AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn track & field men's 4x100m relay team took home gold Saturday in Gainesville, Florida to highlight the team's split duty weekend between the Tom Jones Memorial and Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California.
The quartet of juniors Favour Ashe and Dario Matau, sophomore Azeem Fahmi, and freshman Kanyinsola Ajayi won the 4x100m relay with a time of 38.64, bettering their previous time of 38.74 to remain the fastest relay in the nation. Their time clocked in at No. 4 on Auburn's top performers list.
Sophomore Ian Myers and Matau had career best times in the men's 200m. Myers won his heat with a time of 21.42 and placed 13th overall. Competing in the 200m invite, Matau finished 15th with a time of 20.63, earning him the 14th fastest time in the SEC.
The men's 4x400m relay team delivered a season's best performance as the group of sophomore LeBron Bessick, Matau, junior Luke Roberts and Myers crossed the finish line at 3:09.00.
Not to be outdone, the sprints group for the women delivered solid performances in Gainesville as well. Freshman Deborah Oke had a gold medal performance in the 400m, crossing in 53.74.
In the 400m invite, junior Vimbayi Maisvorewa finished 12th with a PR time of 52.00.
Senior Ashanti Harvey placed third with a time of 13.69 in the women's 100m hurdles.
A Gainesville native, freshman Zuriel Reed, won her heat in the 400m hurdles to finish second overall. Her time of 58.44 was good enough for a PR.
Junior Danae Nembhard qualified for the 100m hurdles invite final with a PR time 13.00 in the first round. She later replaced her PR with a time of 12.96 to earn sixth in the final round.
For the second time this outdoor season, graduate student Amy Warren had a first-place finish in triple jump. On her fifth attempt, she established a new outdoor PR with a mark of 13.03m. That puts her at No. 1 in the SEC.
Sophomore Keyshawn Strachan's placed third in the javelin throw with a mark of 76.25m. His season's best mark ranks him at No. 3 in the SEC and No. 7 in the nation.
In Azusa, Auburn distance had a strong showing as well. For the men, senior Ryan Kinnane placed first in his heat, surpassing his previous 5000m PR by almost 10 seconds with a time of 13:43.76. Kinnane's time places him fifth on Auburn's top performers list.
On the women's side, sophomore Gené Coetzee delivered her best collegiate performance in the 1500m invite. She crossed the line in 4:26.59.
Up Next
The Tigers will compete at home Saturday, April 20 at the Hutsell-Rosen Track for the Tiger Track Classic.
Tom Jones Memorial Invitational
Percy Beard Track
Friday-Saturday, April 12-13
Men's Results
4x100m
1. Auburn 38.64
A. Fahmi, F. Ashe, D. Matau, K. Ajayi
4x400m
15. Auburn 3:09.00
L. Bessick, D. Matau, L. Roberts, I. Myers
100m
13. Kanyinsola Ajayi 10.39
22. Azeem Fahmi 10.44
200m
13. Ian Myers 21.42
200m Invite
15. Dario Matau 20.63
400m
20. Luke Roberts 48.28
33. Ian Myers 49.44
400m Invite
39. LeBron Bessick 47.43
800m
15. Louis O'Loughlin 1:48.86
35. Davis Plowden 1:50.51
110m Hurdles Invite 1st Round
FS. Ja'Kobe Tharp
Javelin Throw
3. Keyshawn Strachan 76.25m
Women's Results
4x400m
14. Auburn 3:36.02
O. Opeyemi, Z. Reed, A. Akpan, V. Maisvorewa
400m
1. Oke Opeyemi 53.74
400m Invite
12. Vimbayi Maisvorewa 52.00
1500m
51. Ava McIntosh 4:55.62
100m Hurdles Invite 1st Round
6. Danae Nembhard 13.00
100m Hurdles Invite Final
6. Danae Nembhard 12.96
100m Hurdles
3. Ashanti Harvey 13.69
400m Hurdles Invite
15. Abasiono Akpan 57.52
28. Lalah Hasbrouck 1:00.24
400m Hurdles
2. Zuriel Reed 58.44
Long Jump
14. Janaya Jones 5.79m
38. Shonedra Richardson 5.42m
Triple Jump
1. Amy Warren 13.03m
Bryan Clay Invitational
Cougar Stadium
Thursday-Saturday, April 11-13
Men's Results
5000m Invite Heat 4
1. Ryan Kinnane 13:43.76
1500 Invite
34. Max Hardin 3:41.85
1500m Open A
9. Cooper Atkins 3:45.81
Women's Results
1500m Invite
138. Gené Coetzee 4:26.59
1500m Open A
56. Samantha Rogers 4:29.29