VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, March 14–15 — You don’t have a true rivalry if one side always wins. On March 15, the competitions between Arkansas’ Isabella Whittaker and Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler finally achieved balance.
After a season of racing in Butler’s shadow, Whittaker finally reached the top when it counted most. In fact, she also emerged from the shadow of American history. Running in the first of two heats, she blasted an indoor American Record 49.24. Her time erased former Razorback Britton Wilson’s altitude-aided 49.48 from the recordbook.
She then had to wait to see if Butler would upstage her yet again, but this time the Bulldog wasn’t up to the task, winning the second heat in 49.97 — merely the fifth-fastest U.S. performance ever.
If Femke Bol didn’t exist, Whittaker’s breakthrough moment would have been a World Record. Since she does, Whittaker is now the second fastest performer undercover and her time equals Bol for second-fastest performance. (Bol ran 49.17 last year at Indoor Worlds in Glasgow.)
It was a pleasant turnaround for Whittaker, a graduate transfer from Penn. Two weeks prior, despite fast clockings, she finished behind Butler in both rounds of the SEC Indoor Championships, despite a sub-50 in the final.
“I had a really good feeling about this one, said the new recordholder — who had some “30 family members here,” a fan club that unleashed a roar of delight as she finished. “I kind of knew I was gonna have to take it from the gun. Sometimes I struggle with that, so I was glad that I was able to commit, and then I came through the 200. When I came through the 200, I was like, ‘This is gonna be a good one.’ I actually knew; I had a feeling like it was gonna be good. So I was shocked but I was also like, I knew I had it in me.”
Whittaker added that Razorback 400 coach Chris Johnson “said that that’s the first 400 he’s actually seen me run — as in, I haven’t run one before of course. But no, he’s very hard on me. But no, I think that that was the first time I really put everything together, executed the way I should.”
Between the SEC and NCAA meets, Whittaker and Butler now own 4 of the 5 fastest indoor times on the U.S. all-time list.
Whittaker scored another win over Butler in the 4×4. She helped the Hogs rewrite the collegiate performance list, her 49.71 anchoring a 3:25.20 winner, No. 3 all-time. The two faster marks also belong to the Razorbacks. Butler had the faster closer in 49.48, bringing Georgia home in 3:26.07.
BYU entered the recordbooks with a new meet standard of 10:45.34 in the distance medley. Diljeet Taylor’s Cougars were one of four teams to dip well under Tennessee’s previous best of 10:50.98 from ’09, holding off Oregon (10:45.99), Providence (10:46.28) and LSU (10:47.17).
Team champ Oregon had a very real chance to add two more points to its total in the DMR. The Ducks acquired a slim 0.12 lead over Providence on the first leg by Wilma Nielsen (who would later win the mile) and held a 1.64 edge over BYU after the second. Oregon really looked scary after Ella Nelson’s 2:04.25 on the third, with the lead now grown to 2.75, chased by Providence, Utah and BYU.
BYU’s Riley Chamberlain ended Oregon’s hopes, however, with a decisive 4:25.12 anchor. Oregon seemingly had strong ammo for the finale in collegiate 1500 and mile recordholder Şilan Ayyıldız, but she could only manage 4:29.68. The Turk did well to hold on for silver, as Providence’s Kimberley May (4:27.22) and LSU’s Lorena Rangel Batres (4:25.98) closed faster.
Surprisingly, Chamberlain was the only member of the quartet who contributed to BYU’s cross country championship last fall. Other legs here were Jenna Hutchins (3:21.61 in her first-ever DMR), Sami Oblad (52.10) and Tessa Buswell (2:06.52).
Said anchor Chamberlain, “Tessa got me through in perfect position. We had kind of like a big gap between Oregon and the rest of us and I was able to kind of like sit behind Kimberley, really let her drag me through a little bit, and then the gap closed enough. So OK, I got behind Şilan and just waited to kick.
“It was really smooth, really great.”
