AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn track & field program looks to culminate its indoor regular season at the Southeastern Conference Championships Friday and Saturday at the University of Arkansas Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Tigers will send 26 men and 21 women to compete in this year's championships. A total of 21 of those competing have prior SEC Indoor Championship experience.
"Going into the year I was really excited because I thought we had some really strong senior leadership and had identified athletes that would help us immediately," Tigers head coach Leroy Burrell said. "Other than that little injury bug that hit us a bit, we are regrouping going into the conference meet and I think that we will have a good shot of reaching our goal to finish in the top half of the conference."
At last year's SEC Indoor championships, the Tigers banked five podium-worthy performances, that included two silver and three bronze medal efforts.
Leading the returning scorers is two-time SEC silver medalist Dontavious Hill. The senior high jumper has 17 career SEC indoor points to his name and will be returning to the same venue of his second-place finish at this meet in 2021. Hill enters the competition ranked second in the SEC and eighth nationally with his mark of 2.21m/7-3 from the Vanderbilt Invitational.
Senior throws all-American Madi Malone follows Hill with 23 career points scored at SECs and is one of Auburn's most decorated women's thrower in program history. Malone has claimed both silver and bronze at the SEC Indoor Championships. Malone finished second at the meet as a freshman breaking the then-Auburn and existing Auburn freshman record with a throw of 22.11m/72-6.5. Malone enters the weekend ranked fourth in the league and eighth nationally with her mark of 22.69m/74-5.5.
Auburn senior Kyle Brown looks to continue the momentum into the conference meet after claiming bronze in the weight throw a year ago. Brown become the first Auburn man to medal in the event since 2008. He threw for a new personal best of 21.99m/72-1.75 two weeks ago in Clemson, S.C. at the Tiger Paw Invitational. He cemented his spot as the third-best thrower in program history and currently ranks third in the conference.
No stranger to the conference meet, Tennessee transfer sprinter Favour Ashe looks to redeem himself after a false start at SECs a year ago. Ashe enters the weekend atop the conference and third in the country in the 60m dash with a time of 6.53 set two weeks ago. Ashe has not finished lower than second place in his five appearances on the straightaway.
Auburn also boasts a pair of men's newcomers who both have had standout seasons in their respective events in freshman sprinter Azeem Fahmi and jumper Jeremy Zammit. Fahmi enters the weekend fifth in the conference in the 60m dash with a time of 6.62 at the Tiger Paw Invite. At the same meet, Fahmi clocked 6.65 in the prelim to break Watson Nyambek's Malaysian National Record of 6.66 from the World Championships in 1999. He went on to break his own record in the final clocking 6.62. In the long jump, Zammit is fifth in the conference with his personal best of 7.84m/25-8.75 cementing himself as the number four performer in school history. His mark also set a new Malta National Record, shattering the previous record of 7.40m/24-3.5.
Freshman phenom, Arianna Sharpe broke the Auburn women's freshman record in the 400m at the Tiger Paw Invite clocking 52.42. Sharpe eclipsed the previous record held by Joanna Atkins at 52.95 from 2008. The New Jersey native ranks tenth in the conference and 16th in the country.
Entering her final conference meet, senior Maura Huwalt looks to build on her eighth place finish a year ago in the weight throw and shot put. Huwalt became the school's number three all-time performer with a heave of 21.28m/69-9.75 two weeks ago in Clemson, S.C. In the shot put, Huwalt sits just behind Valentina Muzaric (17.89m/58-8.5) on Auburn's all-time list with her mark of 17.29m/56-8.75.
Fans can catch the Tigers in action at SEC Indoors via the SEC Network+. Friday's events will be streamed from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT and again from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. CT.
On Saturday, the broadcast will begin at 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. CT and again at 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CT. Live results will also be available at FlashResults.com.