GAINESVILLE, Florida - Junior sprinter Makanakaishe Charamba posted the top 200m qualifying time and Louis O'Loughlin and Davis Plowden advanced to Saturday's 800m finals to highlight Auburn's first day of the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Percy Beard Track on the University of Florida campus Thursday.
Charamba cruised to victory in his heat, posting the top qualifying time in the 200m preliminary rounds in 20.17, his second fastest time of the season. The nation's second-ranked 200m sprinter, Charamba will run in the finals on Saturday at 8:25 p.m. ET. The Harare, Zimbabwe native will be vying to become Auburn's first 200m SEC champion since Coby Miller in 2000.
O'Loughlin and Plowden both qualified for Saturday's finals of the men's 800m after finishing eighth and nineth, respectively, during prelims. Each ran strong races, recording personal best times as O'Loughlin clocked a 1:48.25 and Plowden a 1:48.27. The duo moved into No. 5 and No. 6 on Auburn's performers list in the event and it marked the first time since 2000 that the program advanced two or more to the 800m finals in the same season.
Senior javelin thrower Shaniya Holley saved her best throw of her SEC career for her last, as on her sixth attempted threw 50.49m/165-7 to finish seventh place, the Auburn native's best showing in the event in four tries.
Sophomore Michael May is in third place after the first day of the men's decathlon with 3979 points. May, who was sixth in the event as a freshman, notched personal bests in the 100m with a time of 10.85 and in the shot put with a throw of 13.34m/43-9.25. With five events remaining, the Port Aransas, Texas native will need 3302 points Friday to surpass his lifetime best of 7280 points established at the same meet a year ago.
In the women's heptathlon, sophomores Paula Grauvogel and Elise Heddens are fifth and eighth, respectively, through four of seven events. Grauvogel recorded 3271 points, while Heddens notched 3125 points. The duo had big throws in the shot put with personal best marks and Heddens surpassed her PR in the 200m.
Day 2 of the 2024 SEC Outdoor Championships will start at 11 a.m. ET on Friday with the decathlon 110m hurdles. Running events on the track will begin at 5 p.m. ET with preliminary rounds of the men's 110m hurdles.
SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Day 1 Results
James G. Pressley Stadium at Percy Beard Track – Gainesville, Florida
May 9, 2024
Men's Decathlon, Day 1
3. Michael May 3979 pts
100m 10.85
Long Jump 6.99m/22-11.25
Shot Put 13.34m/43-9.25
High Jump 1.92m/6-3.5
400m 49.13
Men's Hammer Throw
10. John Leonard 57.86m/189-3
Men's 800m Prelims
8. Louis O'Loughlin (Q) 1:48.25
9. Davis Plowden (Q) 1:48.27
Men's 200m Prelims
1. Makanakaishe Charamba (Q) 20.17
16. Dario Matau 20.79
31. Ian Myers 21.47
Men's 400m Hurdles Prelims
14. Matthew Rainer 54.09
Men's 10,000m
Joseph Perry DNF
Women's Heptathlon, Day 1
5. Paula Grauvogel 3271 pts
100m Hurdles 13.61
High Jump 1.54m/5-0.5
Shot Put 11.73m/38-6
200m 25.21
8. Elise Heddens 3125 pts
100m Hurdles 14.06
High Jump 1.54m/5-0.5
Shot Put 11.72m/38-5.5
200m 25.45
Women's 200m Prelims
23. Chante Clinkscale 23.62
Women's Javelin Throw
7. Shaniya Holley 50.49m/165-7
Women's 400m Hurdles Prelims
11. Abasiono Akpan 57.76
13. Zuriel Reed 58.28
Lalah Hasbrouck DNF