May 13, 2011
ATHENS, Ga. - Junior Ben Cheruiyot led a dominating performance for the Auburn distance runners, winning the men's 10,000 meters at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Spec Towns Track. The Tigers also qualified for two spots in the women's 200 meters final on Sunday.
"Today we had some ups and downs," head coach Ralph Spry said. "Ben Cheruiyot is the defending champion in the 10,000 meters and he ran very smart. The race he ran didn't take a lot out of him and he won the race very conservatively. He'll come back to run the 5,000m on Sunday. All in all, our men are off to a great start, but the women are going to have to do some battling since our best sprinter in Sheniqua Ferguson is out. We have to find a way to make up some points and keep ourselves in this meet. It's still early and there is a lot to go."
Cheruiyot was the first Auburn man to win the 10,000 meters at the SEC Championships last season and did it for a second-consecutive time Friday night, finishing with a time of 29:50.69. In a tactical race that featured several lead changes, Cheruiyot made his final move on the backstretch, racing past Arkansas' Eric Fernandez and into a lead he did not relinquish.
"It feels great to win," Cheruiyot said. "My game plan was to run as slow as I could because I just wanted to come here and win. I was not trying to run for any time. The guy from Arkansas really pushed hard. I was not expecting the best to be that fast, but I was ready to go for that at the end.
"The win was a big deal because when I come to SECs, I do it for Auburn. I feel like I am representing the whole Auburn family so to come here and win I feel so grateful because I know it is for the Auburn family. That is my joy when I win."
The last Auburn male athlete to win two consecutive titles at the SEC Championships was Edis Elkasevic in 2004 and 2005 in the discus throw and the shot put. Tyson David from Alabama was the last athlete to win back to back titles in the men's 10,000 meters at the SEC Championships in 2008 and 2009.
In the women's 10,000 meters, junior Holly Knight placed fourth with a time of 34:33.48. Knight's time ranks third in school history.
The Auburn men have 12 points, scoring ten in the night's final event, to lead Tennessee (7), South Carolina (4) and Mississippi State (3). The women have five points, trailing the ninth place team by three points. However, only three men's and three women's finals have been contested so far.
The rest of the competition on Friday consisted of preliminary rounds in the 200 meters, 800 meters and 400-meter hurdles. Junior Nivea Smith and sophomore Kai Selvon both advanced to the finals of the women's 200 meters. Smith cruised to a time of 23.09 seconds, which ranked third in the field and barely missed her current record of 23.08 seconds from the 2010 season for the No. 6 spot in school outdoor history. Selvon's time of 23.49 seconds ranked sixth. The Tigers had a setback when one of their top sprinters in Sheniqua Ferguson was unable to compete due to injury.
"It was a major setback when our top sprinter Sheniqua Ferguson had a slight strain, and we thought she might be able to go but didn't want to take that chance," Spry said. "That was probably 10 or 20 points we gave up right there. We had some good kids step it up. Nivea Smith and Kai Selvon made the finals so it's a situation now where we have some people back in the finals which is the key for us on Saturday and Sunday."
In the men's 200 meters, freshmen Keenan Brock and Clay Porter and senior Stephen Fly all missed qualifying for a spot in the final, finishing in 11th, 20th and 24th, respectively. Brock cruised to a time of 20.89 seconds and placed third in his heat, which was his second fastest time of the season. Porter finished with a time of 21.48 seconds and placed fourth in his heat, while Fly recorded a time of 22.47 seconds and also placed fourth in his heat.
Freshmen Kelley Cutrell and Matt Cooper also missed spots in the men's 800 meters final on Sunday placing 19th and 24th, respectively. Cutrell recorded a time of 1:54.50 and placed fourth in his heat, while Cooper had a time of 1:55.91 and placed sixth in his heat.
Competition at the SEC Championships will continue on Saturday. Nine finals will be contested, including seven in field events, while the rest of the competition will include preliminary rounds.