LEXINGTON, Kentucky — Field events led the way for the Auburn women at the NCAA East Preliminaries Thursday at the Kentucky Track Facility as four Tigers punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships, all from the throwing events.
Junior Marley Raikiwasa and senior Megan Hague earned bids in the shot put, while freshmen Sophia Mazzoni and Norah Lind also qualified for Eugene in the javelin and hammer throw, respectively.
Raikiwasa, who was an NCAA performer as a freshman in 2024 in the discus throw, made the most of her third and last throw, with a huge mark of 17.57m/57-7.75 to propel herself into third place, well inside the qualifying line of the top 12. The Australian native’s mark surpassed her previous personal best by over two feet and made her the No. 3 performer in school history.
No stranger to the NCAA meet, Hague advanced to her third consecutive championship with a throw of 17.20m/56-5.25. She joined Olympian Rachel Dincoff (2014-16) as just the second Tiger to ever make three straight NCAAs in the shot put outdoors.
Earlier in the day, Mazzoni was in fourth place through two throws in the javelin, before a huge third and final toss of 56.51m/185-4 to finish third overall and earn her first NCAA championship appearance. The Derry, Pennsylvania native broke her own Auburn freshman school record in the event for the fifth time this season and became the first freshman in program history to qualify for nationals in the event.
Lind, a fellow rookie, made the most of her postseason debut, punching her ticket to the NCAA championships in dramatic fashion in the women’s hammer throw. Two places out of qualifying contention on her third and final throw, the Stockholm, Sweden native posted a throw of 62.04m/203-6 to secure the 12th and final spot by less than an inch.
Lind became the fifth woman in Auburn history to qualify for nationals in the event and the first freshman since school record holder Madi Malone in 2019.
Three Auburn women advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinal round, including senior Danae Nembhard, junior Zuriel Reed, and junior Camila Gomes.
Nembhard automatically qualified for the quarterfinals of the 100m hurdles after finishing third in her heat in 13.23. Nembhard will return to the track Saturday at 6:15 p.m. ET.
Reed ran 57.51 in the 400m hurdles, finishing third in her heat to garner the automatic qualifier to Saturday’s quarterfinals at 7:25 p.m. ET.
In the women’s 1500m, Gomes was fifth in her heat, crossing in 4:17.18 to earn an automatic berth in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Gomes will run Saturday at 5:15 p.m. ET to earn a spot at the national meet.
Friday’s third day of competition will turn back to the men as the Tigers will have 12 opportunities to earn a berth to Eugene, including 10 on the sprints side. Action will begin at 1 p.m. ET with senior Seth Allen and sophomore Kai Twaddle-Dunham in the men’s discus.
Auburn’s NCAA leading 4x100m relay team will kick off action on the track at 5 p.m. ET, with three-time national champion Ja’Kobe Tharp racing in the 110m hurdles at 6:15 p.m. The Tigers will have five competing in the 100m dash, two in the 200m and one in the 400m hurdles.
NCAA EAST PRELIMINARIES
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
THURSDAY, MAY 28
DAY 2
Women’s Hammer Throw
12. Norah Lind 62.04m/203-6 NCAA QUALIFER
Women’s Javelin Throw
3. Sophia Mazzoni 56.51m/185-4 NCAA QUALIFIER, PR, AU FR SR
Women’s 100m Hurdles
22. Danae Nembhard 13.23 Q
Women’s Pole Vault
T-26. Alyssa Quinones-Mixon 4.07m/13-4.25
Women’s Shot Put
3. Marley Raikiwasa 17.57m/57-7.75 NCAA QUALIFIER, PR, AU No. 3 performer
8. Megan Hague 17.20m/56-5.25 NCAA QUALIFIER
25. Camryn Massey 16.21m/53-2.25
Women’s 1500m
28. Camila Gomes 4:17.18 Q
Women’s 400m Hurdles
13. Zuriel Reed 57.51 Q
Women’s 200m
33. Reese Webster 23.49