GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After an impressive start to the outdoor season in Atlanta, Auburn track and field travels to Florida to compete at the Pepsi Florida Relays, held April 3–4 at the Percy Beard Track at James G. Pressly Stadium.
Action begins Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT with the women’s hammer throw, while running events start at 2:30 p.m. with the women’s 4x100 meter race prelims. Saturday’s schedule opens with the men’s discus at 9:00 a.m., followed by running events at noon, with the women’s 100m hurdles prelims.
“It’s going to be a solid meet,” head coach Leroy Burrell said. “It’s always a really competitive meet in Gainesville, and this one is a great early test for our group. You’re going to start seeing what we look like as we approach championship season in about a month.”
“I think the best of the best will be there within the conference,” Burrell said. “We expect to see Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Georgia, along with strong competition from outside the conference in select events.”
At the team’s last outing, the Tigers kicked off the outdoor season with 13 event wins at the Yellow Jacket Invitational.
The sprints group led the way with six individual victories and two relay wins, highlighted by senior Reese Webster’s sweep of the 100m and 200m. Webster clocked times of 11.30 and 23.35, ranking No. 2 and No. 7 nationally in those events.
Junior Zuriel Reed captured the women’s 400m title with a personal-best time of 52.69, moving her to No. 7 on the AU performers list.
The quartet of Azeem Fahmi, Alejandro Cardenas, Ian Myers, and Tyler Davis took the men’s 4x100m relay in 39.75, while the foursome of Brieanna Boyce, Zuriel Reed, Shakynah Tresvant, and Cassidra Thompson secured the nation’s No. 4 time in the 4x400m relay winning in 3:35.85.
In the field events, senior Matthew Rueff and junior Marley Raikiwasa swept the shot-put titles. Rueff recorded a mark of 17.88m/58-8, while Raikiwasa, competing for the first time since returning from injury, won with a throw of 15.68m/51-5.5. Senior Seth Allen dominated the men’s discus, winning by nearly 10 meters with a mark of 59.27m/194-5.
In the distance events, sophomores Nickson Chebii and Camila Gomes each earned gold. Chebii set a personal best in the men’s 1500m with a time of 3:44.17, while Gomes won the women’s 800m in 2:06.79.
“I’m really excited about where we are as a team,” Burrell said. “We’re healthy, and the group is ready to make their mark and show what we’re capable of heading into championship season.”
Live results for the Pepsi Florida Relays can be found here.