Auburn, Ala. - Auburn track & field travels to Florida for the second consecutive week to compete at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville at the James G. Presley Stadium at Percy Beard Track April 4-5. Action starts Friday at 10 a.m. CT with the women’s hammer and picks back up Saturday with men’s discus at 8 a.m. CT.
“The best of the best will be there,” Auburn track & field head coach Leroy Burrell said. “This is a big meet for the SEC, and it gets even bigger when we go back for the Tom Jones Invitational. This will be an opportunity for us to put ourselves on the national stage and compete at a high level against some of the teams that we will see later in the year.”
It is going to be a weekend full of stiff competition as the Tigers battle against NR/ No. 9 Baylor, NR/ No. 6 Georgia, Mississippi State, No. 1/3 Texas A&M, South Carolina, No. 10/NR South Florida and host Florida.
At the team’s last outing, the Terry Long FSU Relays, the women’s sprint team highlighted the team’s performance.
There were four first place finishes from the sprints, including senior Vimbayi Maisvorewa who ran 51.98 in the women’s 400m to take gold. She was accompanied by seniors Ashantae Harvey in the 400m hurdles (58.59) and Chante Clinkscale in the 100m (11.34). The quartet of Maisvorewa, Harvey and sophomores Zuriel Reed and Deborah Oke also won gold in the 4x400m relay (3:30.55).
“The competition went really well for us,” Burrell said. “We had a great weekend, primarily highlighted by our women ... We decided to push their start of the season back a week, and boy did they get themselves ready to go ... I am pleased with the women’s performances last weekend.”
Entering the weekend, the Auburn women are ranked 22nd in the most recent USTFCCCA poll.
On the men’s field side of things, junior Aaron Davis and sophomore Jay Avery finished in the top three of long jump. Avery and Davis secured silver and bronze, respectively. Avery’s mark of 7.80m is the furthest in the SEC and No. 9 on Auburn’s Top 10 List.
There will be multiple Tigers making their outdoor season debut including indoor 60m hurdles Indoor National Champion Ja’Kobe Tharp, All-American Ana-Liese Torian in the 100m hurdles and the defending 4x100m national championship relay team that includes sophomore Kayinsola Ajayi, junior Azeem Fahmi and seniors Dario Matau and Makanakaishe Charamba.
“This is a conference level type team,” Burrell said. “The men’s sprint group had a historic year indoors and many of them will debut in Gainesville. I really do feel that you’re going to see some fireworks by the group. You will see some outstanding performances on the throws side as well.”
Competing in the first meet of the outdoor season, Megan Hague broke the school record and finished first overall in women’s shot put at the Yellow Jacket Invitational (17.70m).
Joining Hague on the winner’s podium were seniors Kyle Brown (hammer throw) and Maura Huwalt (discus throw), juniors Matthew Rueff (shot put) and Seth Allen (discus throw) who took gold in their respective events as well.
Freshman Camryn Massey has proven to be threat for the Tigers after competing in women’s shot put, discus throw and hammer throw in the past two meets. Her collegiate best throws in discus (51.41m) and shot put (15.24m) have earned a spot on Auburn’s Top 10 List in both events.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the whole squad meshes and works together to bring together a really solid team result,” Burrell said. “We’re looking forward to seeing a little more of that from both groups.”
Live results can be found at pttiming.com.