FAYETTEVILLE -- Dominique Scott kicked her way to a first-place finish in the 3,000 meters and put Arkansas over the top to clinch the school's first NCAA track and field championship on Saturday.
The victory marked the first Division I title for Arkansas Coach Lance Harter, adding to his 21 SEC crowns and four runner-up showings in NCAA cross country.
NCAA Indoor Championships
Randal Tyson Track Center, Fayetteville
FINAL TEAM TOTALS
WOMEN
Arkansas .. 63
Oregon ... 46.5
Georgia.......37
Florida ........36
Kentucky ....35
MEN
Oregon .......74
Florida ........50
Arkansas .. 39
Tex. A&M ...33
Tex. Tech ....31
"It's been a long time coming," said Harter, in his 24th season. "To see it through their eyes is so special.
"To be able to have this team this year, what a perfect point of history, and to be able to be the first championship, that's truly special. I probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
The No. 1 Razorbacks were favored and they pulled through with relative ease, scoring a better-than-expected 63 points, spurred by a boisterous home crowd at the Randal Tyson Track Center
Arkansas picked up first-place finishes from Scott and pole vaulter Sandi Morris on Saturday and its distance medley relay team on Friday.
The Razorbacks held off Oregon, which was second with 46.5 points, Georgia (37), Florida (36) and Kentucky (35).
Scott, a South African running in front of her parents for the first time in an indoor setting, ran an 8:55.19, overtaking Stanford's Elise Cranny (8:58.88) with about three laps to go and pulling away for the victory.
An anticipated showdown in the pole vault between Morris and Stephen F. Austin's Demi Payne, the collegiate record holder (15-4 1/4) never materialized. Payne and 2014 indoor champion Kaitlin Petrillose of Texas both failed to clear a height.
"Demi didn't do as well as she was supposed to and I really do feel for her because I've been there," said Morris, who won with a 15-1 before missing at 15-5.
Morris said she felt off on her turn at the top of her vault, but persevered with first-jump clearances at every height except for 15-1.
"It feels really great to be kind of disappointed with 15-1," she said. "So it's funny. I've had the best season of my life and I'm ready for a big outdoor season."
Taylor Ellis-Watson clocked a 51.52 in the 400 meters to score eight points for second place behind Texas' Courtney Okolo (51.12).
"It wasn't the best race, but I did run a PR today, so I'm happy about that," said Ellis-Watson, a junior. "That's a huge scoring point for us. ... It's going to be a good afternoon. Hopefully we can just keep this momentum going."
The Ducks scored 11 points in the 60 meters, with Jasmine Todd and Jenna Prandini finishing third and fourth behind two-time champion Remona Burchell of Alabama.
Circumstances started breaking Arkansas' way early, with the Razorbacks' Alex Gochenour and Taliyah Brooks both setting career bests in the pentathlon and combining for seven points.
Georgia's Kendell Williams took the event going away with a collegiate record 4,678 points, winning the 60 meter hurdles and the long jump and finishing second in the high jump.
Gochenour, a junior, finished fourth with 4,430 points, and the freshman Brooks contributed two points with a seventh-place finish (4,230).
"We didn't have a great conference meet," UA assistant coach Bryan Compton said. "We came back focused that we were going to get this done at the national meet and they did a heck of a job."
Harter and Compton had not expected to get seven points out of the event.
"That was awesome," Harter said. "Lifetime bests. They bucked down and gave us points we didn't expect."
Arkansas' first-place finishes began late Friday, when the distance medley relay of Jessica Kamilos, Sparkle McKnight, Theresa Haiss and Dominique Scott ran a Tyson Center record 10:51.89 to break the tape.
Sports on 03/15/2015