University of Arkansas pole vaulters Kaitlyn Banas, Amanda Fassold and Mackenzie Hayward all cleared 13 feet, 10 inches on Thursday night at the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor West Prelims in Sacramento, Calif., to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Hayward was the third Razorback over 13-10, placing sixth as she required a third attempt at the height.
The top 12 finishers in each event at the East and West Prelims advance to the NCAA Championships held June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.
Banas, a junior, finished in a three-way tie for the top spot because she didn’t have a miss at the four heights she cleared.
Fassold, the NCAA Indoor champion, finished fourth at 13-10.
Arkansas Junior Ackera Nugent broke her own West Prelims record in running 12.72 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles to advance to Friday night’s quarterfinal round. She ran 12.76 at the 2021 West Prelims when she was at Baylor.
Britton Wilson, a junior for the Razorbacks and the defending NCAA champion in the 400 hurdles, also set a West Prelims record by running 54.08 to advance to the quarterfinals. She broke the record of 54.50 set in 2013 by Stanford’s Kori Carter.
Wilson also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 400, running 50.15.
Also advancing in the 400 were six other Razorbacks: Nickisha Pryce (career-best 50.73), Paris Peoples (career-best 51.09), Rosey Effiong (51.13), Joanne Reid (52.04), Aaliyah Pyatt (52.64) and Ashanti Denton (52.78).
Madison Langley-Walker advanced to the quarterfinals in the 100 hurdles (13.47) and 400 hurdles (57.08) for Arkansas.
Ariane Linton advanced for the Razorbacks in the 200 (wind-aided 23.30).