AUBURN, Ala.—After a strong showing on the Plains, Auburn track and field gears up for a split weekend between the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in Athens, Georgia, and the East Coast Relays in Jacksonville, Florida, both taking place May 1-2.
The Tigers are sending 20 throwers and distance runners to Athens to compete on the Spec Town Track at the University of Georgia, while 21 sprinters will travel to Jacksonville to compete on North Florida’s campus.
Competition in Athens begins Friday with the men’s and women’s mile at 8:30 p.m. CT. Saturday’s slate opens at 11:00 a.m. CT with the women’s hammer throw, followed by track events beginning at 12:20 p.m. CT with the women’s 4x100m relay.
In Jacksonville, field events kick off Friday at 2:00 p.m. CT with the men’s hammer throw and pole vault, while running events begin at 5:45 p.m. CT with the 400m hurdles. Saturday’s action starts with field events at 11:00 a.m. CT and running events at 10:30 a.m. CT, continuing throughout the afternoon.
Auburn enters the weekend with momentum following an impressive home performance at the Tiger Track Classic, highlighted by a freshman school record, nine personal bests, and five event victories.
Sophia Mazzoni broke her own Auburn freshman javelin record twice Saturday, first with a throw of 52.21m/171-03 and then surpassed it again on her final attempt with a mark of 54.50m/178-05, the 16th best mark in the NCAA this season. This marked the fourth time this season Mazzoni has broken or tied the freshman javelin record in just four collegiate competitions.
In throws, Senior Megan Hague led the way with a gold medal performance in women’s shot put at 18.10m/59-04.75, the second-best mark in Auburn history. The All-American now holds nine of the top-10 performances in Auburn history, with eight of them coming this season, including the school record she set last week.
Senior Matthew Rueff captured gold in men’s shot put with a winning mark of 18.38m/60-03.75, earning his eighth career collegiate outdoor win, including his seventh in shot put.
In sprints, senior Reese Webster became the No. 10 performer in Auburn history in the women’s 200m with a personal best 23.05 in the race. Webster finished in fifth while junior Nedra Richardson came in ninth, crossing in 23.77 in her first collegiate 200m outdoor race.
Senior Cassidra Thompson took gold in the women’s 400m race, crossing in 53.63 and earning her third collegiate win in the event.
The Tigers swept the podium in the women’s 1500m, led by senior Hallie Porterfield’s personal best of 4:27.73. Porterfield was followed by personal best marks from Addison Boyer and Kennedy Hamilton, finishing second and third, respectively. Boyer crossed in 4:30.69 in her first collegiate 1500m outdoor race, while Hamilton finished in 4:34.74.
This weekend marks Auburn’s final tune-up before hosting the SEC Outdoor Championships from May 14–16 at the Hutsell-Rosen Track, as the Tigers aim to secure qualifying marks ahead of postseason competition.
Live results for the Torrin Lawrence Memorial can be found HERE.
Live results for the East Coast Relays can be found HERE.