Auburn sprinters hope for 'amazing experience' at NCAA Outdoors

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NCAA Outdoor Notes

NCAA Outdoor Start List

June 5, 2018

By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. - If you borrow Akeem Bloomfield's headphones on race day, you won't hear any of the current artists preferred by college students.

Big Sean, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and Ben Rector are out. Beethoven is in.

"I listen to a lot of orchestral music," said Bloomfield, a sophomore All-American sprinter. "It really calms me down and relaxes my mind and gets me in the mood to practice and compete."

Akeem's go-to composer, Ramin Djawadi, created the music for "Iron Man," Game of Thrones," and Bloomfield's favorite score, "Pacific Rim."

"When I'm going to compete, I always draw from that one," he said. "That's what gets me pumped."

Speaking of scores, Bloomfield and his Tiger track and field teammates are hoping to score points for Auburn at the NCAA Outdoor Championships Wednesday-Saturday in Eugene, Oregon.

"I'm very excited," Bloomfield said. "It's another opportunity to show my talents and another chance to compete. I'm really excited to go and I'm really happy that I made it."

Bloomfield may be peaking at the ideal time after running a season-best 44.90 at the NCAA East prelims.

"For most of the outdoor season, I've been running pretty tentative," he said. "This is our last chance to get it right for the season. I think if I compete how I want to compete and how I think I can compete, then I think I'll have a shot."

Bloomfield runs the second leg in Auburn's mile relay, the meet's final men's event on Friday night.

"The 4 x 400 is always that boom event that ends the entire competition," he said. "If we make the finals, to be a part of that would be a really amazing experience to finish off the championship."

Fellow All-American sophomore Nathon Allen, who won the SEC Outdoor Championship 400 in school-record time (44.28), anchors Auburn's relay.

"It's always pressure, because if you get the baton in first, you're expected to keep it in first," Allen said. "If you get it in second, you're expected to put it in first. For the anchor leg, it is always pressure.

"It's a responsibility that my coach has bestowed upon me, so I have to try my best to deliver for him and for my teammates."

Allen ranks No. 1 in the nation in the 400, the favorite to win the national championship.

"I'm really excited, because going into Eugene, I'm going to be competing against the best of the best in college," he said. "It's going to be very exciting, a very new experience and hopefully a very successful experience."

The 4 x 400 relay, Allen said, provides a uniquely rewarding challenge.

"Sometimes I look forward to the relay most because it's where you and your teammates can come together," he said. "You can share an experience and you all try to accomplish one common goal. Each day you come out here you work hard with your teammates. You know the sacrifice you make. You know the hard work that each of us has put in. To go out there collectively on one team and try to put together one big collective run is really exciting."

Allen and Bloomfield are part of Auburn's 10 individuals and two relays competing at Hayward Field.

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer