Arkansas Champion Runs 49.24, Second Only To Femke Bol's WR, And Then Closes The Meet By Anchoring Winning 4x400

By Emma Zawatski for DyeStat

Tavan Smith photos

VIRGINIA BEACH - Isabella Whittaker left the crowd at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in amazement after running a collegiate and American record on Saturday in the 400 meters at the NCAA D1 Indoor Championships.  

“I knew it was fast because I could feel the energy of the people in the stands,” Whittaker said.  

She left no question that she would be the one to bring home the national title in the first of two sections of the 400-meter final when she ran a blazing time of 49.24 seconds. 

The Arkansas grad student's time is second fastest in world history behind only global superstar Femke Bol of The Netherlands, who ran 49.17 at the World Indoor Championships in Scotland last year. 

The previous American record was set at the 2023 NCAA Championships by fellow Arkansas Razorback Britton Wilson, who ran 49.48 seconds. 

Whittaker is close friends with Wilson and is inspired by watching her train in Fayetteville. 

Whittaker, who was a member of the U.S. relay pool at the Paris Games last summer, toed the line of her 400-meter final  knowing it would take something special to outrun 2024 Olympian and University of Georgia sprinter, Aaliyah Butler, who was racing in the second section. 

After coming through the first lap in 23.81 seconds with the lead, Whittaker continued to widen her gap on the field, finishing more than two seconds ahead of second-place Rachel Joseph of Iowa State (51.58).

 “When I came through the 200-meter, I was like ‘This is going to be a good one,’” she said.

Although she ran a time for the ages, Whittaker was not able to celebrate too early because Butler still had a chance to run even faster. There was nothing she could do except anxiously sit and watch the Olympian take the track.  

Whittaker told herself: “I left it all out there, so whatever happens, happens.” 

Butler finished her race a couple of minutes later in 49.97 seconds, officially cementing Whittaker as the national champion. 

An hour after her historic run, Whittaker doubled back in the 4x400-meter relay as the anchor leg for the Razorbacks.  She received the baton one second ahead of University of Georgia’s anchor leg, Butler. 

This rematch between the two brought fans to their feet as Butler slowly began closing in on Whittaker in the final 200 meters.  With the relay team's national championship on the line, Whittaker pushed through the finish line with everything she had.  

Whittaker closed out the relay with a 49.71-second split, while Butler ran a 49.48-second split.  Butler’s faster relay leg was still not enough to secure the win for the Bulldogs.

The Razorbacks won in a time of 3:35.20, setting a season's best and facility record. 

Whittaker,, who starred at UPenn before transferring to Arkansas, is going home victorious with two new national championship trophies, a collegiate record and a national record. 

“I just want to hold on to this feeling forever,” she said.