Maloney clocks fastest 800 split in collegiate indoor history with 2:01.95 leg to help Razorbacks eclipse 2015 effort by producing 10:51.63, Oklahoma State delivers emotional win in 9:28.88; Boling runs world-leading 20.27 in 200, Hickey long jumps 21-10.25 (6.66m) and Vilches high jumps 7-5 (2.26m)

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It might have been the most meaningful tribute in Oklahoma State men’s track and field history.

And it was followed Friday night by the most memorable distance medley relay produced by the Arkansas women’s program at the Razorback Invitational.

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After the week began for Oklahoma State with the news that standout distance runner Isai Rodriguez was a passenger in a serious car accident outside Oklahoma City that resulted in the All-American suffering injuries to his internal trunk, arm, leg and head and transported to a local hospital after the car he and 197-pound wrestling champion AJ Ferrari were riding in caught on fire, the Cowboys responded with an emotional victory in the men’s DMR at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Fouad Messaoudi, a Moroccan athlete making his collegiate debut, joined Justin Smith, Juan Diego Castro and Ryan Schoppe for the Cowboys to produce a collegiate-leading 9 minutes, 28.88 seconds to prevail against Oregon (9:31.07) and Stanford (9:32.18).

It marked the fastest performance by an Oklahoma State quartet on a 200-meter banked track. The Cowboys have run 9:26.60 on an oversized track in 2016.

As impressive as Oklahoma State’s effort was, the Arkansas women upstaged the Cowboys with one of the strongest performances in collegiate history.

Krissy Gear, Britton Wilson, Shafiqua Maloney and Lauren Gregory eclipsed the program record by running 10:51.63, taking down the 2015 mark of 10:51.89 achieved by the Arkansas quartet that captured the Division 1 title at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Only Oregon (10:48.77) and Tennessee (10:50.98) have run faster among collegiate DMR lineups than Arkansas, which elevated to No. 7 all-time in the world. Oklahoma State was runner-up in 11:05.10.

Maloney, representing Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, made history by producing the fastest 800 split on a collegiate indoor DMR, clocking 2:01.95, which also ranks second all-time globally behind the 2:01.93 leg achieved by Brenda Martinez on the American lineup that included Emma Coburn, Sydney McLaughlin and Jenny Simpson and set the world record of 10:40.31 at the 2017 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Massachusetts.

Georgia sophomore Matthew Boling lowered his own world-leading mark in the men’s 200 meters with a 20.27 effort. Boling, who won the Division 1 indoor title at the same venue last year in 20.19, also prevailed in the long jump with a fourth-round performance of 26-5 (8.05m).

Boling entered the meet as the world leader in the long jump at 27-1 (8.25m).

Oregon sophomore Alysah Hickey broke the Ducks’ indoor program record in the long jump with a sixth-round leap of 21-10.25 (6.66m) to equal the collegiate leader and match the No. 3 effort in the world this year.

Hickey, the reigning Pac-12 outdoor champion and All-American, surpassed the 2015 indoor mark of 21-10 (6.65m) set by Jenna Prandini.

Missouri junior Roberto Vilches, returning from a knee injury that sidelined him since April, cleared 7-5 (2.26m) in the men’s high jump to take over the collegiate lead and ascend to No. 2 in the world this season.

Mississippi State senior Shayla Broughton produced a lifetime-best 4,122 points to win the women’s pentathlon. Broughton ran 8.43 in the 60-meter hurdles, cleared 5-7.25 (1.71m) in the high jump, achieved a mark of 40-4 (12.29), had a 20-3 (6.17m) leap in the long jump and ran 2:34.24 in the 800.

LSU sophomore Favour Ofili clocked 22.80 to win the women’s 200 and senior teammate Abby O’Donoghue cleared 6-1.25 (1.86m) to triumph in the high jump, before leaving after one attempt at a lifetime-best 6-2.75 (1.90m) to attend a wedding.

Arkansas graduate Erich Sullins prevailed in the men’s weight throw with a fifth-round mark of 72-9.25 (22.18m) and Iowa senior Nia Britt rallied to win the women’s weight competition with a personal-best 67-10.25 (20.68m) on her fifth attempt.

Iowa also swept both 600-meter events, with sophomore Spencer Gudgel clocking 1:17.53 and freshman Jaiden Itson running 1:31.07. Former Arkansas standout LaQuan Nairn secured victory in the men’s open long jump with a leap of 25-11 (7.90m).

Stanford’s Max Manson and Garrett Brown, along with Arkansas’ Rhett Nelson, all cleared 16-10.75 (5.15m) in the men’s pole vault, with Manson and Nelson emerging victorious based on fewer attempts.

Georgia sophomore Kyle Garland led the first-day of heptathlon competition with 3,628 points, highlighted by a 53-2.25 (16.21m) shot put and 7-1 (2.16m) clearance in the high jump. Garland elevated to the No. 2 shot put competitor in collegiate indoor heptathlon history, trailing only Lindon Victor of Texas A&M in 2017.