April 18, 2015
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AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn track and field team claimed 10 wins and set 14 personal-bests on Saturday as the Tigers closed competition at the War Eagle Invitational at the Hutsell-Rosen track.
"I'm extremely pleased with how today went," head coach Ralph Spry said. "Every weekend we've gotten better in all areas and we're starting to peak at the right time. We had a number of people hit regional qualifying times today but also had a lot of personal-bests, which is always great too see. Jessie Johnson breaking her school record and the track record, Teray Smith running 20.54 in the 200m, Rachel Dincoff in the shot put, Sam (Scarlett) in the hurdles and Redatu (Semeon) in the steeple all had fantastic performances."
The women's team picked up wins from 4x100m relay, senior Samantha Scarlett, juniors Jessie Johnson and Rachel Dincoff, sophomores Marshay Ryan and Rachel Givens, and freshman Jonielle Smith.
Johnson broke her own school record in the pole vault with a jump of 14-3.25/4.35m as well as the Hutsell-Rosen record that previously stood at 13-10/4.22m. Johnson's jump ranks her fifth in the nation heading into the weekend.
Dincoff won the shot put with a personal-best throw of 54-4.75/16.58m, her fourth victory in the event this year. The Waterloo, Ind., native ranks 10th nationally heading into the weekend. Dincoff also finished first among collegians in the discus with a throw of 163-0/49.68m.
Scarlett and Smith were the top collegiate finishers in their respective events, with Scarlett running a time of 13.21 in the 100m hurdles and Smith a time of 11.51 in the 100m. Ryan won the long jump with a jump of 18-11.25/5.77m and Givens claimed the 3000m steeplechase in a time of 11:02.88. Kristin Sheehan's time of 11:37.16 in the 3000m steeplechase ranks her fifth in school history.
In the women's 800m, Emily Stevens and Kali Carney set new personal-bests with times of 2:10.38 and 2:14.60, respectively. Sophomores Claire Kennedy and Crystal Harrell both ran personal bests as Kennedy ran the 1500m in a time of 4:49.69 and Harrell clocked a 1:00.78 in the 400m. Freshman Jasmine Maina jumped a personal-best in the long jump by nearly a foot with a jump of 16-8.75/5.10m.
The men's team had wins from sophomore Teray Smith in the 200m and junior Redatu Semeon in the 3000m steeplechase. Smith's personal-best time of 20.54 ranks him seventh in the nation heading into the weekend and eighth all-time in school history. Semeon set a 12-second personal best with a time of 8:55.19.
Freshman Jake Knight set personal bests in the discus and shot put with marks of 166-6/50.74m and 55-9.75/17.01m, respectively. Personal best performances also came from Tyler Ross in the 400m hurdles with a time of 56.10, Grant Schumacher in the high jump with a jump of 6-4.75/1.95m and Coren Crompton in the pole vault, clearing 16-8.75/5.10m.
The Tigers return to action April 23-25 for the Penn Relays and Triton Invitational.
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