April 28, 2018
Philadelphia - Auburn sophomore sprinter Raheem Chambers won the men's 100m dash championship invitational and senior thrower Justin Carter claimed gold in the men's college javelin throw to highlight the final day of competition for the Tigers' track and field team at the Penn Relays Saturday. The three-day competition saw Auburn win three individual titles and one relay, one of the most successful showings for the program ever at the Penn Relays.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Chambers won the 100 with a time of 10.22, just two one-hundreths shy of his collegiate best, to outdistance Houston's Cameron Burrell (10.29). Chamber became Auburn's fourth sprinter to win the men's 100m at the Penn Relays and first since Olympian Coby Miller won in 1999 with an identical time of 10.22.
Carter, the school record holder in the javelin throw, won the college men's title with a best of 67.25m/220-7 on his sixth and final throw. His last throw was 2.50m further than his previous best and improved his standing from third to first. The Auburn native's win was his second in as many weeks as he claimed gold at the War Eagle Invitational a week ago.
"I'm really pleased with the way our athletes competed at Penn Relays," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "To win four titles against very good competition is huge. It's been a long time since Auburn has won four titles at Penn Relays, so it was very good meet as we prepare for the SEC Championships in two weeks."
Vying for Auburn's fifth title of the relays, the men's 4x400m relay came up just short, claiming second in 3:03.52. Xavier Coakley, Akeem Bloomfield, Chaison Tenkiang and Nathon Allen's time was the tenth fastest in school history and a season's best for the Tigers.
On Friday, the Auburn women's 4x100m relay won the College Championship of America title with a time of 44.14. The quartet of freshman Renae Shaw, seniors Jonielle Smith and Dominique Bullock and sophomore Natalliah Whyte became Auburn's first 4x100m relay champions at Penn Relays since 1993.
Junior Kylee Carter won the Tigers' first Penn Relays title as she claimed the women's javelin throw Thursday with a school record throw of 54.78m/179-8.
Auburn also had a small group of athletes competing at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge Saturday. Men's high jumper Jaron Brooks took second with a leap of 2.10m/6-10.75, while Skyler Daniels led the women's efforts with a fourth-place finish in the women's high jump (1.74m/5-08.50).
Auburn will next be in action May 11-13 at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.