our conference next year.
“It expands our brand. Texas is a great track state, but along with Texas there are a lot of high school kids are from all over the place who are coming to compete at the Texas Relays as well. So, we can get out there and expose our brand. People connect Arkansas with track and field. It’s a fantastic ability to display our talents basically in my home state, but also a tradition of Arkansas going to the Texas Relays.”
Sara Van Aken starts off the competition for the Razorbacks with the heptathlon on Wednesday and Thursday, which begins at 10:30 a.m. each day. Aken sports a career best of 5,456 points in the heptathlon which was set in placing fifth in the 2023 SEC Championships.
Thursday competition also includes the pole vault with Marin Chamberlin and Hannah Estes as well as the prelims in the 400m hurdles for Rachel Glenn and middle distance finals in the 800m and 1,500m. Racing in the 800m are Analisse Batista, Ainsley Erzen, and Sanu Jallow while the 1,500m includes Mary Ellen Eudaly and Chachi Gonzales.
This will mark the first 400m hurdle race for NCAA Indoor high jump champion Glenn since the 2022 SEC Championships, when she finished sixth in the final with a 57.09 after a 56.78 prelim. Glenn established her career best of 56.43 in placing sixth at the 2022 Florida Relays.
Glenn may also make her collegiate debut in the 100m hurdles during Friday’s morning session, which also includes prelims for the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 University division as well as prelims in the 100m hurdles for Glenn and Destiny Huven along with the 100m for the Arkansas trio of Ashanti Denton, Ariane Linton, and Joanne Reid.
Glenn last ran the 100m hurdles in high school during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 outdoor season. As a junior in 2019 at Long Beach Wilson in California, Glenn raced in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m at the Texas Relays and won the high jump with a height of 5-8.5.
During her sophomore season at Wilson HS in 2018, Glenn competed in three relay events at the Texas Relays – 4 x 200, 4 x 400, and sprint medley. As a freshman, Glenn participated in five relay events in Austin – 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400, 4 x 800, and sprint medley.
“We’re not quite sure what we’re going to do with her yet, so we entered her in both hurdle races,” noted Johnson on Glenn. “We’ll make a decision and it will likely be a game-day decision.
“This will be an opportunity for this young lady to get outside and be able to display her talents outside of the high jump. She’s phenomenal and takes on every challenge. She’s familiar with the Texas Relays and being a part of it. We know that when she lines up, whether jumping or running, she’s going to give it her best.”
In the Friday evening session the Razorbacks contest the sprint medley and distance medley while the final of the 400m hurdles is held in between those pair of relay races.
Saturday’s morning session includes the 4 x 800m relay along with Sydney Billington in the high jump. At noon, Arkansas races in the 4 x 200m relay followed by the final of the 4 x 100m relay at 1:30 p.m.
The remainder of Saturday’s schedule includes finals in the 100m hurdles and 100m followed by the 4 x 400 University final and 4 x 400 University Invitational.
Arkansas alums and professional athletes training in Fayetteville who are competing in the Texas Relays include Jada Baylark (100m, 200m), Anna Cockrell (800m, 100m hurdles), Alexis Holmes (200m, 800m, 4 x 400m relay), Shafiqua Maloney (800m), Ackera Nugent (100m), Cindy Sember (100m hurdles), and Gianna Woodruff (800m, 100m hurdles).
Scheduled to race in an Invitational 4 x 400m relay are Paris Peoples, Britton Wilson, Shamier Little, and Maloney.
Distance racing in the Stanford Invitational will have Razorbacks entered in the 3,000m steeplechase (Laura Taborda), 1,500m (Tiana LoStracco), 5,000m (Paityn Noe, Sydney Thorvaldson, and Mia Cochran), and 10,000m (Paityn Noe, Sydney Thorvaldson).
Razorback pole vaulters will also compete in the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Texas State in San Marcos. Section A of the women’s pole vault will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday.