Auburn Track and Field Teams Take Part In SEC Outdoor Championships

[AUSportTalk 4]

The Auburn men’s and women’s track and field teams

are set to participate in the 2009 SEC Outdoor Championships this

Thursday through Sunday in Gainesville, Fla. Thursday’s action

involves only the first day of the men’s decathlon and the women’s

heptathlon, while the bulk of the schedule gets underway Friday.

Auburn enters the meet with its men’s team ranked No. 13 nationally

and the women ranked 14th. However, the men’s field is loaded with

seven nationally-ranked squads, including No. 2 Florida, No. 7 South

Carolina, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 12 LSU, Auburn, No. 20 Georgia and No. 25

Kentucky. The women’s field includes No. 4 LSU, No. 12 Tennessee,

Auburn and No. 22 Arkansas.

“I’m pumped up about this weekend,” said head coach Ralph Spry.

“Our men’s team has a chance to do extremely well this weekend

and is pretty balanced. If we could finish in the top two or three, that

would be great for the men.

“Our women have such a young team that we’re looking forward to

getting them some big-time experience this weekend, and getting them to

step up in this environment. This weekend and the NCAA Regional and

Championship meets are the biggest parts of our season. It’s what we

prepare for all year, so I’m excited.”

 

Auburn’s men have won four SEC outdoor championships, winning titles

in 1954-55, 1961 and 1979. The Tigers have had 35 top-three finishes in

their history, although their best finish over the past 12 seasons has

been four fourth-place performances.   

The women’s squad has yet to win an SEC indoor or outdoor title, but

came extremely close at the 2006 outdoor meet, being edged by one point

by Georgia. Auburn’s best outdoor finish prior to that came in 1996

when the Tigers finished third.

At last year’s SEC Outdoor Championships hosted by Auburn, the

Tigers’ men’s team finished in fifth place with 78.2 points and the

women were seventh with 66 points. Three SEC Champions return for

Auburn, including senior Raevan Harris in the women’s high jump,

junior Felix Kiboiywo in the men’s 1500 meters and junior Valentina

Srsa in the hammer throw.

Auburn has 20 individuals competing this weekend who have already

qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. The Tigers also

have four relay teams that have qualified for the regional meet.

Eight of the athletes currently own marks that rank them in the top 15

in the NCAA this year. Joanna Atkins is ranked third nationally in both

the women’s 200 meters (22.89) and 400 meters (51.77). Marcus Rowland

is fourth in the men’s 200 meters (20.48) and tied for 11th in the 100

meters (10.27).

Girma Mecheso is ranked sixth in the 10,000 meters (28:26.09) and

Raevan Harris is tied for sixth in the high jump (1.83m). Eric Werskey

is eighth in the shot put (18.58m), Michael DeHaven is tied for eighth

in the 200 meters (20.64), Felix Kiboiywo is 13th in the men’s 1500

meters (3:42.30), and Ryan Fleck is tied for 13th in the men’s high

jump (2.16m).

Atkins also helped the women’s 4x100-meter relay team post the

nation’s fourth-best mark (43.74) and the women’s 4x400-meter relay

rank 11th (3:35.82). The men’s 4x400-meter relay team ranks 12th among

all schools.

More information on the SEC Outdoor Championships can be found on the

University of Florida’s athletics website at www.gatorzone.com. FOX

Sports will also air a tape-delayed broadcast of the meet on Saturday,

May 23, at 5 p.m. CT.