Make it 12 consecutive SEC championships for the Arkansas Razorbacks women in the land of the 12th Man.
The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's No. 1-ranked women's track and field team ran away with another SEC title on Sunday in College Station, Texas -- home of Texas A&M and the Aggies' 12th Man tradition -- to win with 108 points.
Georgia, ranked No. 4 nationally, was second with 84.5 points and No. 3 Kentucky took third with 74.
It was the Razorbacks' 12th consecutive SEC title in cross country and indoor and outdoor track, and eighth indoor championship and fourth in a row indoors.
Arkansas' overall title streak began at the 2014 SEC outdoor meet.
"This one I probably lost more sleep than any championship that we've won the last four years," Arkansas Coach Lance Harter said. "Not that I was concerned about our kids' ability, but we've had some setbacks with injuries.
"I knew we weren't at 100 percent of our abilities, and I just wasn't sure how much we could spot our opposition and still be able to walk away with the trophy."
Arkansas' women dominated in the mile, led by senior Nikki Hiltz's first-place finish in 4:34.37. Hiltz overtook Mississippi State's Rhianwedd Price-Weimer in the final 400 meters.
"It hurt, man," Hiltz told the SEC Network after her victory. "I felt the prelim in my legs from yesterday, and Rhianwedd is quite the competitor.
"Sit and kick was the strategy, finish strong. I think that's kind of the motto for the whole team is just finish strong, so I tried to apply that in my race."
The Razorbacks scored 23 points in the mile as sophomores Carina Viljoen and Maddy Reed took third and fifth, and junior Sydney Brown sixth.
"I think that was where we convinced the opposition that we're going to be a team to contend with, and I have so much respect for the other teams," Harter said. "You're already at the top of the track and field world when you compete in the SEC.
"To be able come in and win titles repeatedly, that probably puts you in a very select group of programs. We're real proud of that."
Freshman Janeek Brown took second in the 60-meter hurdles for the Razorbacks in a school-record 8.04 seconds.
"This was Janeek's first SEC meet," Harter said. "Talk about rising to the challenge."
Arkansas junior Payton Chadwick took fourth in the 60 hurdles (8.11) and senior Taliyah Brooks took seventh (8.22) after winning the pentathlon Saturday. Brooks also ran a leg on Arkansas' seventh-place 1,600-relay team.
The Razorbacks took second in the distance medley relay, and sophomore Taylor Werner took third in the 5,000 after finishing fourth in the 3,000 on Saturday. Sophomore Rachel Nichwitz was fifth in the 5,000 after taking sixth in the 3,000.
Freshman Morgan Burks-Magee was fourth in the 400 for the Razorbacks, and in the 60 sophomore Jada Baylark took sixth and junior Kiara Parker was eighth.
"We get senior leadership from Taliyah and Nikki," Harter said. "They're not real vocal, but they really put it out on the line when they compete and say, 'Hey, I'll take care of business and do my job, and now you just go and do yours.' "
Sports on 02/26/2018