Tharp wins NCAA title, Tiger men finish third at indoor nationals

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia—Auburn sophomore Ja’Kobe Tharp won an individual national championship in the 60m hurdles and the Tiger men finished third overall in the team standings at an eventful final day at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Senior Makanakaishe Charmaba and sophomore Kayinsola Ajayi took home silver medals in the 200m and 60m dashes, respectively, to help propel the men to their best indoor finish since 2003.

“I’m extremely proud of this team,” Auburn head coach Leroy Burrell said. “To come here with a smaller group and dominate the events we are good at under the pressure of the national environment is just incredible.”

Auburn’s third-place team finish was its second consecutive trophy on the men’s side as it was national runners-up at the 2024 outdoor championships in Eugene. The Tiger men were NCAA indoor runners up in 1978, 1997 and 2003.

Tharp ran a lifetime-best 7.45 to win Auburn first men’s indoor individual national title since Olympian Donald Thomas won gold in the high jump in 2007. It was the Tigers’ first sprints individual title since US Olypian Coby Miller won the 200m in 1999. The 7.45 run by Tharp broke his own school record and was the eighth fastest time in the world this year.

“Winning a national championship means a lot,” Tharp said. “I put in so much work throughtout the season, it feels great.”

The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native capped off championship season as he also was the SEC individual title winner and ran eight of the nine fastest times in program history.

“Yesterday, I was thinking too much. I didn’t get the best start. Coach told me to do what I do best and run my race,” Tharp told ESPN following his title.

Ajayi and freshman Israel Okon took home second and third place, respectively, in the men’s 60m dash, both crossing in 6.52. Ajayi out-leaned Okon by three thousandths of a second for the silver. The NCAA co-leaders entering the event, the Auburn duo posted the best 1-2 finish ever for the Tigers at the indoor national meet in the event.

“Ja’Kobe was a hair out of winning it at outdoors last year,” Burrell said. “He’s well-seasoned and well prepared. Coach (Ken) Harnden not only does a great job with Ja’Kobe, but the whole (sprints) group. Ja’Kobe and the entire sprints group did their best when it matters most, at nationals.”

The NCAA leader and SEC champion at 200m, Charamba ran 20.16, just three hundredths shy of his school-record time to finish second in the event to Kentucky’s Carli Makarawu who won in 20.13. Charamba’s silver was the Tigers best in the event since Coby Miller won a national title in 1999.

On the women’s side, senior Vimbayi Maisvorewa was sixth in the 400m with a time of 51.66 a day after breaking her own school record in the event set two weeks ago. Maisvorewa earned first team All-America honors for her performance, which was the best Auburn showing in the event at indoor since 2010.

Auburn’s outdoor season begins next weekend at the Yellow Jacket Invitational on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta.