Feb. 4, 2012
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Sophomore Stephen Saenz met the NCAA automatic qualifying standards with a throw of 19.63m in the shot put and Auburn set multiple personal bests over the weekend at the fifth annual Virginia Tech Elite Meet.
"For this high level of a meet, we performed really well," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "We are staying competitive and are preparing well. Things will start to improve and we will get the marks we need to get qualified for nationals. As we get into the next couple of meets, it gets more competitive and as we get sharper you will see better and better results."
Saenz took home the shot put title with his throw of 64 feet, five inches (19.63m), eclipsing the NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 19.35 meters. He is the second Auburn track and field athlete to qualify for indoor nationals next month in Boise, Idaho, joining sprinter Harry Adams in the 60m.
The throw set a new PR for Saenz and ranked as the third-best throw in program history.
CeCe Williams set new personal bests in both the 200 and 400 meter races in Blacksburg. The senior from Birmingham recorded a win in the 400m with a new PR of 55.10 and finished second in the 200m in 24.14. Williams' time in the 400m also ranked as the eighth-fastest time in Auburn history.
Nivea Smith also had a strong showing in the 60m as she set a new personal best with a time of 7.49 seconds and in the 200m with a third place finish and time of 23.92.
Alissa Fisher debuted in the 3000m with a bang and earned the win in 9:34.01, all while posting the fourth-fastest time in Auburn history. The victory was Fisher's first of the spring season. The junior also teamed with Samantha Berggren, Erika Kolakowski and Molly Pezzulo as part of the first-place women's distance medley team that crossed the finish line in 12:08.76.
Auburn also finished first in the men's distance medley in a time of 9:56.34 with the team of Kane Grimster, Spencer Ferguson, Matt Cooper and Jeff Sanders.
In the men's 60 meters, Auburn qualified four men for the finals, but senior Marcus Rowland was held out as he continues to work his way back from last season's hamstring injury. In the final, Adams placed third in 6.62 seconds and the two other Tigers posted new personal best times.
Keenan Brock finished fourth in a personal best 6.63 seconds and Jeremy Hardy set a new PR in 6.71 seconds. Hardy followed up with a second place finish in the 200m in 21.62 seconds.
Freshman Siobhan Ford-Holland also set a big PR in the triple jump and finished fourth with a final jump of 41 feet, 0.5 inches (12.51m). Her jump ousted her mark from two weeks ago as the tenth-best mark in Auburn history.
In the men's jumps, DJ Smith (2.18m, high jump) and Cameron Holt (7.09m, long jump) both set new personal-best marks on Saturday.
With a scheduled off weekend coming from Feb. 17-18, Auburn will split its roster this weekend with team members heading to both the Gareat Invitational in Geneva, Ohio and to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
"Things right now going well, we just need to stay healthy," Spry said. "We have just one more weekend of competition before conference. This weekend will be our last one before we get ready for SEC meet at Kentucky. We are trying to get everybody sharp and keep everybody fresh."
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