FAYETTEVILLE – Running in Saturday finals at the 2014 USA Championships, Grace Heymsfield bettered her own school record for the fourth time this season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase while Taylor Ellis-Watson produced her third personal best in as many races this weekend. Heymsfield posted a school-record time of 9:48.10 in the steeplechase and Ellis-Watson crossed the line with a 400-meter time of 51.78.
Heymsfield last three races have resulted in a school record, improving on the mark she originally claimed at the 2013 SEC Championships in Columbia, Mo. She finished in ninth place in Saturday’s final. With her most recent time, she bettered the mark of 9:48.34 she ran in Thursday’s first round. Heymsfield owns six of the eight sub-10:00 times run in school history with the other two belonging to teammate Jessica Kamilos.
Dating back to the first round at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., Ellis-Watson has clocked a personal best in four-consecutive races. She opened the weekend with a time of 52.19 in the first round, followed by a time of 51.92 in Friday’s semifinal to become just the fourth runner in program history with Jessica Cousins, Regina George and Shelise Williams to dip below 52 seconds at 400 meters. Ellis-Watson finished seventh in Saturday’s final.
The Razorbacks close out their weekend in Sacramento, Calif., with Stephanie Brown in Sunday’s final at 1,500 meters. In qualifying for the race Friday, Brown established a lifetime best of 4:11.06. The race is scheduled for a 4:39 p.m. (CT) start. Day five of the USA Championships will be televised on NBC, beginning at 3 p.m. with live stats provided by Branch Sports Tech.
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USA Track & Field Championships
June 28, 2014 [Day 4]
Sacramento, Calif.
400 Meters (Final)
7. Taylor Ellis-Watson – 51.78 (PR – previous: 51.92)
3,000m Steeplechase (Final)
9. Grace Heymsfield – 9:48.10 (SR – previous: 9:48.34)