No. 1 UA women expect challenge

Aatiyah Henry of Arkansas competes in the long jump during the Arkansas Open Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.
Aatiyah Henry of Arkansas competes in the long jump during the Arkansas Open Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' women's track and field team carries the No. 1 national ranking in the coaches' poll going into the SEC Indoor Championships that begin today in Lexington, Ky.

Having the top ranking for the first time is nice, Coach Lance Harter said, but it hardly guarantees Arkansas the title considering Georgia is ranked No. 2 and Florida No. 3.

"We try to keep it in perspective and tell the kids the ranking is a vote of confidence by our peers, but we still have the challenge of performing at the SEC meet," Harter said. "The challenge is very big because the No. 2 and No. 3 teams are both in the SEC, too.

"There's just not room for error when it comes to trying to maintain our position."

Arkansas is trying to win its first SEC Indoor title since 2013 and fifth overall since joining the conference in 1992.

The Razorbacks' key performers include distance runner Dominique Scott, pole vaulter Sandi Morris, sprinters Taylor Ellis-Watson and Sparkle McKnight, middle distance runner Chrishuna Williams and long and triple jumper Tamara Myers.

Scott will run the 3,000 meters, where she has the nation's best time at 8:52.51, and the mile, where she leads the SEC at 4:32.48. She also is entered in the 5,000 meters, but Harter hopes she doesn't have to run that event at the meet's end Saturday.

"We have her in the 5,000 in case of emergency, but I'd be reluctant to run her," Harter said. "It would be just too big of a load."

Morris leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in the pole vault at 15-3. She leads an Arkansas pole vault contingent that includes Desiree Freier (third in the SEC at 14-2 1/2), Ariel Voskamp (sixth at 13-11 1/4) and Megan Zimlich (seventh at 13-9).

Ellis-Watson leads the SEC in the 400 (51.72) and McKnight ranks sixth (52.67). Williams leads in the 800 (2:05).

Myers ranks third in the SEC in the triple jump (43-11 3/4) and sixth in the long jump (20-9 1/4).

Florida won last year's title with 102 points to edge Texas A&M (96 1/2) and Arkansas (93 1/2). Harter said he believes 100 points will win the meet this year with eight SEC teams ranked in the the top 20.

"There's much more parity in the rest of the SEC, so the points are getting divided lot more," Harter said. "Even schools that traditionally have been at the bottom of the conference have one or two individuals that could score big, big points to take away from teams at the top."

Sports on 02/27/2015

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