Now that the Arkansas outdoor season has concluded, here are some of the girls that stood out from the 2022 track and field season.
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Rozier Does It All
Carshaila Rozier competes in the triple jump at the 2022 Arkansas Meet of Champions (Photo: Mike Morrison)
El Dorado's Carshaila Rozier proved that there is very little she can't do when she laces up her spikes.
The multifaceted senior competed in a total of 12 separate events this outdoor season: the 100m, 200m, 800m, 100m hurdles, 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, shot put, discus, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and the heptathlon, which comprises seven of the events mentioned above.
Not only did Rozier make a habit of competing, however - she also made a habit of winning. At the 5A State Championship Meet in Van Buren on May 6, Rozier won titles in the long jump (18-9.00), triple jump (39-00.25), and 100m (12.46), also anchoring her school's 4x100m (49.18) and 4x200m (1:43.41) relay teams to victory. She also placed second in the 200m in 26.15. Her performances paced the El Dorado Lady Wildcats to a team title at the meet.
At the 2022 Arkansas Meet of Champions in Russellville, Rozier soared to victory in the triple jump with a distance of 39-5.00 and once again anchored her 4x100m relay team (along with Zyron Brock, Asia Carver, and Breyonna Steward) to a first-place finish.
Rozier capped her outdoor season and high school career at the Arkansas Heptathlon on May 18-19 in Fayetteville. She won the high jump (5-3.00) and long jump (18-02.25) on her way to finishing fourth overall with 4,121 points. Fayetteville's Kessiah Bemis won with a tally of 4,477 points, followed by Har-Ber's Kinleigh Hall with 4,176 and Fayetteville's Hannah Estes with 4,159.
Rozier was named the Sports Alley/News-Times Spring Sports Female Athlete of the Year by her local newspaper on June 5.
Allen Sweeps the Field
Raghan Allen competes in the 100-meter at the 2022 Arkansas Meet of Champions (Photo: Mike Morrison)
Conway junior Raghan Allen once again stood atop the podium in both short sprint events in her final meets of the season.
In the 6A State Championship Meet at Little Rock Central on May 6, Allen scorched the 100m field with a time of 12.55, nearly half a second faster than 2nd place (Fayetteville's Kessiah Bemis in 12.99). A short while later, Allen coasted to victory in the 200m in a time of 25.17.
But she wasn't done there. At the Arkansas Meet of Champs in Russellville the following week, Allen emerged the undisputed queen of Arkansas high school women's sprinters with winning times of 12.01 in the 100m and 24.77 in the 200m. Each of those event times stood as a personal best for Allen and the top mark in the state across all divisions for the season.
Allen will look to continue her dominance as a senior next year.
Harding Academy with the Threepeat
The Harding Academy girls captured their third consecutive team title at the 3A State Championship Meet in Lincoln on May 3. While the state meet was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Harding Academy won in 2019, 2021, and now in 2022.
The Lady Wildcats won with a team total of 60 points, just edging West Fork and Episcopal Collegiate, who tied for second with 54 points apiece. West Fork boasted victories in the 4x400m (4:25.85) and 4x800m (10:37.83) relays, while Episcopal Collegiate's Elle Hill earned her team's sole first-place event finish with a hurl of 35-02.00 in the shot put.
Winning performances from Harding Academy included Calle Citty's leap in the triple jump (34-08.25) and Becca Dugger's effort in the 100m hurdles (16.08). Key contributions were also made by Zoe Williamson in the 3200m run (3rd place in a time of 12:48.43) and Raquel Webb in the pole vault (2nd place with a clearance of 8-04.00).
Harding Academy is coached by Kelsie Turley and Rich Clevenger.