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Arkansas Challenging for First Indoor Title - NCAA D1 Indoor Championships 2015

Published by
DyeStatCOLLEGE.com   Mar 13th 2015, 1:55am
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Arkansas Challenging For First Indoor Title

Published by Adam Schneider March 12, 2015

The Arkansas Razorbacks have had one of the most successful track programs in college track but they have not had a women’s NCAA team championship. In coach Lance Harter’s career he has had SEC championships in track and cross country and this year could be their first NCAA team title.

Senior Dominique Scott has blossomed into one of the top female distance runners in the collegiate ranks.  Known previously for her cross country success, she has become one of the top collegiate runners from 1,500 meters to 10,000 meters.  All five of her all-American awards have been earned since the  2013 NCAA Cross Country Championships (28th).  Indoors she was 2nd at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 3000 meters (9:16.05) and anchored her team to a Distance Medley Relay Championship (11:05.83).    

She is the top seed in the 3,000 meters (8:52.37) and barely ranked ahead of Providence’s Emily Sisson (she has run the fastest 5,000 meters collegiate time ever on a 200 meter banked track).  The difference in their seed times (Scott is faster by .23) is negligible and it would be a great race if Sisson weren’t running the night before in the 5k.  We will see how Sisson and Scott recover or whether Sisson runs.  

Five-time (two with Arkansas in one year) all-American Senior Sandi Morris set the low-altitude collegiate record of 15-3 1/2 at the recent SEC Indoor Championships and she is the only vaulter to defeat collegiate record holder Demi Payne (15-7 at altitude) of Stephen F Austin this year.  This should be a great battle for the NCAA title and it will break their season long tie that stands at one-apiece .  

The addition of Junior Taylor Ellis-Watson may end up being the last piece for an NCAA team championship. She is ranked third in the 400 meters (51.72) and she is the fastest leg on the 4x400 meters relay.  Taylor qualified for the NCAA outdoor meet last spring (she did earn an all-American award in the 4x400 meter relay) for the Razorbacks in her first competitive outdoor season. The transfer from Pittsburgh adds to the recent success of Arkansas 400 meter runners.

Senior Chrishuna Williams has made a step up in distance and has run the 2nd fastest collegiate indoor time this year of 2:02.95.  The five time all-American in 4x400 meter relays has only run 7 collegiate 800 meter races in her career.  Tactics will be a challenge for the neophyte 800 meters runner.  

Senior Tamara Myers is the 3rd seed in the Triple Jump.  Her best jump of 13.40 meters.  She is also the 12th seed in the Long Jump this year with a best of 6.33 meters.  Indoors in 2013 (last time NCAA indoor was in Fayetteville) was the only time she has scored at an NCAA Meet (fourth).  

Joining Morris in the pole vault is World Junior Championships Silver Medallist, freshman Desiree Frier and Junior Ariel Voskamp.  They are ranked eighth, and 14th respectively but the difference between 7th and 16th is 2 3/4” and between 3rd and 16th is 4 3/4”  so there is minimal difference between the competitors and rankings for this group are inconsequential to what will happen on the the runway.  

Former US Junior Champion Alex Gochenour is ranked 6th after her season best performance of 4259 points. The junior is a former US Junior champion and she is looking for her first NCAA points after finishing in the top 13 of each of her first three NCAA meets while competing for  Arkansas.  

Diane Robison will represent the Razorbacks in the 5,000 meters after running 15:50.88 and comes into the meet as the eighth seed. The senior has also steadily improved under Coach Harter.  She is looking for her first all-American award in her senior year.

Senior Sparkle McKnight is normally known for the 400 meter Hurdles outdoors and she is the 11th seed in the 400 meters with a best of 52.67.  Sparkle anchors the 4x400 meters relay that includes Williams, Daina Harper, and Ellis-Watson.  They are third seeded this year with a best time of 3:30.50.

Sophomore Therese Haiss and Junior Jessica Kamilos sacrificed their qualifying spots in the mile (ranked 11th and 13th, respectively) in order to help Arkansas defend it’s Distance Medley Relay title from 2014 (three runners from that team have graduated).  

This may be Coach Harter’s best team. Arkansas is the biggest threat to Oregon since the Terry Crawford Award (for best overall track and cross country programs based on NCAA finish) started.  Arkansas does not have the throwers some of the other programs have so this also may be Arkansas’ best chance at an NCAA team title in the 2015-2016 school year.  

 

 

 

 

  



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