Newcomer Of The Year (if such an award existed) went to TCU’s Indya Mayberry in the 200. Oregon senior star Jadyn Mays threw down a 22.45 marker in the first heat, but frosh Mayberry easily smashed it in the second, covering one lap in 22.30, good for No. 4 on the collegiate ATL.
“I just knew I had to get out super-quick and run,” Mayberry told runnerspace.com, “because I knew I had a champ in front of me, she’s never been beat and she’s really strong so I did what I had to do.” In fact, Mays did incur a couple of 200 losses earlier in the season, notably to USC’s Dajaz Defrand at the Big 10. That takes nothing away from Mayberry, the second straight frosh winner after South Carolina’s Jameesia Ford in ’24.
Mays and her Oregon teammates could console themselves with a team title, almost entirely achieved in the running events. Mays chipped in another silver in the 60, as did Aaliyah McCormick in the 60H, bringing the Duck track total to 47 of the 55 points. Oregon would have won even without Jaida Ross’s silver in the shot.
WOMEN’S TRACK RESULTS
TEAM SCORES
1. Oregon 55;
2. Georgia 39;
3. USC 35;
4. tie, Arkansas, Oklahoma & Washington 31;
7. Texas A&M 27; 8. Illinois 25½ ; 9. BYU 24; 10. Texas Tech 21½; 11. tie, Harvard & Alabama 18; 13. Stanford 16; 14. TCU 15; 15. tie, Tennessee & Baylor 14; 17. Wisconsin 13; 18. tie, Northern Arizona & South Carolina 12; 20. tie, Clemson, LSU & Nebraska 11; 23. tie, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame & West Virginia 10; 27. Providence 9; 28. tie, Michigan, Princeton & VCU 8; 31. Florida 7; 32. tie, Houston & New Mexico 6; 34. Missouri 5½;
35. tie, Cal, Colorado State, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Virginia Tech, Washington State & Arizona 5; 43. tie, Iowa State, North Florida & Utah 4; 46. tie, Louisville, Miami, UTEP & Auburn 3; 50. tie, Florida State, Georgetown, Kentucky & Ball State 2; 54. tie, Boston U, East Carolina, High Point, Purdue, San José State, Tarleton State & UCLA 1; 61. Kansas State ½.
60 METERS
(March 15)
1. *Dajaz Defrand (USC) 7.09 PR (=8, x AmC);
2. Jadyn Mays (Or) 7.12;
3. *Kaila Jackson (Ga) 7.15;
4. ***Indya Mayberry (TCU) 7.17;
5. *Samirah Moody (USC) 7.17;
6. Alexis Brown (Bay) 7.24;
7. *Shenese Walker’ (FlSt-Jam) 7.27;
… dnc—*Brianna Lyston (LSU-Jam).
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. Mayberry 7.12; 2. Lyston’ 7.17; 3. Brown 7.18; 4. Walker’ 7.18 PR; 5. ***Aniyah Kitt (Clem) 7.27; 6. Leah Bertrand’ (OhSt-Tri) 7.27; 7. ***Victoria Cameron (Tarl) 7.38;… dq—**Tima Godbless’ (LSU-Ngr).
II–1. Jackson 7.11; 2. Mays 7.13; 3. Defrand 7.14; 4. Moody 7.17; 5. Layla Anderson (Tn) 7.21; 6.Success Umukoro’ (TxT-Ngr) 7.27; 7. ***Kelly Ufodiama (ECar) 7.27; 8. Milan Fields (Tn) 7.36.
200 METERS
(March 15)
1. ***Indya Mayberry (TCU)
2. Jadyn Mays (Or)
3. **JaMeesia Ford (SC)
4. *Dajaz Defrand (USC)
5. **Madison Whyte (USC)
6. Niesha Burgher’ (UTEP-Jam)
7. *Kaila Jackson (Ga)
8. ***Kelly Ufodiama (ECar)
Sections:
I–1. Mays 22.45 PR (x, =10 A; x, =9 AmC);
2. Whyte 22.80; 3. Burgher’ 22.84; 4. Ufodiama 23.19.
II–1. Mayberry 22.30 PR (WL, AL) (7, x W; 2, 3 A; 4, 7 C);
2. Ford 22.55; 3. Defrand 22.70; 4. Jackson 22.96.
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. *Camryn Dickson (TxAM) 22.97; 2. Jayla Jamison (SC) 23.25; 3. Brianna Howard (TxT) 23.36; 4. **Taylor Snaer (UCLA) 23.42.
