THE 4-LAP BATON WOMEN’S finale arrived Saturday evening with the Arkansas powerhouse expect to make another run at sub-3:20 and maybe put the cherry on the top of a blizzard of Collegiate Records. But to make it more interesting, there was — somewhat unexpectedly — still a team title hanging in the balance.
Georgia was formcharted to win by 25 points, but entered the relay leading Florida by just 4, 42–38. The Bulldogs clearly had the second-best 4×4 foursome, but the Gators were hoping for a career night and some serious luck. For awhile, it seemed like Mike Holloway’s squad might achieve at least the former.
In front, not surprisingly, the Razorbacks basically led wire-to-wire, though it took a couple of legs to really break it open. Senior Sanaria Brown split 50.65 to lead off, with Tennessee (Cydney Wright 50.98), Georgia (Vimbayi Maisvorewa 51.05) and Florida (Quincy Penn 51.12) following behind.
Senior Analisse Batista worked to get some separation for Arkansas with her 49.93, but behind her Gator frosh Sydney Sutton clocked a super 50.11 to pull ahead of Bulldog soph Michelle Smith (51.07).
Kaylyn Brown, the junior and remaining member of the Hogs’ CR-setting 4×4 (3:17.97) from ’24 took off on the third leg and rocketed around the curve and down the backstretch to gap the pursuers and turn it into something close to a rout with her 49.29. Meanwhile, Caryl Smith Gilbert’s UGA foursome needed a big third leg and got it from Tianna Springer (50.07). The comethrough frosh reeled in Florida’s Malia Campbell (51.84) and gave her anchor — 400 champ and CR-setter Dejanea Oakley — a small cushion for the important runner-up spot.
Arkansas had its own spectacular CR-setter closing it out, as 800 champ Sanu Jallow-Lockhart finished her triumphant evening with a 49.02. She didn’t quite have the wheels to take the squad under the Razorbacks’ brilliant mark from 2 years ago, but it was no less than history’s second collegiate sub-3:20, stopping the clock at 3:18.88.
Oakley basically duplicated her 48.79 from her individual triumph and brought the Dawgs home in 3:20.96, a mark only Arkansas has beaten. UGA had its 8 points and, as Florida faded to 6th, a 50–43 final margin.
Since apparent 5000 winner Doris Lemngole was DQed from the previous event, Florida wound up with an extra pair of points, which meant that they actually trailed Georgia by just 2 entering the 4×4.
“I think everyone’s got to consider something,” said Arkansas coach Chris Johnson. “That was two 400-meter girls and two 800-meter girls, and I don’t think anyone else had four competitors compete today and then come out and run a relay. And then be able to go out and run the world’s fastest time, currently speaking… less than a second off the Collegiate Record, I think it’s nothing short of phenomenal for these young ladies.”
WOMEN’S 4 x 400 RESULTS
FINAL (June 13)
1. Arkansas 3:18.88 (WL) (2 C) (Butler 50.65, Batista 49.93, Brown 49.29, Jallow-Lockhart’ 49.01);
2. Georgia 3:20.96 (4 C) (Maisvorewa’ 51.05, Smith’ 51.06, Springer 50.06, Oakley’ 48.79);
3. Tennessee 3:23.75 (Wright 50.98, Joseph 51.44, Scott 51.85, Valcourt’ 49.48);
4. Duke 3:24.59 (Jackson 53.05, Baker 49.56, Collins 51.78, Tolbert 50.20);
5. Iowa 3:25.10 (Williams 52.92, Mutunga’ 49.83, Uche 51.54, Nwachukwu’ 50.81);
6. Florida 3:25.73 (Penn’ 51.12, Sutton 50.10, Campbell 51.83, Haynes 52.68);
7. USC 3:26.80 (Mallard 52.05, Trepagnier 51.34, Cenci 51.26, Whyte 52.15);
8. Kansas State 3:29.27 (Riehle 53.40, Mercera 50.15, Brinker 52.78, Kretova’ 52.94);
9. Kentucky 3:29.60 (Bradley 53.39, Douglas 51.59, McClellan 52.57, Nyagisera’ 52.05).
SEMIS (June 11)
I–1. Duke 3:25.14 (Baker 49.46); 2. Tennessee 3:25.21; 3. Iowa 3:27.21; 4. Texas 3:30.65; 5. Iowa State 3:30.73; 6. UCF 3:31.14; 7. Miami 3:32.01; 8. UCLA 3:38.23.
II–1. Georgia 3:24.29; 2. USC 3:25.97; 3. Florida 3:26.06; 4. Kansas State 3:29.63; 5. Nebraska 3:30.34; 6. Vanderbilt 3:30.39; 7. Kansas 3:31.42; 8. South Carolina 3:32.59.
III–1. Arkansas 3:21.90 (5 C) (Butler 50.84, Batista 50.50, Brown 50.16, Jallow-Lockhart’ 50.40);
2. Kentucky 3:29.28; 3. Texas A&M 3:30.92; 4. Texas Tech 3:30.93; 5. Ohio State 3:31.57; 6. Montana State 3:32.97;… dq—[2]LSU[3:29.10], [4]Clemson[3:30.24].
