Top-ranked Razorbacks ready for first road tests of season

FAYETTEVILLE — Fresh off its strong showing at the Arkansas Spring Invitational, No. 1 Arkansas travels to Austin, Texas, for the Texas Relays, while the distance crew will travel out west for the Stanford Invitation in Palo Alto, Calif.

“Last weekend was way beyond our expectations,” said coach Lance Harter. “I think part of that is that we have some talent and also we had great weather. Fayetteville was perfect that day and our track has always been fast and our kids responded accordingly.

“We’re on track and we’ll start adding more and more to our lineup. Our distance crew will activate this weekend, the two vaulters (Lexi Jacobus and Tori Hoggard) will make their debut this weekend.

“We’ll split the forces with our jump and sprint crew at the Texas Relays, and the distance crew will open up in the Stanford Invite.”

In last weekend’s opener, Arkansas sophomore Jada Baylark tied an 18-year record set by Veronica Campbell Brown in the 100 meters with a time of 11:10, while senior Taliyah Brooks broke her own school record in the long jump with a distance of 22-3.

Both will compete at the Texas Relays, with Brooks scheduled to begin the Heptathlon on Wednesday, subject to the weather.

At last year’s Texas Relays, Taliyah Brooks set the school record in the heptathlon with 6,075 points, a mark she would later break at the 2017 SEC Outdoor championship.

“It’s early but traditionally we’ve always done that,” said Harter. ”They’ve always produced great marks and it gives her (Brooks) a chance to catch her breath and focus on open events and ultimately get ready for the SEC meet and national meet.

“I think she’ll go in as the favorite, after the pentathlon championship. To be able to jump 22-3, she’s ready to go.”

Baylark will run in the 100 meters, as well as three relay teams in the 4-x-100, the 4-x-200 and the 4-x-400 meter relays.

Baylark was the third leg in Arkansas 4-x-100 meter relay squad that finished first at last weekend’s Spring Invite with a time of 43.40.

She currently ranks in the Top 10 in the country in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.

Lexi Jacobus, who landed on The Bowerman Watch List following her NCAA Indoor Title in the pole vault, will make her outdoor debut this Friday. Tori Hoggard will also debut on Friday following her runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships.

Texas Relays Entries

Heptathlon — Taliyah Brooks
Pole Vault — Lexi Jacobus, Tori Hoggard
100 meter dash — Jada Baylark, Tamara Kuykendall, Kiara Parker
100 meter hurdles — Janeed Brown
4-x-100 meter relay — Jada Baylark, Janeed Brown, Morgan Burks Magee, Kiara Parker
4-x-200 meter relay — Jada Baylark, Janeed Brown, Morgan Burks Magee, Tamara Kuykendall, Kiara Parker
4-x-400 meter relay — Jada Baylark, Morgan Burks Magee, Sydney Davis, Sydney Hammit, Kiara Parker

*Subject to Change

Stanford Invite Entries

800 meters — Kailee Sawyer, Ruth Wiggins, Carina Viljoen, Devin Clark
1,500 meters — Maddy Reed, Alex Ritchey, Abby Gray, Devin Clark, Carina Viljoen
3,000 meter steeplechase — Regan Hime, Rachel Nichwitz
5,000 meters — Taylor Werner

Texas State Bobcat Invite Entries

Pole Vault — Morgan Hartsell, Ellie Ramos-Mata, Rylee Robinson