The “Marathon Hogs” showed up big in the 10,000-meter final on the first day of the SEC Outdoor Championship, earning the team 21 points.
Sydney Thorvaldson came in first place with a time of 35:07.50, followed by teammates runner-up Julia Paternain in 35:07.76 and Nyah Hernandez finishing sixth in 35:48.84.
The 1-2 finish for Thorvaldson and Paternain is the first by the same school since 2009. Arkansas tandem of Catherine White (35:07.50) and Denise Bargiachi (35:13.64) achieved the feat down in Gainesville, Florida.
“It’s been really cool to go out and compete as a team and compete so well,” Thorvaldson said after the race. “I think both of us [Paternain] have trained together for so long, and we know we work together well and coordinate well on and off the track. So it’s been truly wonderful to race and train with Julia.”
Among three other qualifying preliminary races, the Razorbacks advanced a leading total of five athletes. Rosey Effiong and Nickisha Pryce advanced to the 200m finals. Lainey Quandt and Ainsley Erzen qualified for the 800m finals.
“We’re really pleased we were able to walk out happy and healthy with experience,” coach Lance Harter said. “[10,000m Final] was just the conclusion of a great day.”