GAINESVILLE — Arkansas’ quest for another SEC Championship came up short this weekend as the Razorbacks totaled 110 points, with 78 being scored on the final day.
With 126 points, LSU becomes the first school to win the SEC Outdoor title other than Arkansas (7) and Florida (2) since 2013 when Texas A&M won the league. The Tigers had a string of three consecutive victories from 2010-12.
Host Florida scored 101 points in third while Texas A&M (74) and Georgia (72) rounded out the top five.
Arkansas made history on the day with a 1-2-3 sweep of the 400m with all three Razorbacks recording times under 50 seconds.
Nickisha Pryce led the way with winning time of 49.32 that just missed the Jamaican record of 49.30 set in 2002 by Lorraine Fenton as she shares the No. 2 spot with Sherika Williams from a 2009 time.
Pryce moves to No. 3 collegian as she only trials a 49.13 by Razorback Britton Wilson and a 49.20 by Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas, both set in 2023.
Runner-up in the spectacular final with a 49.47 was Arkansas freshman Kaylyn Brown, who became the No. 4 collegian, No. 8 American, and the fastest U.S. 19-year-old ever. Brown just missed the world 19 best of 49.42 by Germany's Grit Breuer set in 1991 at the Tokyo World Championships.
All three 400m races this outdoor season for Brown have been sub-50 seconds as she improved from 49.95 at Florida’s Tom Jones Memorial Invitational to 49.86 in the SEC prelims, then to her time in the final.
Amber Anning finished third in a career best of 49.51, which ranks her No. 5 collegian and No. 3 on the British all-time list behind Christine Ohuruogu’s 49.41 set in 2013 and a 49.43 by Kathy Cook in 1984.
Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler finished fourth in 49.79, which makes her the No. 8 collegian performer. Razorback Rosey Effiong finished fifth in 50.75 as Arkansas totaled 28 points.
The combined total for the four Razorbacks sprinters would be 3:19.05 if those were relay splits. The current collegiate outdoor record is 3:21.93 by Kentucky from 2022 while Arkansas produced a 3:21.75 indoors at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
Two school records were broken on the day with Sanu Jallow runner-up in the 800m with the school’s first sub 2-minute time while Rachel Glenn improved her outdoor high jump UA record to 6-3.5 (1.92) in placing second.
A 1:59.29 had Jallow finishing behind defending champion Michaela Rose of LSU, who set a meet record of 1:58.89. Jallow bettered the Arkansas record of 2:01.61 set in 2015 by Chrishuna Willliams and moved her to equal No. 5 performer on the collegiate all-time list.
Glenn improved her UA record of 6-2.75 (1.90) set at the LSU Invitational. Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko won the event with a clearance of 6-4.75 (1.95) while Texas A&M’s Lamara Distin finished third at 6-2.25 (1.89). Razorback Sydney Billington cleared. 5-10.5 (1.79) to earn a point in eighth place for Arkansas.
Arkansas finished the meet with a bronze medal in the 4 x 400m relay with a time of 3:26.13. Tennessee won the race in 3:24.44 with South Carolina runner-up at 3:25.02. The Razorback quarter included Aaliyah Pyatt, Joanne Reid [1:42.21 combo split], Effiong (52.55), and Jallow (51.37).
With three entries in the 1,500m, the Razorbacks were able to collect eight points from Tiana LoStracco placing fourth in 4:15.78 and Mia Cochran finished sixth in 4:18.00. Mary Ellen Eudaly ran 4:24.60 in 11th place.
In the 5,000m, the last race before the 4 x 400m relay, Arkansas had four runners score 14 points off a 3-4-7-8 finish. Paityn Noe earned a bronze medal following her 10k silver medal effort on the first night of the meet.
Noe led the Razorback foursome with a 15:34.49 that ranks No. 4 on the UA all-time list with Sydney Thorvaldson in fourth place at 15:48.11. Laura Taborda (16:07.06) and Cochran (16:07.79) were seventh and eighth.
Pryce and Anning returned in the 200m final, placing seventh and eighth with times of 22.67 and 22.87. Pryce’s effort was a career best and moves to No. 5 on the UA all-time list.
Destiny Huven added a pair of points in the 100m hurdles, placing seventh in 13.08. LSU totaled 19 points in the event with a 2-3-4 finish
Arkansas did not finish the 4 x 100m relay as they lined up with Ariane Linton, Joanne Reid, Effiong and Anning. The Razorbacks were one of four schools – Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina – who did not finish the relay.
Glenn was leading the 400m hurdles, but fell at the 10th hurdle and finished eighth.
