Arkansas sophomore Paityn Noe took second in the women's 10,000 meters at last year's SEC Outdoor Championships. On Day 1 of the 2025 conference meet Thursday in Lexington, Ky., Noe moved up the podium and won the event in 32 minutes, 49.70 seconds.
Noe, who entered the meet with the top time in the SEC this season, led for the entire race.
"Coming in, I did not want to be out in the front right away, and I was out in the front after the first 50 meters," Noe said on SEC Network-Plus. "About halfway I decided to just slowly try to crank it down as much as I could, even though that last 2K felt really hard. But I'm glad I was able to pull through and get points for us on the first day of the competition."
It was the second-fastest time in meet history, behind the 32:13.13 run by Alabama's Mercy Chelangat in 2021. No other women have finished under 33 minutes at the meet.
Noe's time was seventh-fastest in Arkansas program history. She owns the second-fastest time after running 31:59.22 earlier this season.
Teammate Sydney Thorvaldson came in third place in 33:30.93, giving Arkansas 16 total points in the first final of the meet. Thorvaldson also won the event in 2023.
Both Thorvaldson and Noe will run in the 5,000 final Saturday. Noe won the SEC indoor title in that event this year and will go for the season sweep.
In the men's 10,000, Timothy Chesondin's fourth-place finish gave the Razorbacks five points. Chesondin overcame a late fall with about three laps remaining to finish in 30:21.08.
The two 10,000 races were the only finals on the opening day of the conference meet.
Marcus Weaver finished the first day of decathlon events in first place (3,988 points) with a 24-point lead over second place. He scored a career-best 804 points in the long jump at 22 feet, 10 inches and 805 in the 400 at 50.21.
Teammate Cooper Williams finished Day 1 in sixth place with 3,740. He had a personal best in the 400, where he scored 805 points with a second-place 50.21, and he was second in the long jump at 23-2 3/4 for 833 points.
The decathlon will conclude Friday.
Sanu Jallow-Lockhart advanced to the final in the women's 800 by winning her section of the first round in 2:05.84. The time put her seventh overall, and she will be the lone Razorback in the final Saturday. Analisse Batista and Anna Podojil did not qualify.
Both Arkansas runners in the men's 800 advanced to the final. Tyrice Taylor won his heat in 1:48.30. Rivaldo Marshall came second in his heat and qualified on time with a third-place 1:47.52.
The women's team had one entry in the 200, Rosey Effiong, who did not qualify after finishing second in her heat by 0.28 seconds. Her time of 22.98 was 14th overall.
The men's team will have two athletes in the 200 final Saturday. Jordan Anthony won his heat in 20.10, and Connor Washington had the last qualifying time of 20.32. Both times were personal bests. Anthony's put him at third on Arkansas' all-time performance list, and Washington's tied for seventh.
Jonah Vigil, Tevijon Williams and Kevin Bello did not advance in the 200.
Rachel Glenn won her heat of the 400 hurdles in 54.82, and teammate Saira Prince's second-place 55.99 also moved her on to the final Saturday. Glenn was second overall and Prince was fourth.
Day 2 of the meet will begin at 10 a.m. Friday with the decathlon 110 hurdles. Field events begin at 2:30 p.m. with the women's long jump, and running events start at 4 p.m. with the women's 100 hurdles.
SEC Outdoor Championships - Arkansas Day 1 resultsFinals Women's 10,000Paityn Noe, first place (32:49.70), 10 points; Sydney Thorvaldson, third place (33:30.93), 6 points; Bradley Weimer, 15th place (36:50.24) Men's 10,000Timothy Chesondin, fourth place (30:21.08), 5 pointsFirst rounds*Indicates finals qualifier DecathlonMarcus Weaver, first place (3,988); Cooper Williams, sixth place (3,740) Women's 800 first roundSanu Jallow-Lockhart, seventh place (2:05.84)*; Analisse Batista, 13th place (2:08.62); Anna Podojil, 14th place (2:09.04) Men's 800 first roundRivaldo Marshall, third place (1:47.52)*; Tyrice Taylor, fifth place (1:48.30)* Women's 200 first roundRosey Effiong, 14th place (22.98) Men's 200 first roundJordan Anthony, second place (20.10)*; Connor Washington, ninth place (20.32)*; Jonah Vigil, 17th place (20.74); Tevijon Williams, 19th place (20.79); Kevin Bello, 25th place (20.89) Women's 400 hurdles first roundRachel Glenn, second place (54.82)*; Saira Prince, fourth place (55.99)*