Auburn, Ala.—Auburn freshmen Madi Malone, the SEC silver medalists in the women's weight throw, has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, to be held March 8-9, at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.
Malone broke the Auburn school record in the weight throw last weekend during the SEC Indoor Championships. Her record throw of 22.11m/72-6.5 was good enough for the ninth-best mark in the country and the top weight throw mark nationally among all freshman. The top 16 marks nationally in each event, excluding scratches, receive berths to the championships.
"We're really excited for Madi and look forward to watching her compete at nationals," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "She's had a tremendous indoor season, setting new PRs in each meet, highlighted by her record-breaking performance at SECs last weekend. Madi has thrown in Birmingham this year and is familiar with the setting, so it will be a great opportunity for her compete against the best in the nation."
Malone is the fourth Tiger in school history to qualify for indoor nationals in the weight throw joining Jasmine Manigault (2017), Ronda Gullatte (2006) and Stacy Martin (2004, '02).
The Wichita, Kan., native will compete on Saturday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Auburn freshman sprinter Anthony Schwartz, who is the No. 8 sprinter nationally at 60m, will not compete in the championships. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native suffered a leg injury while racing in the 200m at the Tiger Paw Invitational on February 9.
"Anthony and I agreed that it would be best to play it safe and get ready for the outdoor season," Spry said. "He has a bright future ahead of him. He's only raced twice indoors this year and we want to error on the side of caution. It's a long outdoor season and this will give him the best opportunity for success."
The 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships will be streamed live on ESPN3 with television replays on Sunday, March 10 at p.m. ET (ESPN2) and Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. (ESPNU).