May 11, 2007

Cory Martin Wins Hammer Throw Title At SEC Outdoor Track And Field Championships

Name: Auburn at SEC Outdoor Championships
Start: 2007-05-11T12:00:00.000000Z
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.

May 11, 2007

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Auburn junior Cory Martin broke his own school record while winning the hammer throw to highlight Friday's action at the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Sam Bailey Stadium. It marked the second career SEC hammer throw title for Martin, who won the event in 2005 prior to redshirting last spring.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

Friday's competition consisted primarily of prelims, with just three men's and three women's finals completed. The men's team is in second place with 20 points, while the women are in 10th place with one point.

"It's early in the meet, but for the most part, I feel pretty good," said head coach Ralph Spry. "Everyone that we thought should get through to the finals got through, and I'm really pleased with our performances today. If we can keep building on today and try to have the same kind of success that we had today, we'll put ourselves in a good position come Sunday."

Martin won the hammer throw with a mark of 71.42m (234-4), breaking his school record and the track record and surpassing his NCAA-best mark of 70.51m (231-4) set April 21 at the Auburn Invitational. Martin, who now has five career SEC titles indoors and outdoors, is still the only collegiate athlete to post a throw of over 70 meters this season, after also recording a toss of 71.03m (233-0) on Friday.

Junior teammate Jacob Dunkleberger finished second to Martin in the hammer throw with a mark of 69.07m (226-7), giving Auburn 18 points in the event. Dunkleberger's throw was just shy of his season-best mark of 69.78m which ranks second-best in the NCAA this year.

"I think it's great that Jake (Dunkleberger) and I finished first and second and got points for the team," said Martin. "Anytime you pull out a victory in a big meet like this it feels good. It's always cool when you can break a stadium record, too. The competition is always tough in the SEC. It's the best conference in the country in track, and there were a lot of guys that stepped up today and had personal bests, and that's all you can ask for."

"Cory has been phenomenal all year," said Spry. "He's still got work to do this weekend with the discus and shot put, but he should be on a real high right now, so I'm excited for him. Jacob got off to a slow start but showed some poise to come back and finish second."

In the women's hammer throw, sophomore Valentina Srsa finished eighth with a mark of 50.90m (167-0), which ranks her third in school history in that event.

Redshirt freshman Jager Livingston used consistency and a strong finish to place seventh in the decathlon. After entering the day in 12th place, Livingston finished between fifth and eighth in each of the first four events in day two, and then won the final event - the 1500m - to move up to seventh with a final score of 6314.

"Jager did a great job and gave us a big boost," said Spry. "He fought back hard and got two points for us, and those points can be critical as the meet goes on because one point can separate two or three teams."

Senior Kerron Stewart cruised into the finals of the women's 200m, easing up down the stretch to win her heat in 23.12 seconds. Tracy Ann Rowe also reached the finals by tying for the eighth best time with a mark of 23.28, which ties her personal best.

Freshman Felix Kiboiywo reached the finals of the men's 800m run, posting the second-fastest time in the prelims with a mark of 1:48.84. Kiboiywo's time was a personal best and moves him up two spots to sixth on Auburn's all-time outdoor charts.

Freshman Danielle Gilchrist reached the finals of the women's 400m hurdles with a time of 58.10, improving her personal best time by more than a second while finishing fourth overall in the prelims. Sophomore Amelia Anderson and junior Jasmine Johnson will join her in the finals after Anderson clocked a time of 59.88 in the prelims, which ranked fifth, and Anderson finished eighth with a time of 1:00.78, giving her a regional qualifying time for the first time this season.

Junior Reuben McCoy, the defending SEC champion in the 400m hurdles, advanced to the finals of that event with a time of 50.44 in the prelims, which ranked fourth overall.

The competition continues Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. with the men's discus and long jump prelims. The meet will conclude on Sunday.

2007 SEC Outdoor Championships
Event Winner and Auburn Finishes

Men's Hammer Throw (Final)

1. Cory Martin, 71.42m (234-4)

2. Jacob Dunkleberger, 69.07m (226-7)

Women's Hammer Throw (Final)

1. Jenny Dahlgren (UGA), 69.19m (227-0)

8. Valentina Srsa, 50.90m (167-0)

Men's Decathlon (Final)

1. Jangy Addy (UT), 7461

7. Jager Livingston, 6314

Women's Heptathlon (Final)