FAYETTEVILLE — Two women’s track and field programs have won three or more consecutive titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The University of Arkansas hopes to become the third this weekend.
Arkansas has won the past two times the meet was held in 2019 and 2021 before and after its 2020 cancellation because of the coronavirus pandemic.
LSU and Oregon share the meet record with five consecutive titles from 1993-97 for the Tigers and from 2010-14 for the Ducks. LSU also won three in a row from 2002-04.
This year’s meet will be held today and Saturday in Birmingham, Ala., home of the SEC office, which seems fitting considering the national power of the conference.
SEC teams hold four of the top five spots in the coaches poll with No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Arkansas, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 Kentucky. Texas, which will be joining the SEC no later than 2025, is ranked No. 3.
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“It would be outstanding,” Razorbacks Coach Lance Harter said of the possibility of winning a third consecutive NCAA Indoor title. “It’s a situation where we won’t be the favorite. We’re going to have to work a little more in a journeyman fashion. We do have a lot of bullets, but they have to hit the target.”
Arkansas leads the field with 17 entries in 10 events.
Among the Razorbacks competing this weekend who helped them win last year’s title at home with 68 points are distance runners Lauren Gregory, Krissy Gear and Kennedy Thomson, 800-meter runner Shafiqua Maloney and sprinters Jada Baylark, Rosey Effiong, Daszay Freeman, Morgan Burks-Magee and Paris Peoples.
“There’s no doubt experience helps a lot with the idea of keeping your composure and perspective,” Harter said. “Respecting the opposition, but not being overwhelmed by them.”
Gregory, a junior who took second in the 3,000 at last year’s NCAA meet, will run in the 5,000 tonight and 3,000 on Saturday. She helped Arkansas win the SEC title two weeks ago by winning the 3,000, taking second in the mile and anchoring the second-place distance medley relay.
“Hopefully the SEC meet worked out as a great quality workout for Lauren in preparation for this double at the NCAA meet,” Harter said. “She’s very, very fit and very healthy.”
Maloney, a senior, won the 800 at the SEC meet and is ranked No. 2 nationally. Freshman Britton Wilson is ranked No. 2 in the 400.
Baylark, a senior from Little Rock, will run in the 60 and 200, and freshman Jayla Hollis will compete in the 200 and 60 hurdles.
Other qualifiers for the Razorbacks are SEC champion Elien Vekemans and Nastassja Campbell in the pole vault; Quinn Owen in the 800; Burks-Magee and Effiong in the 400; Joanne Reid in the 200; and Freeman in the 60 hurdles.
Arkansas will run in both relays and has the leading times in the 1,600 relay and distance medley relay, though the Razorbacks will have to shuffle their lineups with so many competing in individual events.
The 1,600 relay set a collegiate record in running 3 minutes, 24.09 seconds at the SEC Championships.
“Our target is to try to have 50, 60 points because that’s what it takes on the women’s side to win it,.” Harter said. “We do have some good weapons, but we also have some people that need maybe to elevate themselves in their respective event and contribute as best they can.”
Arkansas has gotten used to top competition going against so many SEC teams.
“It’s a situation where all year the four or five of us have been in this exchange of being either first, second, third or fourth,” Harter said of the national rankings. ‘It’s been consistent, so I think there is a lot of credibility to it.
“Because the way we’ve scheduled, we’ve seen a lot of this competition through the course of the indoor season. They’re legit. We’re legit.”