Feb. 11, 2012
AUBURN - Auburn track and field set 11 individual bests as it competed in three different states on Saturday and the Tigers wrapped up competition at the Tyson Invitational, SPIRE Invitational and Vulcan Invitational in the final weekend of competition before the SEC Championships.
"For the most part I'm pretty pleased with the team's performance today," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "I feel pretty good for the most part. Stephen Saenz had another really good day and won the shot put. Alissa Fisher ran really well in the 3000 meters and both of our women's high jumpers did really well. I do feel like we missed an opportunity today with the men's sprints. I came in with the expectation of getting a couple of guys qualified for nationals in the 200 meters, but Harry Adams had a slight strain in his hip flexor and he didn't finish. Marcus Rowland was a little tight, so we were cautious with him. We want to make sure they are ready for SECs. Other than that, we had a pretty solid day."
Saenz won the shot put for the third time in 2012, this time with a throw of 63 feet, 6.75 inches (19.37m). On the women's side, Monica Carney picked up her first career event title with a career-best tying jump of five feet, 10.75 inches (1.80m). Carney was joined in the high jump by teammate Maya Pressley who finished fourth with a jump of five feet, 8.75 inches (1.75m).
In the women's 3000 meters, Fisher continued her string of strong performances by setting a new PR of 9:25.52 - the second-fastest time in Auburn history. Fisher's time is behind only Holly Knight's mark of 9:20.56 last season.
With Adams and Keenan Brock already qualified for indoor nationals in the 60 meters, Spry planned to dispatch the duo as well as Rowland in the 200 meters. Unfortunately, injury and threat of injury ended the chances for Adams and Rowland.
Brock would go on to finish sixth in the finals with a top time of 21.51, well off his career best time of 21.35 set in 2011 at the Tyson Invitational.
Auburn's lone competitor of the day in Arkansas was Kai Selvon in the finals of the 200 meters. The junior established a new personal-best time of 23.52 seconds and finished third as she increased her chances of qualifying for next month's NCAA Indoor National Championships in Boise, Idaho.
Also in Ohio, Anna McCloskey set a new personal best throw of 40 feet, 8.25 inches (12.40m) in the shot put. Freshman Samantha Berggren posted the sixth-best time in Auburn history in the 800 meters with her run of 2:09.40 - a new personal best. Niklas Buhner set a new PR in the mile run with his time of 4:05.61 as he finished eighth, while Kane Grimster posted the eighth-fastest time in Auburn history (4:04.31) in the first mile run of his young career as he placed sixth.
At the Vulcan Invitational in Birmingham, freshman mHalle Green set a new PR with a 25.95 in the 200m.
Back in Arkansas, Cameron Holt set a new PR in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 8.60 seconds and Neil Danville established a new personal-best time of 48.69 seconds in the 400 meters. In the 200 meter race, sophomore Clay Porter (22.05) and freshman Joseph Fisher (22.39) recorded new high career marks.
"The main thing we are looking at now is that we've got a weekend off heading to SECs," Spry said. "We want everyone to be sharp and right now we are where we should be. I think we've got a little momentum heading into the conference meet. We've just got to finish up these last couple of weeks and stay sharp. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the weekend.
"We've got a couple of people who are dinged up, but the good news is that we've got two weeks to get ready for SECs. So hopefully, these small injuries will get taken care of by then."
Auburn will not compete again until the SEC Championships hosted by the University of Kentucky scheduled for February 24-26 in Lexington, Ky.