Feb. 25, 2007
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Auburn captured four individual championships and broke three meet records in a strong showing Sunday at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lexington, Ky. With Donald Thomas' high jump crown from Saturday added to the count, the Tigers totaled five individual titles on the weekend.
"We had some big individual performances today" Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "As a whole, the people that we lined up this weekend competed well. But the meet two weeks from now is what we're really after."
The Auburn men scored 59 points and finished sixth, while the women finished with 39.5 points in eighth place.
Cory Martin got the winning started for the Tigers in the weight throw. Martin broke the SEC indoor meet record in his first attempt with a throw of 23.13m (75-10.25). He then broke that record and won his third-straight SEC title with his final throw of 23.29m (76-5), which is the best mark in the nation this season.
"It feels great to come in here and perform like this," Martin said. "I'm down in SEC history right now. And unless Jake Dunkleberger can beat it next year, it could be a while."
Dunkleberger finished second with a throw of 21.49m (70-6.25). Combined, Martin and Dunkleberger scored 18 points for the team in the weight throw.
Kerron Stewart was the class of a star-studded women's 60m field, capturing her sixth SEC indoor title with a time of 7.14, which is a personal best, an Auburn indoor record, an SEC meet record and the fastest time in the nation this year.
"It's a great feeling," Stewart said. "We have been winning it for the last three years, so it was only right for me to come here and do it."
Stewart then took to the track and ran another dominating race in the 200m. Her time of 22.46 gave her a seventh SEC crown and broke both her own Auburn indoor record and the SEC meet record. Her time was more than half a second faster than the next finisher.
Michelle Vaughn was the other women's champion in the triple jump, successfully defending her title from a year ago. Her mark of 13.32m (43-8.5) was a season-best and eight inches better than the second-place finisher.
"My main focus was to come in here and win, because I won last year," Vaughn said. "I didn't jump as well as I wanted to. I wanted to do something special for Auburn today, but I have nationals left to try and do that."
Ty Akins fell .01 seconds from an SEC title in the men's 60m hurdles, but posted an automatic qualifying time of 7.68. Shamar Sands, who ran the second-fastest prelim time on Saturday and has already qualified for nationals, did not finish the race after hitting the first hurdle.
Mark Johnson was an impressive performer in the pole vault, finishing second to Tennessee's Michael Hogue in a jump-off. Each cleared 5.32m (17-5), but clipped the bar at 5.40m (17-8.5). Five rounds of extra attempts ensued, with the bar being lowered after each one. Finally, Hogue cleared the bar at 5.2m (17-0.75) and Johnson did not.
Although he didn't win the event, Johnson's successful jump at 5.32m should be enough to earn him a trip to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
In other men's competition, Felix Kiboiywo ran a 4:04.48 mile to place third in that event, while the men's distance medley relay team of Scott Novack, Reuben McCoy, Jager Livingston and Simon Nyang registered a time of 10:10.16 to place ninth.
Auburn first women's competitors of the day were Raevan Harris and Michelle Williamson in the high jump. Harris tied for fourth at 1.77m (5-9.75), and Michelle Williamson tied for seventh at 1.72m (5-7.75).
Freshman Danielle Gilchrist snuck into the 60m hurdles finals Saturday and made the most of it Sunday, clocking in at 8.54 in the finals to finish eighth and earn a point for the team. Laurel Pritchard competed in the 5,000m and placed 12th with a time of 17:25.98, which is a season best for her. The women's distance medley relay team of Jessica Smith, Shaquela Williams, Amy Shaffer and Laurel Pritchard finished in 12:17.85 to place 10th.
Tracy Ann Rowe also competed in the 200m, placing ninth with a time of 23.70.
A select number of Tigers will travel to a last-chance meet next weekend in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will take place Mar. 9-10 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.