Top-ranked Hogs head into pair of tough road challenges

FAYETTEVILLE — Following its recent ascent to the top of the national polls the No. 1 Arkansas journeys to Lubbock, Texas, and New York for a pair of road challenges this weekend, including the Texas Tech Open and the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Millrose Games, respectively.

Regional Bout
In Lubbock the Hogs will face off against host and regional foe, Texas Tech as well as Adams State, Angelo State, Eastern New Mexico, Hardin Simmons, Huston Tillotson, LeTourneau, Lubbock Christian, McMurry, Midwestern, New Mexico Jr College, Oklahoma Christian, Oral Roberts, Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston, Tarleton, Texas A&M – Commerce, Trinidad State, Univ of Southwest, UTRGV, Wayland Baptist, Western Texas, West Texas A&M. The two-day meet will see Arkansas kick off competition in the 60-meter dash prelims at 5:30 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 2. The Razorbacks will close out the weekend with the 4-x-400-meter relay at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

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Texas Tech Open Events To Watch:

60 Meters & 400 Meters
Featured Razorback: Payton Chadwick (PR: 7.59 | PR: 53.42)
Having already established herself as one of the fastest student-athletes at 200 meters this year, Payton Chadwick will look to replicate that magic, testing out her turnover in the 60-meter dash and her speed endurance in the 400. Chadwick currently ranks nationally in three events all reliant on explosive ability including No. 2 in the 200, No. 7 in the long jump and No. 8 in the 60-meter hurdles. A solid outing this weekend could bring a fourth and potentially a fifth national top-10 mark for the Razorback junior out of Springdale, Arkansas.

Long Jump
Featured Razorback: Taliyah Brooks (PR: 21-3)
Another multi-talented Hog, Taliyah Brooks, will be in the hunt for an improved mark in the long jump. Brooks holds the indoor and outdoor long jump program record and heads to Lubbock ranked 10th in the national polls. She has a best performance this season of 6.28m/20-7 1/4, which she jumped in front of her home crowd at last weekend’s Razorback Invitational.

Pole Vault
Featured Razorback: Lexi Jacobus (PR: 15-2 1/4) and Tori Hoggard (PR: 15-0)
With two vaulters whom have the ability to clear a 15-foot bar, the pole vault always remains an event to watch for Arkansas. All-American vaulters Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard will headline the event in Lubbock both in search of consistency and high clearances. Jacobus leads the nation in the event as one of two vaulters this year to break the 15-foot barrier, off her 4.61m/15-1 1/2 clearance last weekend on her home runway. Hoggard currently has the 4th best clearance in the country, having successfully vaulted a 4.45m/14-7 1/4 bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan to win the Simmons-Harvey Quad.

Big Apple Mile Battle
Five-time All-American Nikki Hiltz will open up in her signature event this weekend, taking on the Wanamaker mile at the prestigious NYRR Millrose Games. Contested annually at the Millrose Games wince 1926, the Wanamaker mile is an invitation-only race extended to the premier budding middle distance talents in the country. Hiltz is one of two collegians in the field joined in the competition by New Hampshire’s Elinor Purrier who placed eighth in the race last year. A national runner-up in the 1,500-meter run during the 2017 outdoor season, Hiltz currently has a PR of 4:34.57 in the mile, secured during her sixth-place finish at the national indoor championships last March.