Brown, Brooks shine in 100 meters to open National Relay Championships

FAYETTEVILLE —  No. 5 Arkansas showed up and showed out at the inaugural National Relay Championships Friday afternoon at John McDonnell Field.

The Razorbacks posted nine personal-bests as well as four season-best marks.

“The only lowlight in today’s meet was finishing runner-up in the 4-x-1,500-meters to Oklahoma State,” said coach Lance Harter.

“The anchor for Oklahoma State had another gear and we were unable to respond, but I thought the relay as a whole ran really well. Our sprint crew ran really solid, the two hurdles [Brown and Brooks] ran absolutely fabulous. Janeek [Brown] she is a super competitor, and anytime you can handle a person like Taliyah Brooks you have to be doing something right. Taliyah [Brooks] at 12.82, that’s the fastest that shes ever run. That was a great start for us. Janeek came back and ran a PR in the 100-meters which shows that her speed endurance continues to improve. My hats off to [Assistant Coach] Chris Johnson, he does a fantastic job of bringing those kids around. Tomorrow, center stage for us will be to run a good 4-x-100-meters and a good 4-x-400-meters.”

Janeek Brown and Taliyah Brooks bolted down the track in the 100-meter hurdles finishing second and fourth, respectively.

Brown finished in 12.73 (+2.6) followed by teammate Brooks in 12.82 (+2.6). Both times were lifetime bests under all-conditions.

The 400-meters featured three Razorbacks on the track. Morgan Burks Magee finished 14th in 54.03 while Sydney Davis (55.04) and Sydney Hammit (55.35) took 24th and 25th. Hammit’s mark was a season-best.

Brown returned for the 100-meter open, finishing in 11.34. Jada Baylark (11.36) and Kiara Parker (11.47) finished fifth and ninth, respectively.

Rounding out competition in the event for Arkansas was Tamara Kuykendall (11.83) in 21-place.

The lone competitor in the 800-meters for the Razorbacks, Emily Jeacock recorded a season-best of 2:15.56.

In the 1,500-meters, seven of the nine who stepped on the track in the Cardinal and White, seven finished with either a personal-best or a season-best time:
16th Micah Huckabee – 4:33.66 (personal-best)
21st Rachel Nichwitz – 4:37.49
24th Alex Ritchey – 4:41.79 (personal-best)
28th Sydney Brown – 4:46.78 (season-best)
29th Greta Taylor – 4:47.35 (personal-best)
30th Grace Taylor – 4:49.44 (personal-best)
36th Kristen Larkan – 4:55.09 (personal-best)
37th Payton Brown – 4:56.58 (season-best)
39th Tess Iler – 4:59.73

Baylark and Parker returned to the oval once again, this time in the 200-meters. Baylark finished fourth running 23.12, and Parker took 14th with a time of 23.81.

In the field, Riley Hoogerwerf competed in the discus with a best throw of 38.21m (125’-4”) – a personal-best – to take 15th-place.

Carmen Sitz tied her personal-best in the high jump clearing 1.70m (5’-7”) for fourth-place, while in the long jump, Taliyah Brooks finished fourth with a best jump of 6.28m (20’-7.25”).

The final event of the day for Arkansas saw the Razorbacks finish runner-up in the 4-x-1,500-meter relay at 17:46.87.

National Relay Championships
Friday Results

Women’s 100-meter hurdles
2. Janeek Brown – 12.73 (+2.6)
4. Taliyah Brooks – 12.82 (+2.6)

Women’s 100-meter
4. Janeek Brown – 11.34
5. Jada Baylark – 11.36
9. Kiara Parker – 11.47
21. Tamara Kuykendall – 11.83

Women’s 200-meter
4. Jada Baylark – 23.12
14. Kiara Parker – 23.81

Women’s 400-meter
14. Morgan Burks Magee – 54.03
24. Sydney Davis – 55.04
25. Sydney Hammit – 55.35

Women’s 800-meter
19. Emily Jeacock – 2:15.56

Women’s 1500-meter
16. M. Huckabee – 4:33.66
21. R. Nichwitz – 4:37.49
24. A. Ritchey – 4:41.79
28. S. Brown – 4:46.78
29. Greta Taylor – 4:47.35
30. Grace Taylor – 4:49.44
36. K. Larkan – 4:55.09
37. P. Brown – 4:56.58
39. T. Iler – 4:59.73

Women’s 4-x-1500-meter relay
2. Arkansas – 17:46.87

Women’s Discus
15. Riley Hoogerwerf – 38.21m (125′-4″)

Women’s High Jump Invitational
4. Carmen Sitz – 1.70m (5′-7″)

Women’s Long Jump Invitational
5. Taliyah Brooks – 6.28m (20′-7.25″)