II–1. Whyte 22.80; 2. Defrand 22.90; 3. *Tiriah Kelley (Bay) 23.03; 4. *Jassani Carter (USC) 23.06.
III–1. Mayberry 22.50; 2. Mays 22.59; 3. Jackson 22.94; 4. Ufodiama 22.96.
IV–1. Ford 22.55; 2. Burgher’ 22.91; 3. ***Anya Jackson (Ar) 23.23; 4. Adriana Tatum (AzSt) 23.45.
400 METERS
(March 15)
1. *Isabella Whittaker (Ar)
2. *Aaliyah Butler (Ga)
3. *Dejanea Oakley’ (Ga-Jam)
4. Savannah Sutherland’ (Mi-Can)
5. *Rachel Joseph (IaSt)
6. Vimbayi Maisvorewa’ (Aub-Zim)
7. **Zaya Akins (SC)
8. *Ella Onojuvwevwo’ (LSU-Ngr)
Sections:
I—1. Whittaker 49.24 49.24 AR, CR (old records 49.48A Britton Wilson [Ar] ’23) (WL) (2, =2 W) (absolute: 7, x A) (23.81/25.43);
2. Joseph 51.58 (24.05/27.53); 3. Akins 52.12 (24.00/28.12); 4. *Onojuvwevwo 52.18 (23.84/28.34).
II—1. Butler 49.97 (x, 5 A, C) (23.12/26.85);
2. Oakley 51.14 (23.91/27.23); 3. Sutherland 51.23 NR (24.04/27.19); 4. Maisvorewa 51.66 (23.73/27.93).
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. Maisvorewa’ 51.51 NR; 2. Sutherland’ 51.65; 3. Akins 51.71; 4. Jermaisha Arnold (TxAM) 52.32.
II–1. Onojuvwevwo’ 51.61; 2. Joseph 51.86; 3. *Javonya Valcourt’ (Tn-Bah) 52.31; 4. JeNyia Burton (Pitt) 52.91.
III–1. Oakley’ 51.85; 2. **Kaylyn Brown (Ar) 52.06; 3. Sami Oblad (BYU) 52.27; 4. Kiah Williams (UCF) 52.65.
IV–1. Butler 51.61; 2. Whittaker 51.61; 3. *Yemi John’ (USC-USC) 51.92; 4. *Shaquena Foote’ (SDi-Jam) 52.58.
800 METERS
(March 15)
1. Makayla Paige (NC) 2:00.39 (7, x C)
(28.20, 30.55 [58.75], 31.12 [1:29.87], 30.52) (58.75/61.64);
2. Victoria Bossong (Harv) 2:00.93
(28.39, 30.59 [58.98], 30.94 [1:29.92], 31.01) (58.98/61.95);
3. *Roisin Willis (Stan) 2:01.00
(28.52, 30.56 [59.08], 31.19 [1:30.27], 30.73) (59.08/61.92);
4. Michaela Rose (LSU) 2:02.19 (59.24/62.95);
5. Smilla Kolbe’ (NFl-Ger) 2:02.44 (59.72/62.72);
6. *Gabriella Grissom (Mia) 2:02.46 (59.35/63.11);
7. **Sophia Gorriaran (Harv) 2:02.57 (59.47/63.10);
8. **Gladys Chepngetich’ (Clem-Ken) 2:02.60 (59.21/63.39).
