FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 7 University of Arkansas women’s track and field team added two more titles Friday at the 88th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin.
The Razorbacks picked up wins in the sprint-medley relay and from Sparkle McKnight in the 400-meter hurdles. The win in the relay event also brought a school and meet record. Arkansas will close out the weekend Saturday afternoon with competition in the 4×400-meter relay and pole vault.
Running in the second section of the timed final, the quartet of Brianna Swinton, Taylor Ellis-Watson, Daina Harper and Chrishuna Williams combined for a meet- and school-record time of 3:42.36 to win the sprint medley relay. With their time, the Razorbacks broke the previous school of 3:44.40 set in 2010 and bettered the Texas Relays meet record of 3:43.79 set by LSU in 2012. The three fastest times in school history have all been run at the Texas Relays.
Having posted the fastest qualifying time in Thursday’s prelims, McKnight charged past the other runners down the backstretch to win the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 56.70. She qualified for Friday’s final with a time of 58.21 in the prelims. The win caps McKnight’s return to the event after redshirting during the 2014 outdoor season.
With their victories in the sprint-medley relay and 400-meter hurdles, the Arkansas women have now won 20 Texas Relays title in program history and their second and third of the weekend. Alex Gochenour opened the weekend with a win in the heptathlon. Friday’s win marks the Razorbacks’ third title in the sprint-medley relay having previously won the event in 2007 and 2011. McKnight’s win was Arkansas’ first in the event.
The ‘A’ section of the pole vault featuring NCAA indoor champion Sandi Morris will start Saturday at noon (CT) and the invitational section of the 4×400-meter relay is set to close out the four-day event. In its program history, Arkansas has won three Texas Relays pole vault titles (2010-12) and one 4×400-meter title (2010). A live broadcast of day four will air from 1-5 p.m. on the Longhorn Network.
The outdoor home opener is also scheduled for this week with the Arkansas Spring Invitational which will be held March 27-28 at John McDonnell Field. After Friday’s hammer throw, the competition begins Saturday with field events at 10:30 a.m. and running events at 1:30 p.m.