Former University of Arkansas sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown will be among seven inductees into the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame at tonight's 6:30 induction banquet at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock.
As a Razorback, Campbell-Brown was an NCAA champion in the 200 meters and later was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 100 and 200 meters in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2010. In Olympic competition, she has won a total of seven medals: three gold, two silvers and two bronze. She is planning to compete for Jamaica in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
The six other new members include: University of Arkansas distance runner Alistair Cragg; University of Arkansas shot putter and discus thrower Jerry Petty; Southern Arkansas University sprinter Jackie Seale; Hendrix College sprinter Arthur "Red" Sears; former University of Arkansas sprinter Wallace Spearmon; and Little Rock School District track Coach Roy Wade.
Crossett High School and Trinity Christian High School in Texarkana also will be recognized at the banquet. Crossett, led by Trevern Caldwell, won the 2016 State Indoor Track Championship and the state Decathlon title. Caldwell won five of the six events he entered. Trinity Christian has won seven of the past nine girls Class 1A state track championships, including the past four. Senior Elizabeth Gillette set a 1A state record in the 3200-meter run this year with a time of 11:09.89.
Cragg was a 13-time All-American, a seven-time NCAA champion, a nine-time SEC champion and a two-time SEC Male Athlete of the Year. He holds the UA school records and SEC Championship records in the 5000 meters, both indoors and outdoors.
Petty, who went to Malvern High School, was the Class AA state champion in 1964 and 1965 in both the shot put and discus. At Arkansas, he was the Southwest Conference discus champion in 1968.
Seale ran for Southern State College (now Southern Arkansas University), where he was a two-time NAIA All-American in 1966 and 1967. He was the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference record holder in three events -- the 100, 200 and 880 relay team.
Sears was an outstanding sprinter at Hot Springs High School before he continued his career at Hendrix. In both 1952 and 1953, he was the high-point performer in the AIC meet, winning the 100-, 220- and 440-yard dashes. In 1953, he was named the winner of the AAU's Neil Martin Trophy as the outstanding Arkansas Amateur Athlete.
Spearmon is a six-time All-American and four-time SEC performer. While at the UA, he was the NCAA 200-meter champion four times. He competed for the U.S. in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He was ranked No. 1 in the world three times in the 200 meters.
Wade was a longtime track coach at Horace Mann and Hall high schools. As head track coach, his Hall teams won four 5A state championships and were runners-up eight times.
Sports on 06/03/2016