Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Records surpassed during state indoor track and field meet
FAYETTEVILLE — The boys 60-meter hurdles record at the state indoor track and field high School championships was shared by two people heading into Saturday’s meet at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
Now Sloan Jones has that mark all to himself.
It’s the ideal way the Fayetteville senior wanted to start his busy day as he finished in 8.01 seconds and broke the previous record of 8.02 set by Shaka Bogan of Marion in 2019 and tied by former Fayetteville standout Isaiah Sategna in 2022.
“It was nice,” Jones said. “I’m so close to the 7s. I’ve been reaching for it, and I think I’m going to get it next week. I know I keep saying next week, but I do think next week I’m going to get it.
“It felt good to break that record. I didn’t even know I broke until later, and I’m not sharing.”
The record run made up for Jones’ misfortunes over the previous two years, where he fell during his sophomore year and didn’t participate last year as he recovered from a broken tibia, but he wasn’t done. He also had a first-place finish in the 60 among Class 6A runners, then added a first-place finish in the 200 in 22.07 and a third in the triple jump (44 feet).
Five other meet records were broken and two more tied during the meet. White Hall’s Brayden Bell — who ran in the same heat as Jones in the 60 — set the record when he finished with a time of 6.78, breaking the previous mark of 6.87 set in 2019 by North Little Rock’s Kennedy Lightner.
West Memphis’ Amarion Pulliaum set the triple jump record when he went 47-7, eclipsing the previous mark of 47-3 set by Stephen Soerens of Fayetteville in 2011. Meanwhile, Marion senior Julian Carter II accomplished a goal he had set as a sophomore when he ran in the 800 in 1:43.10, breaking the previous mark of 1:53.28 set last year by Springdale Har-Ber’s Dawson Welch.
“I knew I had to come out fast and make sure I didn’t get boxed in,” Carter said. “I took the lead from the beginning of the race, and I’ve been training to do that. I’m now getting more comfortable with that in the race. I came through the second lap at 54.5 and from there, I just tried to carry that. The third lap is where I usually fall off track.
“It just feels like a sigh of relief. I kept telling myself that I was going to get it, and I’m proud of myself.”
In the girls division, a healthier Haley Loewe saved her record-breaking moment for the end. The Bentonville senior and Tennessee signee, who had finished with close second-place finishes in the 1,600 and the 800, came through in the 3,200 with her winning time of 11:04.78, breaking the previous mark of 11:08.75 set by Carson Wasemiller of Fayetteville in 2023.
“It felt really good, just getting out,” Loewe said. “At the Arkansas Invitational, I ran and didn’t know what to expect. So I’ve been down on myself and didn’t know what a good track feeling was since I haven’t had it since my sophomore year.
“Coming out here and having three good races, I was like, ‘OK, this is what it’s supposed to feel like.’ I’m incredibly excited to go on to outdoor and see what I’ll be able to do.”
The first record-tying performance went to Fayetteville senior Solara Koser in the 60 hurdles, where her 8.85 time matched that of former Har-Ber and University of Arkansas standout Payton Stumbaugh in 2014. The other went to Paisley Hight of Bentonville in the girls high jump as she cleared 5-7 and matched the mark set cleared by Hannah Martin of Rogers in 2017.
The announcement of her tying Stumbaugh for the record did momentarily catch Koser offguard. She then teamed with Ava Goetz, Helen Hesselgren and Izzy Sategna to break with the 1,600 relay record with a time of 3:55.75, breaking the previous mark of 3:59.82 set by Rogers in 2020.
“That’s a lot to think about, actually,” Koser said. “I think it’s the first meet record I’ve ever held. But I’m happy about it and glad my work during the indoor season has paid off.
“The 60 hurdles is something I’ve been wanting to get ahead of ever since I started hurdles in junior high. I went out hard and went out fast and stayed focused throughout the race. I just hoped for the best, really.”
Bentonville swept the team titles as the boys outlasted second-place Fayetteville by a 124107 margin, while the girls had finished with 130-111 cushion over runner-up Rogers. Other boys state champions included Russellville in 5A (98-95 over Hot Springs Lakeside), Pea Ridge in 4A (69.5 to 68 for Heber Springs and 67 for Waldron), Prescott in 3A (105-68 over Bald Knob) and Quitman in the combined 1A/2A (147-128 over Mansfield).
The remaining girls state champions consisted of Lake Hamilton in 5A (106-84 over Russellville), Gravette in 4A (80-74 over Warren), Prescott in 3A (95-89 over DeWitt) and Yellville-Summit in combined 1A/2A (9897 over Mansfield).