ATLANTA - The Auburn track & field team opened the 2024 outdoor season with a strong showing in Atlanta at the Yellow Jacket Invitational Saturday competing at the George C. Griffin Track.
The Tigers took home eight event wins from six different performances. All-SEC First Team sprinter Kanyinsola Ajayi highlighted the men's showcase leading the sweep in the men's 100m dash, while Danae Nembhard, Paula Grauvogel and Ashanti Harvey led the Tigers to a sweep of the 100m hurdles on the women's side.
Making his outdoor season debut, freshman Ajayi won the men's 100m dash with a strong time of 10.21. He clocked the No. 6 time in the nation. Ajayi was closely followed by teammates junior Makanakaishe Charamba (10.28) in second, sophomore Azeem Fahmi (10.38) in third and junior Dario Matau (10.51) in fourth resulting in a clean sweep of the event.
Ajayi, Charamba, Fahmi and Matau later competed in the men's 4x100m, where they took gold. The quartet holds the fastest event time in the nation and the seventh fastest time in Auburn history (38.74).
Junior Chanté Clinkscale joined teammate Ajayi on the winner's podium in the women's 100m with a time of 11.42, earning the third-fastest time in the Southeastern Conference. With a time of 11.95, freshman Shonedra Richardson took home bronze in the event.
Sophomores LeBron Bessick and Ian Myers had career best times in the men's 400m. Bessick finished in second with a time of 47.40, which earns him the eighth fastest time in the SEC. Myers has the ninth fastest time (47.76), and he took fourth place in the event.
Led by junior Danae Nembhard, the Auburn women swept the 100m hurdles. With a new career best in the event, Nembhard finished in 13.38. Teammate Grauvogel took home second and Harvey wrapped up the sweep in third.
Auburn distance had a good outing as sophomore Ethan Snyder picked up a new PR in the men's 1500m with a time of 3:57.64. In the men's 800m, sophomore Davis Plowden finished in second place and earned a new PR with a time of 1:50.48. He was closely followed by junior Copper Atkins, who had a career best in the event and finished third (1:50.89).
For the women's distance runners, senior Samantha Rogers clocked a time of 4:34.92 in the 1500m to earn a new PR. Making their outdoor season debuts, freshmen Mary Mac Collins and Audrey Dunn finished 24th and 26th, respectively.
Competing in his second outdoor season, sophomore Matthew Rueff took home a gold medal in the men's shot put with a new all-time best throw of 18.39m on his sixth and final attempt. Rueff is No. 2 in the SEC and No. 9 in the nation in his event.
On the women's side, sophomore Alyssa Quinones-Mixon continues her hot streak from the indoor season for the Tigers. The San Antonio, Texas native came in first (3.95m) ahead of teammate junior Rhiannon Held, who finished in third (3.80m).
Sophomore Megan Hague had a solid day in her events. With a PR toss of 16.17m, she earned second place in the women's shot put. Hague finished discus in third place (49.51m) right behind teammate Marley Raikiwasa. In her first outdoor season for the Tigers, Raikiwasa finished discus in second place with a throw of 53.36 and finished shot put in fourth (15.42m)
The Auburn women took gold and bronze in the women's long jump. Making her fourth outdoor season appearance, senior Janaya Jones finished first with a jump of 6.14m, that she landed on her third attempt. Coming off a silver place finish in the heptathlon at the conference championship, Grauvogel rounded out the top three in the event with a jump of 5.89m.
The weekend concluded with a first-place finish in the men's 4x400m relay by LeBron Bessick, Ian Myers, Dario Matau and Matthew Rainer. The quartet ran the No. 12 time in the nation, clocking 3:10.66.
Up Next
The Auburn track & field team will travel to Tallahassee, Florida for the FSU Relays at Mike Long track March 21-22. Live scoring information will be revealed closer to the start time.
Yellow Jacket Invitational
George C. Griffin Track, Atlanta GA
Saturday, March 16th
Men's Results
4x100m
1. Auburn 38.74
K. Ajayi, A. Fahmi, D. Matau, M. Charamba
4x400
1. Auburn 3:10.66
L. Bessick, I. Myers, D. Matau, M. Rainer
100m
1. Kanyinsola Ajayi 10.21
2. Makanakaishe Charamba 10.28
3. Azeem Fahmi 10.38
4. Dario Matau 10.51
400m
2. LeBron Bessick 47.40
4. Ian Myers 47.76
800m
2. Davis Plowder 1:50.48
3. Cooper Atkins 1:40.89
DNF. Louis O'Loughlin
1500m
14. Hayden Judge 3:54.27
27. Ethan Snyder 3:57.64
28. Evan Hill 3:58.52
33. Joseph Perry 4:01.19
38. Fuji Anday 4:03.23
400m Hurdles
2. Matthew Rainer 57.25
High Jump
NH. Justin Stuckey
NH. Kayden Slay
Pole Vault
4. James Courson 4.62m
Long Jump
4. Michael May 6.94m
Shot Put
1. Matthew Rueff 18.39m
5. Grant Griffin 15.84m
Discus
6. Matthew Rueff 47.91m
13. Michael May 35.08m
Javelin Throw
10. Michael May 45.13m
Women's Results
4x400m
DNF. Auburn
C. Clinkscale, Ashantae Harvey, Ashanti Harvey, D. Nembhard
100m
1.Chante Clinkscale 11.42
3. Shonedra Richardson 11.95
200m
5. Oke Opeyemi 24.76
17. Elise Heddens 26.30
400m
4. Ariel Sharpe 57.93
800m
4. Abasiono Akpan 2:12.79
17. Presley Miles 2:25.27
1500m
11. Samantha Rogers 4:34.92
24. Mary Mac Collins 4:42.94
26. Audrey Dunn 4:43.85
29. Hannah Thuss 4:44.72
45. Hailey Marston 4:53.01
100m Hurdles
1. Danae Nembhard 13.38
2. Paula Grauvogel 13.56
3. Ashanti Harvey 13.77
6. Elise Heddens 14.42
400m Hurdles
2. Lalah Hasbrouck 1:00.13
Pole Vault
1. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon 3.95m
3. Rhiannon Held 3.80m
5. (tie) Lexie Leinneweber 3.65m
5. (tie) Brooke Walden 3.65m
Long Jump
1. Janaya Jones 6.14m
3. Paula Grauvogel 5.89m
10. Elise Heddens 5.55m
Shot Put
2. Megan Hague 16.17m
4. Marley Raikiwasa 15.42m
Discus Throw
2. Marley Raikiwasa 53.36m
3. Megan Hague 49.51m
Javelin Throw
7. Paula Grauvogel 38.09m
14. Elise Heddens 19.28m