Oklahoma City star Talbi becomes third-fastest 3,000-meter competitor in collegiate indoor history to prevail against Kemboi and Kiptoo; Huskies elevate to No. 3 school to lead five top 10 all-time programs in DMR, Battle runs 22.49 in 200

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The deepest men’s distance medley relay race in NCAA indoor history set the stage Friday for one of the most impressive collegiate 3,000-meter showcases at the Arkansas Qualifier at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville.

Washington, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Arkansas all elevated among the top 10 all-time programs in the men’s DMR, with Oklahoma City’s Zouhair Talbi, Arkansas’ Amon Kemboi and Iowa State’s Wesley Kiptoo all ascending into the top 10 indoor 3,000 competitors on a 200-meter track in the final races before their respective conference championships.

Cole Houser, Anthony Smith, Cass Elliott and Brian Fay ran 9 minutes, 21.10 seconds to lift Washington to the No. 3 school producing the fourth-fastest time in collegiate indoor history.

Alabama’s Hillary Cheruiyot, Kaleb McRae, Jacob Lamb and Eliud Kipsang followed in 9:22.43, making the Crimson Tide the fourth-fastest school with the No. 5 all-time performance, and Oklahoma State’s Fouad Messaoudi, Justin Smith, Juan Diego Castro and Ryan Schoppe clocked 9:22.70, lifting the Cowboys to the fifth-fastest program achieving the No. 6 all-time mark.

Iowa State’s Jason Gomez, Frank Hayes, Alexander Lomong and Nehemia Too ran 9:24.07 – good for the No. 7 school and the eighth-fastest performance – and Arkansas’ Andrew Kibet, James Benson II, Kieran Taylor and Elias Schreml clocked 9:24.56, helping the Razorbacks elevate to the No. 8 program, producing the 10th-fastest effort in NCAA indoor history.

And those marks might only be secure until Saturday, when Notre Dame plays host to the Alex Wilson Invitational, with several elite teams looking to eclipse the fastest collegiate time achieved on an oversized indoor track of 9:25.80 by the Irish in 2020.

Talbi not only ran the fastest 3,000 time by any NAIA athlete, indoors or outdoors, but the Moroccan standout elevated to the No. 3 all-time collegiate indoor competitor by clocking 7:40.39.

Only Notre Dame’s Yared Nuguse, who set the collegiate indoor record Feb. 12 of 7:38.13 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, and Arkansas’ Alistair Cragg (7:38.59) have run faster than Talbi on any indoor track.

Kemboi clocked 7:42.29 to ascend to the No. 5 all-time collegiate indoor performer on a 200-meter track and the sixth-fastest regardless of size – Northern Arizona’s Abdihamid Nur ran 7:40.66 on an oversized track Feb. 11 at the Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor facility in Washington – and Kiptoo ran 7:43.81 to improve to No. 8 on a 200-meter track and 12th overall, including all indoor surfaces.

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams set a facility record in the women’s triple jump with her third-round mark of 46 feet, 11 inches (14.30m).

Oklahoma’s Mikeisha Welcome was the top collegiate competitor, finishing second at 44-6 (13.56m).

Ohio State’s Anavia Battle had an impressive sprint double, matching the No. 9 all-time indoor competitor in the women’s 200 by running 22.49, and equaling 10th overall including oversized tracks.

Battle also prevailed in the 60-meter dash by a 7.241 to 7.247 margin over Missouri State’s Madison Meredith.

Isaac Basten set the Drake program record in the men’s mile, leading eight sub-4 performances in the invitational section by clocking 3:56.10. Washington’s Joe Waskom ran 3:56.43.

In the unseeded section, Mason Strader of Pittsburg State led another four sub-4 efforts with his victory in 3:58.47. Reinhardt Harrison of Nease High in Florida, an Oregon commit, ran 4:03.13 for sixth and Connor Burns of Southern Boone High in Missouri placed eighth in 4:04.91.

Cindy Sember, representing Great Britain, triumphed in the women’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.96, with USC teammates Jasmine Jones (7.98) and Mecca McGlaston (7.99) placing second and third.

USC also had a pair of teammates take the top two spots in the men’s 60-meter dash, with Davonte Burnett holding off Brendon Stewart by a 6.60 to 6.65 margin.

Kasaun James also emerged victorious for the Trojans in the men’s 200 in 20.71, with Oklahoma’s Demarius Smith finishing second in 20.89 and Burnett taking third in 20.97.

Kimberly Harris of USC clocked 52.36 in the women’s 400, with former Alabama A&M standout Na’Asha Robinson taking second in 52.48.

Logan Jolly of Arkansas won the women’s mile in 4:35.26, with teammate Kennedy Thomson prevailing in the 800 in 2:08.16.

Lyndsey Reed of Ole Miss and Arkansas redshirt athlete Amanda Fassold both cleared 14-5.50 (4.41m) in the women’s pole vault, with Reed earning the tiebreaker based on one fewer attempt at the winning height.

LaQuan Nairn of the Bahamas, a former Arkansas standout, won the men’s long jump with a leap of 26-10 (8.18m). Former Tennessee competitor Jah-Nhai Perinchief, representing Bermuda, prevailed in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 55-3 (16.84m).

Jamaica’s Kemar Mowatt won the men’s 400 in 46.94, with USC’s Nicholas Ramey the top collegiate competitor in 47.03.

Iowa State took the top three spots in the men’s 800, all in sub-1:49 efforts. Hayes won in 1:48.46, followed by Lomong (1:48.52) and Darius Kipyego (1:48.87).

American Louis Rollins secured victory in the men’s 60-meter hurdles in 7.59, with Arkansas’ Phillip Lemonious the top collegiate athlete in 7.66.

Oklahoma edged Arkansas by a 3:07.53 to 3:07.75 margin in the men’s 4x400 relay.

Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell won the men’s shot put with 66-2.50 (20.18m) effort, with Wichita State’s Michael Bryan earning the victory in the men’s weight throw at 69-7.50 (21.22m).

Kansas’ Zach Bradford took the top spot in the men’s pole vault with a 17-7.25 (5.37m) clearance.

Washington State’s Mitch Jacobson won the men’s high jump by clearing 6-7 (2.01m).

Oklahoma State’s Natalia Cleveland won the women’s 3,000 in 10:02.30, with her teammates also securing a win in the 4x400 relay in 3:38.71. India Morgan added another victory for Oklahoma State in the women’s long jump with a leap of 19-2.50 (5.85m).

Payden Montana of Oklahoma triumphed in the women’s shot put with a mark of 54-9.50 (16.70m) and teammate Lauren Jones won the women’s weight throw with an effort of 67-3.50 (20.51m) after finishing second in the shot put at 52-5.25 (15.98m).

DaeLin Switzer of Missouri State prevailed on a tiebreaker against Lily Simmons of Southwest Baptist after both athletes cleared 5-6 (1.68m) in the women’s high jump.