OXFORD, Miss. – Auburn track & field returns home after a successful weekend at the Joe Walker Invitational, a meet that included 17 career bests and six event wins.
Four of the Tigers' six wins were pocketed by sprinters.
In the men's 100m dash, senior Christopher Grant turned in the meet's top time with a 10.38. Fellow seniors Brandon Smiley and Jason Reese finished third and fourth, respectively. The trio joined forces with Jevony Murray to punch a 39.54 in the men's 4x100m relay to win another event title in the Tigers' first relay of the year.
The sprinting dominance was not limited to the men's side however, as senior Tylar Colbert and freshman Aalliyah Francis each picked up wins of their own.
Colbert and teammate Asia Jinks delivered the one-two punch in the women's 400m hurdles with times of 1:00.55 and 1:01.52 to claim the event's top two positions. The win was Colbert's fourth of her career and the second to come at the Ole Miss Track & Field Complex.
Francis, in her collegiate 400m debut, stole the show with a 54.07 to finish first in a field of 33 runners. The Darliston, Jamaica native was also just over a second shy of the program's 16-year-old freshman record.
Not to be outdone by their sprinting counterparts, the Auburn distance crew also continued its strong outdoor season showing by way of Ryan Kinnane and Carson Bedics. The sophomore duo shaved a combined 45 seconds off their previous bests for a pair of PRs that resulted in two top-three finishes.
A pair of Auburn jumpers, Dontavious Hill and Janaya Jones, collected the final two wins of the weekend for the Tigers. Hill won the high jump with 2.20m/7-2.50 clearance while Jones won the long jump by jumping 5.90m/19-4.25.
"Pretty solid weekend overall," Auburn head coach Ralph Spry said. "We saw some underclassmen shine in the distance group, and then some upperclassmen shine with the sprints group. All in all, we got a good lay of the lay before we head back here later this season for SEC Championships, which is what we wanted to do. I think we're in a good place heading into the home meet next weekend."
UP NEXT
The Tigers return home for the final home meet of the season, the War Eagle Invitational, April 15-16. Fans are encouraged to attend as this year's senior class will be honored on Saturday.
JOE WALKER INVITATIONAL
Ole Miss Track & Field Complex
Oxford, Miss.
April 8-9, 2022
MEN'S 100m
1. Christopher Grant 10.38
3. Brandon Smiley 10.52
4. Jason Reese 10.55
MEN'S 110m HURDLES
5. Oquendo Bernard 14.39
8. Tray Reynolds 14.68*
12. David Edmondson 15.49
13. John Murray 15.72
MEN'S 400m HURDLES
4. Luke Roberts 54.38*
5. Caden Ciul 54.52
MEN'S 800m
X. Cooper Atkins DNF
MEN'S 1500m
11. Cooper Atkins 3:46.09
45. Benson Atkins 4:04.01
MEN'S 5000m
2. Ryan Kinnane 14:12.49*
3. Carson Bedics 14:13.69*
21. Jackson Thomas 14:41.20*
22. Tommy McDonough 14:42.20
MEN'S HIGH JUMP
1. Dontavious Hill 2.20m/7-2.50
6. Zach Marinko 1.96m/6-5*
9. TJ Funches 1.91m/6-3.25
MEN'S JAVELIN
4. John Murray 56.61m/185-08
MEN'S LONG JUMP
7. David Edmondson 6.72m/22-00.75*
MEN'S POLE VAULT
2. James Courson 5.17m/16-11.50
3. Matthew Asplund 4.77m/15-7.75
MEN'S 4x100m RELAY
1. Reese, Je. Murray, Smiley, Grant 39.54
MEN'S 4x400m RELAY
3. Jo. Murray, Edmondson, Roberts, Ciul 3:21.66
WOMEN'S 100m
12. Essence Thomas 12.47
WOMEN'S 400m
1. Aalliyah Francis 54.07*
15. Jen Dietrich 57.66
20. Brittney Campbell 58.51*
WOMEN'S 400m HURDLES
1. Tylar Colbert 1:00.55
2. Asia Jinks 1:01.52
WOMEN'S 1500m
5. Joyce Kimeli 4:19.92
WOMEN'S 5000m
21. Sara Pacer 17:11.73*
28. Hallie Porterfield 17:33.31*
WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP
2. Kamiya Dendy 1.66m/5-5.25
WOMEN'S LONG JUMP
1. Janaya Jones 5.90m/19-4.25
11. Megan Lonneman 5.03m/16-6
X. Imani Jones FOUL
WOMEN'S POLE VAULT
6. Lexie Leinneweber 3.73m/12-2.75
X. Rhiannon Held NH
WOMEN'S HEPTATHLON
11. Elise Heddens 4.267 pts*
100m Hurdles 14.96*
High Jump 1.53m/5-00.25*
Shot Put 9.70m/31-10*
200m 26.98
Long Jump 5.16m/16-11.25
Javelin 18.89m/61-11*
800m 2:31.78*
*- Personal Best
