Trio of meet records highlight UA performance at Spring Invite
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas displayed a 4 x 100m relay line-up that produced the second fastest collegiate time this season as the Razorbacks won in a time of 42.90 seconds at the Arkansas Spring Invitational on Saturday.
The performance was one of three meet records set by the Razorbacks at John McDonnell Field. The Arkansas foursome of Anya Jackson, Rosey Effiong, Kaylyn Brown, and Shawnti Jackson registered the 4 x 100m victory that bettered the previous meet record of 43.40 set by Arkansas in 2018.
In taking half a second off the meet record, the relay crew produced the fourth-fastest time in the world for 2025 and generated the No. 6 time on the UA all-time list. TCU has the collegiate leading time of 42.87 from the Texas Relays.
The previous best time in April for the Razorbacks was 43.13 from the 2024 season.
Sanaria Butler broke the meet record in the 400m with a career best of 51.86 for the victory over teammate Aaliyah Pyatt (52.51) and alum Paris Peoples (52.87). The previous meet record of 52.20 was set in 2011 by Razorback Shelise Williams.
Also producing career best times in other sections of the 400m were Amirah Sharpe (53.06) and Analisse Batista (53.24).
Butler, who improved her indoor best to 51.95 this season and bettered her previous outdoor best of 52.09, capped the meet by anchoring the 4 x 400m relay to a meet record victory in 3:32.43 with a 52.90 split. The first three legs on the relay included Sharpe (53.00), Joanne Reid (54.18), and Pyatt (52.35).
A second Razorback relay squad finished second in 3:35.34 and included Arianne Sharp (56.02), Ashanti Denton (50.90), Batista (53.01), and Lanie Meeks (55.41).
Arkansas alum Shafiqua Maloney challenged the Invitational 1,500m meet record of 4:15.61 set by Dominique Scott in 2016 while being challenged by Ainsley Erzen in the race.
Maloney won the race in 4:18.27. Erzen charged down the backstretch on the final lap to run even with Maloney for a couple of strides and finished second in 4:19.69 to set a career best. Erzen’s previous best in the event was 4:27.80.
Other career best times were established by Olivia Pielemeier (4:25.48), Mackenzie Rogers (4:28.14), and Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (4:28.26). The effort by Jallow-Lockhart broke the Gambian record of 4:41.98 set in 2019 by Kaddy Mamburay.
In one of the few wind-legal races, with a wind reading under 2.0, Arkansas alum Destiny Huven won the 100m hurdles in13.05 (1.8 wind) to break the meet record of 13.21 jointly held by Razorbacks Alex Gochenour and Payton Stumbaugh.
Meanwhile, Razorback Simone Ballard set a career best of 13.17 as runner-up to also eclipse the previous meet record. Shania Myers (13.20) and Saira Prince (13.34 PR) finished fourth and fifth.
Pyatt won the 200m in a wind-aided 23.24 (3.3 wind) over teammates Ashanti Denton (23.33w) and Butler (23.35w). Winning other sections of the 200m were Kayla Davis (23.69w) and Amirah Sharpe (23.75w).
Earlier sections of the 1,500m had Audrey Hill setting a career best of 4:32.57 for the top time over Oklahoma State’s Katie Armstrong (4:35.40). Ruby Little finished third in 4:36.59 in her debut.
Hanna Estes led the Razorback pole vault crew in placing third with a clearance of 13-0.25 (3.97). Four other Arkansas vaulters each cleared 12-6.25 (3.82) in placing equal fifth, seventh and equal eighth with Bailee Wooten, Emily Cloutier, Rachel Homoly, and Addison Richey.
Sydney Billington tied for third in the high jump with a clearance of 5-8.75 (1.75).