April 2, 2016
Austin, Texas - Auburn senior All-Americans Jessie Johnson and Valentina Muzaric both won individual event championships at the prestigious Texas Relays during the final day of competition Saturday. Johnson broke her own school record en route to winning the pole vault with a height of 4.40m/14-5.25, while Muzaric claimed the shot put title with a throw of 17.01m/55-9.75.
Johnson and Muzaric became the first Auburn individual champions at the Texas Relays since Maya Pressley won the high jump in 2013.
A native of Argyle, Texas, Johnson cleared her first three heights before becoming the lone competitor to cleanly vault over 4.40m. The height broke her previous school record of 4.35m set at last year's War Eagle Invitational. The SEC Indoor runner-up, Johnson's mark is currently the fifth best nationally during the outdoor season.
Muzaric was in third place following three throws and moved into first place for good on her fourth throw (16.93m). The senior's winning throw came on her fifth and second-to-last attempt.
Senior Rachel Dincoff had a big day as well, finishing second in the discus throw. Dincoff's silver medal throw of 55.46m/181-11 came on her fifth attempt and was the second best effort in school history behind her school-record 55.80m set at the 2015 SEC Outdoors. Dincoff also finished sixth in the shot put with a throw of 16.00m/52-6.
Freshman Ivana Muzaric, the younger sister to Valentina, was 10th in the discus with a collegiate PR of 48.33m/162-2.
Earlier in the week, Auburn senior decathlete Parker Shearer posted a solid season-opening performance, finishing eighth in the decathlon with 6908 points. Junior Brianna Heilsnis finished fifth (58.06m/190-6) in the women's hammer throw against a very strong field.
Auburn returns to action next weekend when it hosts the Tiger Track Classic, April 8-9.