Former NCAA Division 1 champ at Arkansas and ASICS professional achieves fastest all-time 60 hurdles effort by an American multi-event competitor by clocking 7.97, in addition to achieving indoor personal-best 21-7.25 (6.58m) to triumph in long jump; Holmes grabs U.S. lead in 400 at 50.80, Florida’s Clemons has 26-9.75 (8.17m) long jump effort

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos courtesy of Arkansas, Florida and Nebraska

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Taliyah Brooks achieved the best indoor long jump of her impressive career Friday at the Tyson Invitational.

But it was the performance of the ASICS professional athlete in the women’s 60-meter hurdles that was most noteworthy at Randal Tyson Track Center.

Brooks became the fastest 60-meter hurdler among all American multi-event competitors and only the third female multi-event athlete in the world to eclipse the 8-second barrier at any point during her career with a lifetime-best 7.97 seconds to take third in the open section final.

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France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela edged American athlete Christina Clemons by a 7.893 to 7.895 margin to secure the open 60 hurdles victory.

Brooks surpassed the 7.98 performance in 2018 by Erica Bougard to produce the fastest mark by a U.S. competitor. Only British star Jessica Ennis-Hill, who clocked 7.87 in 2012, has achieved a faster effort in the 60 hurdles among multi-event competitors globally.

Brooks also triumphed in the invitational women’s long jump with a third-round performance of 21-7.25 (6.58m) to achieve an indoor personal-best effort.

Brooks, who celebrated her 29th birthday Thursday, won the Tyson Invitational long jump six years to the day of Friday’s victory with a 21-6.75 (6.57m) leap.

Florida All-American Claire Bryant placed second with a third-round mark of 21-4 (6.50m).

Malcolm Clemons also shined on the runway for Florida, elevating to No. 3 among collegiate competitors this season, as well as third in the U.S. and sixth in the world this year with an opening-round effort of 26-9.75 (8.17m) on the men’s invitational long jump.

Clemons, who ascended among the top 25 all-time collegiate indoor performers including second in program history, was able to survive a sixth-round performance of 26-9 (8.15m) by Jamaican athlete Tajay Gayle, the 2019 World outdoor gold medalist, to earn the victory.

Alexis Holmes, a global outdoor champion and world record holder in the mixed 4x400 relay in Budapest, became the first American female athlete this season to eclipse the 51-second barrier in the 400.

Holmes clocked 50.80 to prevail in the women’s open section, just off her indoor personal-best 50.77 from 2022 during her collegiate career at Kentucky. She elevated to No. 4 in the world this year entering the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., with former Texas standout and PUMA professional athlete Lanae-Tava Thomas finishing second in 51.88.

Arkansas took the top three spots in the women’s collegiate 400 field, with Jamaican competitor Nickisha Pryce clocking 51.04, freshman Kaylyn Brown running 51.49 and fellow American athlete Rosey Effiong finishing third in 51.65.

Pryce, the No. 3 all-time Jamaican indoor competitor, elevated to No. 2 among collegiate athletes this season, trailing only Arkansas teammate and British standout Amber Anning at 50.56.

Justin Robinson, the reigning U.S. indoor men’s 400 champion and an Arizona State senior, ran 45.30 to improve on his No. 3 collegiate mark this season. Gamali Felix, Robinson’s teammate with the Sun Devils, was credited with running 45.48, but was later disqualified for a lane violation.

Judson Lincoln IV of Virginia Tech clocked 45.53 to secure second following the Felix disqualification.

Florida senior Grace Stark won the women’s collegiate 60 hurdles final in 7.95, less than 20 minutes after placing second in the 60-meter dash in 7.27 behind Arkansas freshman Shawnti Jackson prevailing in 7.23.

Jamaican twins Tina Clayton and Tia Clayton took the top two spots in the women’s open 60 final in 7.25 and 7.28, respectively.

LSU’s Myles Thomas triumphed in the men’s collegiate 60 final in 6.62, with Florida’s Wanya McCoy clocking 6.65.

Lawrence Johnson, a former Wisconsin standout, triumphed in the men’s open 60 final in 6.70.

Jamaican competitors Rasheed Broadbell and Tyler Mason secured the top two spots in the men’s 60 hurdles final in 7.56 and 7.65, respectively.

Nebraska’s Henry Zimmerman, already the No. 4 collegiate competitor in the men’s weight throw this season, achieved a personal-best 75-2 (22.91m) in the third round to achieve victory.

Iowa State’s Cam Jones rallied to finish second with a sixth-round effort of 73-2.75 (22.32m).

Kansas State’s Monique Hardy triumphed in the women’s weight throw with a fourth-round mark of 69-11.50 (21.32m).

Kansas’ Clayton Simms, Harding’s Vlad Malykhin and Akron’s Hunter Garretson all cleared 18-5.25 (5.62m) in the men’s invitational pole vault.

Simms edged Malykhin and Garretson for the victory based on fewer attempts.

Malykhin, representing Ukraine, improved on his No. 2 all-time indoor mark in NCAA Division 2 and took one attempt at 19-1 (5.82m), which would have eclipsed the 1982 division record of 18-9.50 (5.73m) held by Abilene Christian’s Billy Olson.

Nebraska’s Brynna McQuillen won the women’s 3,000 meters in a personal-best 9:26.46.

Iowa Western’s Geoffry Ronoh, a freshman from Kenya, produced the fastest performance by an NJCAA Division 1 athlete this season and the No. 3 all-time mark by prevailing in 8:00.88.