BATON ROUGE, La.- Auburn track and field senior Madi Malone won gold Thursday to open the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium as she brought home her second women's hammer throw title in two years.
Malone secured the win on her fifth attempt, throwing for 68.14m/223-06 to surpass the Ole Miss duo of Jalani Davis (67.27m/220-08) and Shey Taiwo (67.13m/220-03). The Wichita, Kansas native topped her own mark on her sixth and final throw, heaving 68.69m/225-04 to cement the victory.
"It started a little bit rough," Malone said. "but I just remembered freshman year when I had two fouls and then went out there and made the final, so I just had to trust what I have been doing all year. Throughout the season, I had been ranked first, so I was hoping it would hold, but then one of the Ole Miss girls threw further than me last weekend, so we knew there would be some competition and while this wasn't my best throw, it was good enough to get the dub."
After fouling her first attempt, Malone dominated the competition recording four throws further than 68 meters. At last year's Outdoor SEC Championships, Malone led the Tiger's historic sweep of the long throw events, winning the women's hammer throw with her toss of 69.39m/227-8. Malone is only the second Auburn woman in school history to win the the hammer throw title at the conference meet and now becomes the first athlete to win the same event in back-to-back seasons since 2011.
On the men's side, Erik Ebel, Kyle Moison and Kyle Brown put up 12 points for Auburn in the men's hammer throw. On his second attempt, Ebel threw 67.46m/221-04 for a season best to finish fourth overall. Moison was close behind in fifth place with a personal-best toss 67.29m/220-09 on his first attempt. Brown rounded out the three scorers in sixth place with a season-best 66.73m/218-11.
In the women's 400m hurdles, freshman Abasiono Akpan secured an automatic qualifying spot to Saturday's final with a new personal-best time of 56.57. Abasiono moves up to No. 4 in program history. Also competing in the 400m hurdles, senior Lalah Hasbrouck ran 58.70 for a new personal-best in her first career SEC Championship meet.
After day one of the men's decathlon, junior John Murray is in third place with 4186 points. Freshman Micheal May is in seventh with 3838 points.
With three of 21 events completed, the Auburn men hold strong in third place, totaling 12 points while the women are in fifth with 10.
Day two's action will begin at 11:00 a.m. CT with the men's 110m hurdles of the decathlon. Action on the track will start at 5:15 p.m. with women's 100m hurdles.
Live results can be found at Deltatiming.com.
SEC OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
BERNIE MOORE TRACK
BATON ROUGE, LOUSIANNA
Thursday, May 11
Men's 800m
10. Louis O'Loughlin 1:49.29
30. Rex Green 1:55.22
Women's 200m
14. Niya Benton-Andrews 23.13*
31. Chante Clinkscale 35.81
Men's 400m Hurdles
DNF. Mo Mpoke
Women's 400m Hurdles
4. Abasiono Akpan 56.57* Q
15. Lalah Hasbrouck 58.50*
Men's 10,000m
10. Carson Bedics 30:34.44
Women's Hammer Throw
1. Madi Malone 68.69m/225-04
13. Dani Gregory 56.62m/185-09
Men's Hammer Throw
4. Erik Ebel 67.46m/221-04 SB
5. Kyle Moison 67.29m/220-09*
6. Kyle Brown 66.73m/218-11 SB
Women's Javelin
9. Maura Huwalt 47.94m/157-03
10. Shaniya Holley 46.20m/151-07
13. Maddie Robberts 42.84m/140-06
Women's Heptathlon-Day 1
7. Paula Grauvogel 3157
8. 100m Hurdles 14.51
8. High Jump 1.62m/5-02.50
6. Shot Put 11.38m/37-04*
7. 200m 25.17*
Men's Decathlon-Day 1
3. John Murray 4186
4. 100m 10.87
2. Long Jump 7.39m/24-03*
2. Shot Put 15.34m/50-04*
5. High Jump 1.95m/6-4.75
7. 400m 50.32
7. Micheal May 3838
5. 100m 11.00*
5. Long Jump 7.11m/23-04
7. Shot Put 12.35m/40-6.25
8. High Jump 1.89m/6-2.25
6. 400m 50.23*
* - personal best
