AUBURN, Ala.—The Auburn track and field team will be in action at a pair of meets this weekend, traveling to Clemson, South Carolina, for the Tiger Paw Invitational while a small group of distance runners head to Boston, Massachusetts, for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational on Feb. 13-14.
Auburn will send 16 men and 17 women to compete at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex over the two-day meet.
Competition at the Tiger Paw Invitational begins Friday at 11 a.m. CT with the men’s weight throw, followed by running events at noon. Saturday’s action opens with the women’s high jump at 9 a.m., with track events starting at noon, beginning with the women’s 800 meters.
“This is a higher-level meet, so there will be a lot more competition,” head coach Leroy Burrell said. “At the same time, we’ll get a true test of who we are and what we can do. I’m really excited. We're going to load up the bus, get up there, and get ourselves ready to compete.”
Four Tigers will represent Auburn at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at the Boston University Indoor Track and Tennis Center. Nickson Chebii and Joshua Kosgei will compete in the men’s distance events Friday, while Camila Gomes and Gene Coetzee will represent the women in distance events Saturday.
“The whole distance community shows up for one of the three opportunities you get there,” Burrell said. “Everyone peaks their training for that meet. They do a really good job seeding it, so you’re racing athletes who are very close to you competitively. That makes for high-level racing.”
With postseason competition just two weeks away, the Tigers are looking to sharpen their edge before championship season begins.
“We’re looking forward to getting a few more quality performances as we prepare for the championship season in a couple of weeks.”
Auburn returns to Clemson following a strong showing at the Bob Pollock Invitational on Jan. 30-31, highlighted by two school records, two relay victories, and 23 personal bests.
Senior Megan Hague made history in the women’s shot put, setting a new school record with a mark of 18.27m (59-11.25). The All-American now ranks fourth nationally and first in the SEC this season.
“We’re really excited about Megan,” Burrell said. “Throwing 59-11 and breaking the school record shows how she’s been building all year. Coach Joseph Riccio has done a great job preparing her physically and mentally. We’re looking forward to championship season where she can continue to shine.”
On the men’s side, Ibukunoluwa Daramola set the Auburn freshman record in the long jump with a mark of 7.82m/25-8, breaking Boris Goin’s 40-year-old record of 24-9.50. Daramola currently holds the NCAA’s No. 15 mark this season.
National Champion and Bowerman Award finalist Ja’Kobe Tharp made his first appearance of the 2026 indoor season and finished first in the men’s 60m hurdles prelims with a time of 7.65 and followed up with a 7.69 in the semis.
“I’m really excited about Ja’Kobe,” Coach Burrell said. “We didn’t get the performance I know Ja’Kobe was looking for in the 60m hurdles. He tends to rise to the occasion at those big meets, and I think he’s going to do the same here at Clemson.”
In the sprints, senior Reese Webster captured silver in the women’s 60 meters with a personal-best time of 7.25, ranking No. 16 nationally. Sophomore Israel Okon took bronze in the 200m in 20.82, becoming the No. 6 performer in Auburn history in his first-ever 200m appearance.
Live results from the Tiger Paw Invitational can be found here.
Live results for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational can be found here.