Gregory doubles in women’s mile and 3,000, with Razorbacks also winning 4x400 relay to capture ninth consecutive crown; Hibbert triumphs in triple jump and Owens-Delerme ends Georgia’s decade of dominance in heptathlon to help men’s team secure fourth straight title, record 26th overall

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It was only appropriate that Lauren Gregory, one of the most beloved competitors in the history of the Arkansas women’s track and field program, generated the loudest reaction Saturday night upon defending her 3,000-meter crown in her final home meet at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.

It was only a matter of time before the Razorbacks showcased Ayden Owens-Delerme in the heptathlon and Jaydon Hibbert in the men’s triple jump at Randal Tyson Track Center, and they both delivered titles in convincing and entertaining fashion.

And it was only fitting that the unveiling of Lance Harter Track in honor of Arkansas’ legendary 33-year women’s coach was officially celebrated by the Razorbacks capturing both SEC men’s and women’s team championships, the 33rd time the program has swept both titles at a conference final in school history.

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

Arkansas won its ninth consecutive women’s crown and conference record 13th overall, breaking a tie with LSU by accumulating 130.5 points. Florida, the reigning NCAA Division 1 champion, was runner-up with 84 points and Tennessee took third with 56.33 points.

The Razorbacks scored in 12 of 17 events, highlighted by 23 points in the pole vault – led by a championship Friday from Amanda Fassold with a 14-3.50 (4.36m) clearance – and 21 points in the 400-meter final.

Arkansas secured a fourth straight men’s championship and SEC record 26th overall, amassing 100.25 points, with Florida taking second with 73 points and Alabama placing third with 63 points.

The Razorbacks relied heavily on their depth in the field events to also score in 12 of 17 events, led by 18 points in the heptathlon – highlighted by a victory from Owens-Delerme – in addition to 16 points in the shot put and 15 points each in the long jump and triple jump, the latter bolstered by Hibbert’s title.

Arkansas has swept the conference indoor crowns 10 years, the cross country championships on 19 occasions and the outdoor team titles four times. Harter secured his 44th SEC crown coaching the Razorbacks, including 22 cross country championships and nine outdoor titles.

Gregory became the first female athlete to win both the mile and 3,000 crowns in the same year since Missouri’s Karissa Schweizer in 2017.

Gregory also joined Amy Yoder Begley in 1998, Jessica Koch in 1999 and Lilli Kleinmann in 2001 as Arkansas competitors to capture both titles at the same SEC championship meet.

Gregory energized the Randal Tyson Track Center crowd as she pulled away from Alabama’s Hilda Olemomoi in the final two laps of the 3,000 to prevail by a 9:09.90 to 9:12.09 margin to become the first athlete since Schweizer in 2017-18 to secure back-to-back titles.

Gregory also added to her 2019 mile championship by edging Silan Ayyildiz of South Carolina by a 4:31.96 to 4:32.14 margin.

The Arkansas women’s 4x400 relay lineup of Joanne Reid, Rosey Effiong, Amber Anning and Britton Wilson joined Gregory in achieving a title Saturday, capping the meet with a victory in 3:27.57, the third consecutive championship for the Razorbacks.

Owens-Delerme, the reigning NCAA Division 1 heptathlon and decathlon champion, was competing in his first multi-event competition since representing Puerto Rico in July at the World Athletics Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Owens-Delerme halted Georgia’s decade of dominance in the heptathlon at the conference indoor final, winning the first championship for the Razorbacks with a meet-record 6,237 points.

Owens-Delerme won four of the seven events, highlighted by a personal-best 25-3.25 (7.70m) in the long jump and capped by a 2:36.45 effort in the 1,000 meters.

With Georgia’s Kyle Garland, No. 2 in collegiate indoor history at 6,415 points, deciding only to focus on the 60-meter hurdles and long jump – securing sixth in both with personal-best performances of 7.77 seconds and 26-1 (7.95m) – the first matchup of the season against Owens-Delerme, the No. 3 all-time collegiate indoor competitor at 6,272 points, will finally materialize in the Division 1 final March 10-11 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Hibbert, 18, soared to 56-1.25 (17.10m) on his second attempt to capture the first triple jump championship for Arkansas since 2016, elevating to the No. 3 World Under-20 all-time indoor performer, as well ascending to third in Jamaican indoor history.

Hibbert, the reigning World U-20 outdoor gold medalist, also ascended to the No. 14 all-time collegiate indoor competitor, joining NCAA record holder Mike Conley, along with Erick Walder and Clive Pullen among the Razorbacks in the top 15.