No. 4 Razorbacks Women’s Track and Field Send Nine to NCAA Meet

Courtesy University of Arkansas Athletics Department

FAYETTEVILLE – The NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Committee has released the accepted entries list for the 2013 NCAA Championships to be contested this weekend in Fayetteville. The No. 4 University of Arkansas women’s track and field team will have nine entries at the national meet and will have scoring opportunities in eight events.

The Razorbacks own three NCAA-leading marks between Makeba Alcide in the pentathlon, Regina George at 400 meters and the team’s 4×400-meter relay. During her successful defense of the SEC pentathlon title, Alcide broke the collegiate record with 4,569 points. George won her first individual SEC indoor title with a time of 51.40 which makes her the ninth-fastest collegian in NCAA history. She was also part of the 4×400-meter relay—with Gwendolyn Flowers, Sparkle McKnight and Chrishuna Williams—that set a school record of 3:29.60 at the SEC Championships.

Arkansas has multiple entries at 400 meters. George will be joined in the event by McKnight who clinched her national spot at the conference meet. McKnight, a junior transfer for the Razorbacks, will be making her NCAA debut for the program. Alcide is the team’s lone double individual entry with an additional spot earned in the high jump. The Razorback senior is the school-record holder in the event.

Individually, the team will also be represented by Ivanique Kemp in the 60-meter hurdles, Sandi Morris in the pole vault and Tamara Myers in the triple jump. Kemp and Morris both improved their national standing within their respective event at last weekend’s Arkansas Final Qualifier. Morris and Myers will also be making their first NCAA appearances for Arkansas; Morris competed at last year’s national meet for North Carolina.

The Razorbacks’ distance-medley relay is also entered at the NCAA meet based on its performance from the Armory Collegiate Invitational in February. Arkansas has two returning scoring entries from last year. George was the national indoor runner-up at 400 meters while the 4×400-meter relay finished in fourth place in 2012.

The 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships will be streamed live by ESPN3.com Friday beginning at 5:25 p.m. (CT) and Saturday beginning at 5:50 p.m. Early portions of the meet not covered by ESPN3 will be streamed at NCAA.com and ArkansasRazorbacks.com, beginning with the start of competition each day. A tape-delay broadcast of the national meet will air March 17 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Arkansas will host the NCAA Indoor Championships this Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center for the 11th time in program history. For tickets, visit the Razorback Ticket Center on Razorback Road by Baum Stadium, log on to the online ticket center at ArkansasRazorbacks.com or call 800-982-HOGS (4647). Keep up with Arkansas cross country and track and field with the team’s RazorbackTF Facebook and Twitter pages.

2013 NCAA Championships Entries

400 Meters

1. Regina George – 51.40

11. Sparkle McKnight – 52.77

60m Hurdles

13. Ivanique Kemp – 8.18

4x400m Relay

1. Williams/McKnight/Flowers/George – 3:29.60

Distance-Medley Relay

11. Heymsfield/George/Borge/Scott – 11:04.93

High Jump

4. Makeba Alcide – 1.89m/6-2.25

Pole Vault

4. Sandi Morris – 4.43m/14-6.25

Triple Jump

9. Tamara Myers – 13.06m/42-10.25

Pentathlon

1. Makeba Alcide – 4,569 points