No. 1 Arkansas takes 21st NCAA Indoor Championship, 42nd overall
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – An impressive weekend of performances combined for 63 team points and a national team title for the No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
This marks the 21st NCAA Indoor championship and 42nd overall for the Arkansas men’s program. It’s the first sweep of men’s and women’s national titles since Oregon in 2016.
Behind the 63 points for the Razorbacks the runner-up team was Georgia (40) followed by Florida (34), Washington (31), and Texas Tech (29).
Jaydon Hibbert set the winning tone with a collegiate record on his first and only attempt in the triple jump. Traveling a distance of 57-6.5 (17.54), the 18-yearold Hibbert claimed multiple records – Jamaica national record, World U20 record, Arkansas school record.
The previous records included the UA school record of 57-1 (17.40) by Arkansas legend Mike Conley in 1985, the World U20 record of 56-5.25 (17.20) by Melvin Raffin of France in 2017, and the Jamaican record of 56-4.75 (17.19) by Arkansas alum Clive Pullen in 2017.
Charlie Simpkins of Charleston Southern set the previous collegiate record of 57-5 (17.50) in 1986.
Arkansas closed out the meet with a victory in the 4 x 400 relay with a time of 3:02.09 with a foursome of Connor Washington (46.48), James Benson II (44.91), Ayden Owens-delerme (46.56), and Chris Bailey (44.14). Bailey’s split is the second fastest ever indoors.
Owens-delerme bettered the previous collegiate record in the heptathlon while finishing as runner-up to Georgia’s Kyle Garland. Owens-delerme totaled 6,518 points while Garland won with 6,639 points.
Lady ‘Backs win NCAA Indoor Championship, breaks World Record in 4x400 relay
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – A national championship decided in the 4x400 relay is a very dramatic way to conclude a meet. The Arkansas women, leading by two points over Texas, delivered a world all-time best relay to secure the fourth NCAA Indoor team title and seventh overall for the program.
Running a time of 3:21.75 bettered the previous 4x400m relay world record of 3:23.27 by Russia in 2006. The Razorbacks defended their title by bettering their previous collegiate record of 3:24.09 set in 2022.
In the final tally of the team scores Arkansas collected 64 for the national championship with Texas runner-up at
60. They were followed by Florida (45), Stanford (33), Georgia (31), and NC State (29).
The latest national rankings heading into the NCAA Indoor had Texas No. 1, Florida No. 2, and Arkansas No. 3.
Britton Wilson claimed the 400m title in an American and collegiate record of 49.48, which ranks second on the alltime world list, as she defeated Florida’s Talitha Diggs, who set the previous record of 50.15 at the 2023 SEC Indoor.
Following her collegiate record in the 60m hurdles on Friday, Ackera Nugent won the final in 7.73 over Kentucky’s Masai Russell (7.75). It’s Nugent’s second NCAA title in 60m hurdles after winning in 2021 with Baylor.
Lauren Gregory finished as silver medalist in the mile, posting a time of 4:34.24 as Olivia Howell of Illinois won in 4:34.00.
A total of 18 points were scored in the 400m final. Behind Wilson’s incredible feat, Rosey Effiong finished fourth in a career best of 50.54 while Amber Anning placed sixth in 51.22.