Austin, Texas—The Auburn track and field team will have five individuals competing in six events at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the University of Texas campus, June 5-8. Action will begin on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. CT with sophomore Cade Antonucci competing in the men's javelin throw.
"I'm pretty excited. This meet is about is all about quality and it takes a lot to score well, but it takes a lot to get here," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "Everybody we have here has a chance of making an impact. Our goal at NCAAs never changes, we want them to be All-American. If you're All-American, it means you're in the top eight and you've scored points. That's the name of the game to go out on a high note."
A Mays Landing, N.J., native, Antonucci is making his second consecutive NCAA Outdoor appearance after finishing 24th in Eugene, Ore., as a freshman. The No. 2 performer in Auburn history, Antonucci has a season-best mark of 72.37m/237-5 and enters the weekend ranked No. 17 nationally.
"Cade did a great job of getting here and was at NCAAs last year as a freshman," Spry said. "He has experience and that will help him Wednesday. He has a great chance of doing well here. He's a competitor and will rise to the occasion."
Thursday will be the Tigers' busiest day as freshman Madi Malone, sophomore Joyce Kimeli and junior Kylee Carter will all be in action. Senior Skyler Daniel will compete in the high jump on Saturday.
A redshirt freshman from Wichita, Kan., Malone was the SEC Outdoor Women's Field Freshman of the Year after taking silver last month in the hammer throw. The school record holder in the event, Malone owns the Top 10 marks in school history and will look to become a two-time All-American as a freshman. Malone earned All-America honors in the weight throw indoors. Action for Malone will start at 4:30 p.m. CT on Thursday.
"Madi is on a tear and reminds me of former thrower Cory Martin," Spry said. "She's a gamer. As a freshman, you'd think she's a senior by the way she conducts her business and her demeanor. She is very mature, calm under pressure and confident, just like Cory was. I think she will come in and do what she has done all year long and that's throw far."
A two-event qualifier, Kimeli will run in the 3000m steeplechase semifinals Thursday at 7:32 p.m. and the 5000m run Saturday at 7:25 p.m. The top five runners from each of two heats of the 3000m steeple and the next five best times will qualify for Saturday's finals at 5:54 p.m. Kimeli broke her own school record in the steeplechase two weeks ago en route to winning the East Preliminaries in 9:52.48. She is ranked No. 11 in the event and was second at the SEC Outdoors in the event. The Eldoret, Kenya, native is the first Auburn women's distance runner to advance to NCAA Outdoors in multiple events since Rachel Sauder in 1995.
"It's going to be real exciting to watch Joyce," Spry said. "She won the East Preliminaries two weeks ago and will run a semifinal race Thursday and the finals on Saturday," Spry said. "The way the schedule sets up, she'll be able to run the 3000m steeplechase fresh each day and Saturday she'll be able to see what she has left in the tank in the 5000m."
Ranked No. 3 nationally in the javelin throw, Carter will compete Thursday at 8:15 p.m. The Beauregard, Ala., native is competing in her second straight NCAA Outdoors, finishing 10th in 2018. A May graduate and SEC Community Service Team honoree, Carter won seven consecutive javelin events to start the season before taking third at the NCAA Prelims. She is the school record holder in the event, setting the mark at the Florida State Relays with a toss of 57.45m/188-6, and is the owner of the top 10 tosses in school history.
"Kylee has won seven of eight events this year, won the Penn Relays and she comes in with a lot of confidence," Spry said. "She gained a lot of experience at nationals last year and I think that will be a bonus for her coming into this year. She's battle tested and I think she will do very well."
Daniel, like Kimeli, is also making her NCAA debut after qualifying in the women's high jump after tying for eighth two weeks ago in Jacksonville, Fla. An Upland, Calif., native, Daniel is the first Auburn women's high jumper to qualify for nationals since 2013 and has equaled her career-best 1.75m/5-8.75 in three consecutive meets leading up to NCAAs.
"Skyler has had a great season and the high jump is always a tossup," Spry said. "If she can come in and clear some bars early, she will put herself in a position to score some points."
Wednesday's action will air on ESPN3 beginning at 12:30 p.m. CT with live results available at: https://auburntige.rs/19NCAAOutTF.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 (ALL TIMES CT)
TRACK EVENTS
TIME EVENT ROUND DIVISION
4:02 PM 4x100 Meter Relay Semifinal Men
4:16 PM 1500 Meters Semifinal Men
4:32 PM Steeplechase Semifinal Men
5:02 PM 110 Meter Hurdles Semifinal Men
5:16 PM 100 Meters Semifinal Men
5:30 PM 400 Meters Semifinal Men
5:44 PM 800 Meters Semifinal Men
6:00 PM 400 Meter Hurdles Semifinal Men
6:14 PM 200 Meters Semifinal Men
6:26 PM 400 Meters Decathlon Men
7:18 PM 4x400 Meter Relay Semifinal Men
9:08 PM 10,000 Meters Final Men
FIELD EVENTS
TIME EVENT ROUND DIVISION
2:00 PM Hammer Throw Final Men
4:30 PM Pole Vault Final Men
4:45 PM Javelin Throw Final Men
6:00 PM Long Jump Final Men
6:40 PM Shot Put Final Men
COMBINED EVENTS
TIME EVENT ROUND DIVISION
12:00 PM 100 Meters Decathlon Men
12:40 PM Long Jump Decathlon Men
1:55 PM Shot Put Decathlon Men
3:10 PM High Jump Decathlon Men
6:56 PM 400 Meters Decathlon Men