Brooks’ title paces Hogs to lead in day one at SEC

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Top-ranked Arkansas leads the SEC Championships scoring 41 points after the first day here, led by a title from redshirt senior Taliyah Brooks in the pentathlon.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve been putting a lot of work in at practice and the goal was to score a lot of points for the team, so I’m happy I could do that,” Brooks said.

Brooks was the first Razorback champion for Arkansas, finishing in first place in the pentathlon for the first time in her career.

Brooks kicked off the event as the top performer in the 60-meter hurdles, crossing the finish well ahead of her competition in 8.13 seconds.

She went on to place inside the top-six in all of her remaining four events, completing the pentathlon with a final score of 4,422 points — a season best for the Wichita Falls, Texas native.

“I think it’s really culmination of how much work she puts in and the dedication she has to do all of the things we ask her to do,” associate head coach Chris Johnson said. “She’s really just a warrior, a trooper. She’s very dedicated to the team and we’re just very proud of her.”

Brooks Through the Years (SEC Indoor Pentathlon)
• 2018: 4,422 points, First
• 2017: 4,450 points, Second
• 2016: 4,376 points, Second
• 2015: 4,125 points, Seventh

Arkansas picked up 19 points in the pole vault with four Razorbacks including Tori Hoggard, Lexi Jacobus, Desiree Freier and Ellie Ramos-Mata occupying half of the top-eight spots.

Hoggard was the top vaulter of the day, earning a silver medal off a best clearance of 4.46m/14-7½.

Right behind her, Jacobus picked up a bronze medal, while Freier placed fifth and Ramos-Mata finished eighth.

“To have four in the top-eight, that’s pretty good,” assistant coach Bryan Compton said. “We thought we’d place a little bit better with Desi [Freier] but the Ole Miss vaulter had a good meet. Ellie [Ramos-Mata] came back and did a good job and the twins, they’ll be battling with the Kentucky vaulter for the next year and a half so we’ll keep after that.”

Notables:
Arkansas 60-meter hurdlers Taliyah Brooks and Payton Chadwick lowered their program record by .01 second together, both running personal bests of 8.08 to advance to the event finals.

The pair will be joined in tomorrow’s 60 hurdles final by freshman Janeek Brown who recorded a PR of her own, clocking 8.13 in the preliminary round.

Freshman quarter-miler Morgan Burks-Magee had a breakout race, shaving 1.57 seconds off her PR to advance through to the 400-meter finals with 52.20.

Burks-Magee now ranks sixth in the nation and fourth in program history.

Two Razorbacks Jada Baylark and Kiara Parker advanced through in the 60-meter dash.

Parker’s performance of 7.27 was a .07 second PR and moved her up to No. 5 on Arkansas’ all-time bests list.

Arkansas milers rose to the occasion on day one as all four Razorbacks Sydney Brown, Nikki Hiltz, Maddy Reed and Carina Viljoen advanced to tomorrow’s finals, finishing inside the top-three of their respective heats to earn automatic qualification.

In the final event of the day, three Razorbacks placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the 3,000 meter run, led by sophomore Taylor Werner who took third with a time of 9:17.62.

Devin Clark and Rachel Nichwitz were behind Werner with times of 9:24.81 and 9:32.17, respectively.

SEC Event Finalists (Scoring Opportunities)
• 60 meters: Jada Baylark and Kiara Parker
• 400 meters: Morgan Burks-Magee
• Mile: Sydeny Brown, Nikki Hiltz, Maddy Reed and Carina Viljoen
• 60-meter hurdles: Taliyah Brooks, Payton Chadwick and Janeek Brown

Events To Watch (Sunday):
• 5:06 p.m. | 60 Meter Hurdles/ 200 Meters Finals
Featured Razorback: Payton Chadwick (PR: 8.08/22.99)
• 5:14 p.m. | 60 Meters Finals
Featured Razorback: Jada Baylark (PR: 7.22)
• 5:29 p.m. | Mile Finals
Featured Razorback: Nikki Hiltz (PR: 4:33.44)
• 7:12 p.m. | 5,000 Meters
Featured Razorback: Taylor Werner (PR: 16:04.05)
• 8:12 p.m. | Distance Medley Relay
Featured Razorback: Arkansas A (PR: 11:02.31)
Day One Team Scores

SEC Indoor Championships
Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium
Feb. 24, 2018

Team Standings
1.  Arkansas – 41
2. Georgia – 38
3. Florida – 29
4. Kentucky – 21
5. Ole Miss – 12
5. Alabama – 13
7. Missouri – 11
8. Texas A&M – 10
9. South Carolina – 9
10. Tennessee – 5
10. Vanderbilt – 5

60 Meters Prelims
5. Jada Baylark – 7.23
7. Kiara Parker – 7.27
26. Tamara Kuykendall – 7.47

60 Meters Prelims
5. Jada Baylark – 7.23
7. Kiara Parker – 7.27
26. Tamara Kuykendall – 7.47

200 Meter Prelims
9. Payton Chadwick – 23.16
12. Jada Baylark – 23.32
21. Kiara Parker – 23.51
25. Tamara Kuykendall – 23.85

400 Meters Prelims
4. Morgan Burks-Magee – 52.20

800 Meters Prelims
15. Ruth Wiggins – 2:11.70
16. Emily Jeacock – 2:13.34

Mile Prelims
2. Carina Viljoen – 4:47.55
3. Sydney Brown – 4:47.59
5. Maddy Reed – 4:48.18
6. Nikki Hiltz – 4:48.22

3,000 Meters
4. Taylor Werner- 9:17.62
5. Devin Clark- 9:24.81
6. Rachel Nichwitz- 9:32.17

60 Meter Hurdles Prelims
3. Payton Chadwick – 8.08
4. Taliyah Brooks – 8.08
6. Janeek Brown – 8.13

Pole Vault
2. Tori Hoggard – 4.46m/14-7½
3. Lexi Jacobus – 4.38m/14-4½
5. Desiree Freier – 4.30m/14-1¼
Ellie Ramos-Mata – 4.05m/13-3½
10. Morgan Hartsell – 3.90m/12-9½
Rylee Robinson – NH

Long Jump
15. Taliyah Brooks – 5.58m/18-3¾

Pentathlon
Taliyah Brooks – 4,422 pts.
(1) 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.13, 1100 pts.
(3) High Jump – 1.76m/5-9 1/4, 928 pts.
(4) Shot Put – 12.18m/39-11 1/2, 673 pts.
(1) Long Jump – 6.27m/20-7, 934 pts.
(6) 800 Meters – 2:22..73,787 pts.