TAT: Razorbacks Are on the Road Again

This article originally appeared in the April 3, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

The No. 11 Arkansas women’s track team hits the road again Friday, competing in the 34th annual Sun Angel Classic at Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

Last weekend, the Razorbacks competed in three different meets, creating a “logistical nightmare,” head coach Lance Harter said.

The team was split up between the Texas Relays in Austin, the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and the Razorback Spring Invitational in Fayetteville.

Four Razorback athletes set personal records in Palo Alto, while the 4×400-meter relay team, anchored by senior Regina George, broke the school record with a time of 3 minutes, 28.42 seconds, finishing fourth in Austin.

No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Texas and No. 3 Texas A&M finished ahead of Arkansas.

“That was a fantastic effort,” Harter said. “Usually those times don’t come available until the NCAA Championship, but those four teams were the best in the U.S. and got after it.”

Harter said he expects George to continue to improve, as she still hasn’t run her top event, the 400-meter.

“Regina George is an incredible warrior out there,” Harter said. “Everybody fears having to run against Regina.”

Senior Stephanie Brown showed her range at the Stanford Invitational, running in the 800-meter and 5,000-meter. She finished 14th and ninth, respectively.

“I’ve had a lot of coaches come up to me and say that Stephanie Brown is a unique individual,” Harter said. “She’s an outstanding athlete that asked to move up and see what she could do as far as endurance goes.”

Only a couple weeks into the outdoor season, Harter said that his team is still in a “very heavy training phase right now,” so he is “really pleased” with their performance so far.

Until the sprinters and jumpers leave for the Sun Angel Classic, the Razorbacks will train and prepare wherever the weather allows them. Rain and cold weather have forced the team to practice inside the Randal Tyson Track Center several times since the conclusion of the indoor season.

“We’re blessed to have an indoor track,” Harter said. “Not only is it a track, but it’s the best of the best.”

Although the weather has forced the team to “modify our training a little bit,” Harter said he still sees his team making progress.

“As long as the athletes and coaches are on the same page and heading in the same direction, we’re going to be fine,” Harter said.