Arkansas earns NCAA-leading 15 entries for NCAA Indoor Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — No. 1 Arkansas will have an NCAA-leading 15 opportunities to score next weekend in Birmingham, Ala., at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships as the Razorbacks try for their third NCAA title.

Previous Qualifier Numbers (NCAA Finish, Final Score)

• 2018 – 12 (Second, 49 points)
• 2017 – 13 (Fifth, 32 points)
• 2016 – 12 (Second, 50 points)
• 2015 – 15 (First, 63 points)
• 2014 – 13 (Sixth, 30 points)
• 2013 – 9 (Fourth, 42.5 points)
• 2012 – 10 (Fifth, 25 points)

Arkansas will be led by seniors Payton Chadwick (60-meter hurdles; 200-meters; 4×400-meters), Kiara Parker (60-meters; 4×400-meters), Lexi Jacobus (Pole Vault), Tori Hoggard (Pole Vault), Desiree Freier (Pole Vault), and Kelsey Herman (Pentathlon) all of whom were huge contributors in last week’s run to its fifth-straight Southeastern Conference indoor title.

Of the aforementioned Razorbacks, three captured SEC titles in their respective events with and Jacobus returning to the NCAA meet as the defending champion from last season.

Arkansas is the only program to field two sub-eight second hurdlers as Chadwick (7.98) and Janeek Brown (7.95) enter the indoor meet ranked No. 2 and No. 4. Chadwick captured the NCAA title last season while Brown earned First-Team All-American honors in an eighth-place finish.

Sophomore transfer Kethlin Campbell will look to become a first-time contributor for Arkansas at the national meet, following an outstanding conference debut and regular season.

Campbell finished fifth in the 400-meters at the SEC meet running a personal-best 52.60 that tied for No. 7 in program history.

Redshirt-freshman Lauren Gregory and sophomore Carina Viljoen will get their first glimpse at the indoor championships in the mile.

Gregory will also compete in the 3K  with teammate Taylor Werner where they hold the sixth and seventh-best times in the NCAA.

Arkansas will also return an NCAA-leading three pole vaulters to the national meet for the third consecutive year with Desiree Freier, Tori Hoggard, and Lexi Jacobus all on the start list.

Last season Jacobus won the indoor title with Hoggard finishing runner-up and Freier taking fifth-place.

Arkansas is the only team in the nation to qualify both a 4×400-meter relay and DMR, and the ONLY school in the nation to qualify both a men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay and DMR.

The Razorbacks will open competition at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championship on Friday, March 8 and the indoor season will conclude on Saturday, March 9.

Arkansas Qualifiers

60 Meters – 2. Kiara Parker, 7.15
200 Meters – 6. Payton Chadwick, 22.97
400 Meters – 12. Kethlin Campbell, 52.60
Mile – 6. Lauren Gregory, 4:32.92 | 11. Carina Viljoen, 4:33.88
3000 Meters – 6. Lauren Gregory, 8:55.97 | 7. Taylor Werner, 8:56.97
60 Hurdles– 2. Janeek Brown, 7.95 | 4. Payton Chadwick, 7.98
Pole Vault – 1. Lexi Weeks, 4.68m/15-4.25 | 2. Tori Hoggard, 4.60/15-1 | 7. Desiree Freier 4.41/14-5.50
Pentathlon – 3. Kelsey Herman, 4,330 pts.
4×400 Meter Relay – 4. Parker, Burks-Magee, Chadwick, Campbell, 3:29.69
Distance Medley Relay – 5. Gregory, Burks-Magee, Byrnes, Werner, 10:57.19