Flowers, Myers lead No. 7 Arkansas past Oklahoma State in 2013 season opener

Flowers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 7 Arkansas opened its 2013 season with a dual victory against Oklahoma State on Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center. The Razorbacks collected nine event titles on their way to an 81-61 win. Arkansas was paced by multiple winners Makeba Alcide, Gwendolyn Flowers, Ivanique Kemp and Tamara Myers.

“We brought everyone back a little early and we’ve been working their tails off,” head coach Lance Harter said. “The opportunity that they’d step up and run nine lifetime PRs is more than anyone could dream of. We had some great performances. Sandi Morris was competing in her first meet for us and threatening 14 feet in the pole vault. Makeba Alcide, in a one-hour pentathlon, was remarkable.

“I think we’re in a spot where our middle-distance and distance crew could do some good things. Then, Gwen Flowers ran a huge PR in the 300 [meters]. I know we ran some off-distance events but I think those give us a good indication of what we’re going to see next week and the weeks to come.”

Myers wrapped the day with three event wins. Individually, she swept the top spot in the long jump and triple jump with personal-best marks in both events. Myers finished the dual meet with efforts of 6.10m/20-0.25 in the long jump and 12.95m/42-6 in the triple jump. With her mark in the triple jump, she equaled the fourth-best jump in school history. She also collected a win as the third leg of the 4×400 meter relay.

On the track, Flowers raced to first-place performances at 60 and 300 meters. She posted a winning time of 7.63 in the first 60 meter race of her collegiate career. She returned to the track an hour later to post the second-fastest time in school history at 300 meters, crossing the finish line in a personal-best time of 38.49, just .1 off the school record held by former Razorback standout Whitney Jones.

Replicating a pentathlon over the course of the two-hour meet, Alcide competed in six events and came away with two wins and three personal bests. She tied teammate Kirsten Hessletine for the win in the high jump and anchored the Razorbacks’ 4×400 meter relay to a win. During the meet, Alcide set career-best performances at 600 meters (1:34.54) and shot put (12.23m/40-1.5), and tied her PR in the 60 meter hurdles (8.62).

Kemp was the fourth multiple winner for the Razorbacks during Friday’s meet. She came away with an individual title in the 60 meter hurdles and was the second leg in the victorious 4×400 meter relay. The relay team consisted of Alcide, Kemp, Myers and newcomer Megan Paul. Kemp also turned in a personal-best time of 7.73 at 60 meters, good for second place in the event.

In her Arkansas debut, junior transfer Sandi Morris won the pole vault with an NCAA-leading clearance of 4.25m/13-11.25. She was perfect through her first four attempts before missing her initial pass at 13-11.25. Morris enters the Razorback program as a three-time All-American performer in the pole vault, dating back to the first two years of her collegiate career at North Carolina.

Arkansas picked up the win and a pair of personal-best results in the mile. Dominique Scott broke away from the pack to take the tape in a personal-best time of 4:49.74. Teammates Kaitlin Flattmann and Shannon Klenke finished third and fourth, respectively. Klenke turned in a personal-best time of 5:05.17 during the race.