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Former Arkansas All-American Nikki Hiltz won the 1,500 meters at the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second year in a row.
On Saturday night, Hiltz won at the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Convention Center with a time of 4:08.35, ahead of Emily Mackay, who came in second at 4:08.70.
“I love championship-style racing,” Hiltz told NBC reporter Lewis Johnson. “There are no rabbits or pacesetters. It’s all about the race. It was a lot of fun.”
Hiltz ran the final 200 meters in 28.7 seconds.
“I kept telling myself all day, ‘I’m going to be the fastest in the last 200, I’m going to be really good in the last 200,'” Hiltz told reporters after the race. “And the more I focused on doing it, the less nervous I was because all my concentration went into that.”
Hiltz won the U.S. indoor title last year in a more tactical race in 4:17.10.
“I took it off a little early because I felt good,” Hiltz told reporters. “I just accelerated at each moment and tried to get as close as I could.”
Former Arkansas NCAA champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sandy Morris took second in the pole vault, clearing 15 feet, 7 inches. Katie Moon won 15-11.
Morris was 15-9 passing and 15-11 with three errors.
By finishing in the top two, Hiltz and Morris qualified for the World Indoor Championships, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, March 1-3.
Morris competed indoors and outdoors and won two gold medals and two silver medals at the world championships. She is an eight-time American champion.
Morris, 31, said Saturday he was pleased with his performance after injuring his Achilles tendon about a month ago.
“I did a lot of corrective training and rehab, but thankfully I felt really good,” Morris told reporters. “I was a little rusty this time around, so I’m really happy to be able to join the team.” [for the World Championships]”
Morris said he had to adjust his training leading up to the U.S. Championships, but it didn’t affect his confidence.
“I’ve spent half my life pole vaulting, so I have to make sure I’m healthy and firing on all cylinders,” Morris said. “I felt like it was a little slow, but I know what I’ve been through so I’m OK with where I am now.”
Former Razorback NCAA champion sprinter and jumper Jarrion Lawson placed third in the long jump. Lawson, 29, had a best record of 26-5, finishing behind Johnny Brackins (27-0) and Isaac Grimes (26-5 1/2).
Chris Bailey, an All-American at the University of Arkansas, transferred from Tennessee and set a school record in the 400 meters in his senior year with a time of 45.09 seconds.Last year, he ran a time of 45.76 seconds at the national championships, surpassing Brian Faust. (45.47 seconds) and third place behind Jacory Patterson (45.48 seconds). ).
Former Arkansas All-American Kiara Parker ran a time of 7.15 seconds to finish fifth in the 60s, tying the UA record time set in 2019.
Ryan Crowther, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Alexis Holmes, who train in Fayetteville, won the title.
Krauser, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and world champion who competed in the Texas Olympics, broke his own meet and facility record with a pitch of 74-9 3/4 and won the U.S. shot put record. He won his 10th title in throwing. Set in 2020.
Davis-Woodhall, who is married to former Arkansas sprinter Hunter Woodhall and competed at Georgia and Texas, won the long jump with a career-best leap of 23-6 3/4, ranking her among the all-time All-American indoor sprinters. Ranked in 3rd place.
Holmes, an SEC champion from Kentucky, won the 400 meters with a meet-record 50.34 points, breaking the record of 50.12 set by Sanya Richards-Ross in 2012.
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