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. Bossong 2:00.82; 2. Willis 2:00.84; 3. Chepngetich’ 2:01.60; 4. Meghan Hunter (BYU) 2:02.39; 5. *Sanu Jallow’ (Ar-Gam) 2:02.57; 6. *Fanny Arendt’ (TxT-Lux) 2:02.57; 7. *Kaylie Politza (OkSt) 2:02.69; 8. *Hayley Kitching’ (PennSt-Aus) 2:03.45.
II–1. Paige 2:01.36; 2. Rose 2:01.42; 3. Gorriaran 2:01.43; 4. Kolbe’ 2:01.44 PR; 5. Grissom 2:02.14; 6. *Juliette Whittaker (Stan) 2:02.35; 7. *Analisse Batista (Ar) 2:03.03; 8. Star Price (VaT) 2:07.40.
MILE
(March 15)
1. *Wilma Nielsen’ (Or-Swe) 4:32.40 (33.99, 35.70 [69.69], 36.87 [1:46.56], 36.99 [2:23.55], 34.84 [2:58.39], 33.89 [3:32.28], 31.04 [4:03.32], 29.08)
(29.08, 60.12, 94.01, 2:08.85);
2. Mena Scatchard’ (Prin-GB) 4:32.87 (28.51, 59.75, 93.82, 2:08.52);
3. Maggi Congdon (NnAz) 4:32.88 (29.37, 60.50, 94.26, 2:09.17);
4. *Şilan Ayyıldız’ (Or-Tur) 4:33.98 (29.91, 61.06, 95.41, 2:10.46);
5. Amina Maatoug’ (Wa-Neth) 4:34.03 (30.16, 61.53, 95.27, 2:09.97);
6. *Chloe Foerster (Wa) 4:34.18 (30.05, 61.50, 95.25, 2:10.28);
7. Melissa Riggins (Gtn) 4:35.06 (30.88, 62.36, 96.45, 2:11.11);
8. *Vera Sjoberg’ (BU-Swe) 4:35.34 (30.88, 62.50, 96.39, 2:11.25);
9. Lorena Rangel Batres’ (LSU-Mex) 4:35.35;
10. Margot Appleton (Va) 4:36.01.
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. Appleton 4:34.97; 2. Scatchard’ 4:35.40; 3. Maatoug’ 4:36.18; 4. Riggins 4:36.41; 5. Alex Carlson (NnAz) 4:36.47; 6. Mia Barnett (Or) 4:37.37; 7. **Judy Kosgei’ (Clem-Ken) 4:38.30; 8. *Bethan Morley’ (Fl-GB) 4:45.98.
II–1. Nielsen’ 4:34.17; 2. Foerster 4:34.74; 3. Ayyıldız’ 4:34.76; 4. Congdon 4:34.88; 5. Rangel Batres’ 4:35.15; 6. Sjoberg’ 4:35.33; 7. Laura Pellicoro’ (Port-Ita) 4:37.60; 8. Carmen Alder’ (BYU-Ecu) 4:42.07.
3000 METERS
(March 15)
1. Ceili McCabe’ (WV-Can) 9:01.18
(34.12, 42.02 [1:16.14], 42.89 [1:59.03], 38.85 [2:37.88], 36.77 [3:14.65], 35.43 [3:50.08], 35.44 [4:25.52], 35.69 [5:01.21], 35.79 [5:37.00], 35.36 [6:12.36], 36.46 [6:48.82], 35.40 [7:24.22], 34.16 [7:58.38], 32.47 [8:30.85], 30.33)
(30.33, 62.80, 2:12.36);
2. **Doris Lemngole’ (Al-Ken) 9:01.64 (30.72, 63.18, 2:12.71);
3. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 9:03.20 (31.86, 64.55, 2:14.09);
4. Amina Maatoug’ (Wa-Neth) 9:03.34 (31.61, 64.19, 2:13.64);
5. **Grace Hartman (NCSt) 9:03.37 (31.94, 64.59, 2:14.25);
6. Kimberley May’ (Prov-NZ) 9:03.51 (31.27, 64.32, 2:14.42);
7. ***Paityn Noe (Ar) 9:03.78 (31.69, 64.44, 2:14.41); 8. Elise Stearns (NnAz) 9:04.01 (32.15, 65.06, 2:14.72); 9. **Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 9:04.07; 10. ***Hannah Gapes’ (NCSt-NZ) 9:04.35; 11. ***Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 9:04.42; 12. *Riley Chamberlain (BYU) 9:06.63; 13. Margot Appleton (Va) 9:08.02; 14. **Amy Bunnage’ (Stan-Aus) 9:11.87; 15. Shannon Flockhart’ (Prov-GB) 9:12.33;… dnf—*Şilan Ayyıldız’ (Or-Tur).
