AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn track & field looks to continue its strong start to the outdoor season as the Tigers head to Tallahassee, Florida for the FSU Relays March 21-22. The meet will be held at Mike Long track with the men's hammer throw starting Thursday at 2 p.m. CT and the women's 5000m starting Friday at 7 a.m. CT.
After some excellent performances to open the outdoor season in Atlanta at the Yellow Jacket Invite, the Tigers are looking to continue the positive momentum going forward.
"We had an outstanding meet," Auburn track & field head coach Leroy Burrell said. "All around it was a good meet for us. It was one of our better competitions since I've been here. I think we are starting to show what we are capable of doing. I am excited about that, and I think the team is as well."
Highlighting the team's outdoor opener were the sprints groups from the men and women.
Freshman Kanyinsola Ajayi won the men's 100m, dash where he clocked the No. 6 time in the nation (10.21). Ajayi was part of the gold winning 4x100m relay team. The quartet made of Ajayi, sophomore Azeem Fahmi and juniors Makanakaishe Charamba and Dario Matau hold the fastest time in the nation.
"I think we have one of the best sprint groups in the country," Coach Burrell said. "They showed that sweeping the 100m and running the fastest 4x100m relay in the country."
Junior Danae Nembhard led the women's sweep in the 100m hurdles (13.38). She was closely followed by Paula Grauvogel and Ashanti Harvey.
The throwers for Auburn also had a good showing. Sophomore Matthew Rueff had a PR throw of 18.39m to finish in first place in men's shot put. He is No. 9 in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC.
Fellow sophomore Megan Hague also had a PR. She earned a silver medal with a toss of 16.17m. Hague later went on to finish discus in third place (49.51m).
The team is looking to integrate the javelin throwers into the mix this weekend. The Bahamas native, Keyshawn Strachan, had the No. 1 throw in the nation for the 2023 outdoor season (84.27m) in the event. He holds the Bahamian javelin throw national record that he set in 2022 (79.89m).
It is going to be a weekend full of competition as the men and women compete against Georgia Tech, Marshall, Florida A&M, No. 1/2 Florida, and the host Florida State.
"This is a big meet, but each one is important for us," Coach Burrell said. "We are trying to build a culture and build some momentum as we progress into the season. Every opportunity is big."
Live results from the men can be found on pttiming.com.