AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn track & field will send three student-athletes to The Track at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts to compete in the final meet of the indoor season, the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, March 8-9. The men's heptathlon will kickstart the action both days beginning at 8:30 a.m. CT Friday and 9:30 a.m. CT Saturday.
Representing Auburn at this year's championships will be graduate student Sanaa Barnes and juniors Simone Johnson and Vimbayi Maisvorewa.
High jumper Barnes, triple jumper Johnson and 400m runner Maisvorewa are coming off a successful showing at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This will be each member of the trio's first time competing at indoor championships for the Tigers.
"We had quite a few things that looked well for us at conference championships, and I was very pleased with the women's performance," Auburn track & field head coach Leroy Burrell said.
Barnes will be making her sixth overall NCAA appearance combined (indoors and outdoors). While at Villanova, she placed 10th in 2021 and fourth in 2019. She finished fifth at NCAA Outdoors in 2023 with a jump of 1.84m for Auburn.
At SECs she finished fourth, typing her PR of 1.85m. She is the first Tiger on the women's side to compete in high jump since 2013. The five-time All-American will be competing for the last time in an Auburn unform.
"I really believe Sanaa is going to hit a PR and give us a good showing in Boston," Burrell said.
Johnson will make her third consecutive appearance at NCAAs after competing for San Diego State at the 2023 outdoor championships. She won bronze in triple jump at SECs with a leap of 13.06m. Throughout the indoor season, Johnson has been extremely consistent for the Tigers in her event. She finished in the top three in all four meets this indoor season.
Her best jump of the season (13.46m) places her ninth in the nation and earns her the No. 4 performer in Auburn history spot. Johnson is the first woman to compete at NCAA Indoors in the event since Jakayla Hand in 2018.
"She's a big performer for us and scored big time at the conference championships," Burrell said. "I believe she has one of our best possibilities to score."
Maisvorewa enters the championships as Auburn's school record holder in the 400m (52.16). The Mutare, Zimbabwe native earned her qualifying time at SECs where she finished eighth in prelims to advance to finals and finished sixth (52.72). She is the first woman to qualify in the 400m since Joanna Atkins in 2010 and just the fourth woman in school history to punch her ticket.
Maisvorewa won two national championships while running at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas. She won the 2022 NJCAA Outdoor title with a time of 54.18 and 2023 NJCAA Indoor title (53.50).
"We have a really good chance to see her reset the school record in the 400m and use this as a launching pad for the outdoor season," Burrell said.
Maisvorewa will compete in the women's 400m semifinal on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT, both Barnes and Johnson will compete Saturday at noon and 5:30 p.m. CT, respectively.
"Our goal this weekend is to score about ten points and if we can score a few more, that would be great and that would put us in the top 25 to 30. And of course, that will launch us into the outdoor season," Burrell said.
Live results for the meet will be available at FlashResults.com. ESPN+ will live stream the event starting at 8:30 a.m. CT Friday, March 8 and 10:30 a.m. CT Saturday, March 9. The championship will be re-aired on ESPNU at 8 p.m. CT March 11.