5000 METERS
(March 14)
1. **Doris Lemngole’ (Al-Ken) 15:05.93 (x, 9 C)
(36.34, 36.69 [1:13.03], 35.45 [1:48.48], 36.02 [2:24.50], 35.71 [3:00.21], 35.35 [3:35.56], 35.57 [4:11.13], 35.63 [4:46.76], 36.04 [5:22.80], 35.72 [5:58.52], 36.49 [6:35.01], 36.42 [7:11.43], 36.78 [7:48.21], 37.24 [8:25.45], 37.51 [9:02.96], 40.05 [9:43.01], 38.39 [10:21.40], 38.36 [10:59.76], 38.25 [11:38.01], 37.79 [12:15.80], 37.24 [12:53.04], 36.19 [13:29.23], 33.72 [14:02.95], 32.50 [14:35.45], 30.48)
(30.48, 62.98, 2:12.89);
2. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (BYU) 15:06.17 (x, 10 C) (30.55, 63.45, 2:12.94);
3. ***Pamela Kosgei’ (NM-Ken) 15:07.57 (31.90, 64.40, 2:14.29);
4. Elise Stearns (NnAz) 15:08.07 (7, x C) (32.16, 64.69, 2:14.64);
5. **Sophia Kennedy (Stan) 15:10.71 (8, x C) (33.04, 66.71, 2:17.46);
6. **Grace Hartman (NCSt) 15:11.10 (9, x C) (33.29, 67.30, 2:17.61);
7. *Hilda Olemomoi’ (Fl-Ken) 15:11.33; 8. ***Paityn Noe (Ar) 15:11.89; 9. *Chloe Scrimgeour (Gtn) 15:14.07; 10. *Jadyn Keeler’ (ND-Can) 15:31.63; 11. Lucy Jenks (Gtn) 15:33.09; 12. Alex Millard’ (Prov-GB) 15:34.36; 13. Florence Caron’ (PennSt-Can) 15:48.73; 14. Ali Upshaw (NnAz) 15:55.49;… dnf—**Amy Bunnage (Stan), *Siona Chisholm (NDm).
60 HURDLES
(March 15)
1. *Jaiya Covington (TxAM) 7.90;
2. *Aaliyah Mccormick (Or) 7.91;
3. *Oneka Wilson’ (Clem-Jam) 7.99;
4. Micaela De Mello’ (WaSt-Bra) 8.02;
5. Layla Anderson (Tn) 8.03;
6. Aasia Laurencin (Mi) 8.09;
7. Kiara Smith (Tn) 8.14;
8. Yanla Ndjip-Nyemeck’ (UCLA-Bel) 8.15.
HEATS (March 14)
I–1. McCormick 7.97; 2. Wilson’ 7.99; 3. De Mello’ 8.00; 4. Anderson (Tn) 8.03; 5. Ndjip-Nyemeck’ 8.06; 6. **Nonah Waldron (USC) 8.13; 7. Marissa Simpson’ (UTEP-Jam) 34.28;… dnc—Alexis Glasco (Ky).
II–1. Covington 7.94; 2. Laurencin 8.01; 3. Smith 8.06; 4. Adaobi Tabugbo’ (UCF-Ngr) 8.10; 5. Myreanna Bebe’ (Tn-Hai) 8.18; 6. Zoe Sullivan (Pur) 8.22; 7. **Ana-Liese Torian (Aub) 8.38;… dq—*Naomi Krebs (TxT).
4 x 400
(March 15)
1. Arkansas
2. Georgia
3. USC
4. Tennessee
5. Texas A&M
6. Harvard
7. Kentucky
8. Texas
9. UCF
10. South Carolina
11. UCLA
… dq—Florida State.
Sections:
I–1. USC 3:26.97 (#7 school)
(John’ 52.36, Carter 51.00, Mallard 51.60, Whyte 52.01);
2. Harvard 3:30.49
(Fair 53.47, Goudros’ 51.42, Gorriaran 53.17, Bossong 52.43);
3. Texas 3:30.65
(Lewis 52.90, Garrett 50.73, Okuku 53.57, Elliott 53.45);
… dq—Florida State [3:34.47]
(Green 54.01, Wilson 55.04, Francis 53.97, Liburd’ 51.45).
II–1. Texas A&M 3:30.06
(Dickson 53.41, Montgomery 52.54, Smith 52.27, Arnold 51.84);
2. Kentucky 3:30.59
(Douglas 53.05, Johnson 53.27, Onyepunuka 52.55, McAnnuff’ 51.72);
3. UCF 3:31.32
(Williams 52.68, Newberry 52.59, Johnson 52.72, Shaw-Huckaby 53.33);
4. UCLA 3:53.51
(Conyers 53.30, Snaer 52.97, McBride 74.49, Johnson 52.75).
III–1. Arkansas 3:25.20 (3C)
(Reid’ 53.14, Butler 51.10, Brown 51.26, Whittaker 49.70);
2. Georgia 3:26.07 (9 C)
(Oakley’ 52.07, Smith 52.07, Tate 52.46, Butler 49.47);
3. Tennessee 3:27.25 (#9 school)
(Wright 54.11, White 50.69, Joseph 51.70, Valcourt’ 50.75);
4. South Carolina 3:47.74
(Akins 63.97, Chelangat 54.10, Ford 54.38, Jamison 55.29).
DISTANCE MEDLEY
(March 14)
1. BYU 10:45.34 (8 A; 6 C)
(Hutchins 3:21.61, Oblad 52.10, Busswell 2:06.51, Chamberlain 4:25.12);
2. Oregon 10:45.99 (7 C)
(W. Nielsen’ 3:19.66, Clayton 52.41, Nelson 2:04.24, Ayyıldız’ 4:29.68);
3. Providence 10:46.28 (8 C)
(Flockhart’ 3:19.78, Fenerty 54.45, O’Neill’ 2:04.83, May’ 4:27.22);
4. LSU 10:47.17 (#7 school)
(Hardy 3:26.51, Onojuvwevwo’ 52.99, Rose’ 2:01.70, Rangel Batres’ 4:25.97);
5. Utah 10:53.50
(Rinn 3:22.11, E. Martin 52.41, K. Martin 2:04.71, Vringer 4:34.27);
6. NC State 10:55.11
(Putman 3:23.18, Parker 54.96, Napoleon 2:06.46, Gapes’ 4:30.51);
7. Harvard 11:02.26
(Mihas 3:25.25, Fair 53.16, Matarese 2:11.63, Salmon 4:32.22);
8. Washington 11:02.31
(David-Smith 3:23.32, Terrell 54.66, Yerby 2:07.07, Cochran 4:37.26);
9. North Carolina 11:02.57
(Parks 3:23.43, Martins 53.76, Auderset 2:06.89, Brown 4:38.49);
10. Northern Arizona 11:06.71
(Baloga 3:24.28, Reigh 53.12, McTighe 2:07.45, Carlson 4:41.86);
11. Georgetown 11:10.88
(Tomkinson 3:24.64, Ochan 53.78, Bell 2:11.99, Nerukar 4:40.47);
12. Stanford 11:14.43
(Dudek’ 3:23.55, Hinton 55.21, Everett 2:08.60, Suarez 4:47.07).
