Track & field salutes senior class in Spry’s final home meet

Track & field salutes senior class in Spry’s final home meetTrack & field salutes senior class in Spry’s final home meet
Matthew Shannon/AU Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn track & field team closed the War Eagle Invitational Saturday, celebrating head coach Ralph Spry and its 24 seniors in their final meet at Hutsell-Rosen track.
 
"This is one of the most special groups I've had the privilege of coaching in my 25 years," Spry said. "They've got a lot of fight and a lot of determination, which is exactly what you like to see as a coach. I'm very proud of how far they've all come, but the work is not done yet. We're going to finish this season the right way."
 


In their curtain call, the senior class put on a show, racking up six different event wins.
 
All-American Madi Malone kickstarted the action Friday afternoon, not only picking up a win in the women's hammer throw but also breaking her own school record for the second time within the last month. The Wichita, Kansas native's series included three throws all better than her previous record, settling into first with a remarkable distance of 69.12m/226-09.
 
Following Malone was the dangerous duo of Keira McCarrell and Ashley Carter in javelin, both of whom rank top-15 nationally in the event. McCarrell tossed for 53.69m/176-01 to take second place while Carter finished first with a career-best throw of 54.03m/177-03. Carter's top throw came on her final attempt, making a 13-foot jump from the mark notched on the throw before.
 
The Auburn throwers collected two more wins by way of Kyle Brown in the men's hammer and Maura Huwalt in women's discus. Brown slugged a career-high 68.07m/223-04 on his fourth attempt to lock down the top spot. Huwalt posted a season-best 53.41m/175-02 to win her second discus event at home this season.
 
Erik Ebel and Jocelynn Budwig padded the Auburn point total finishing third behind both Brown and Huwalt. Ebel throw 65.92m/216-03 in hammer and Budwig threw 50.12m/164-05 in discus.
 
Switching to the distance side, seniors Presley Weems and Joyce Kimeli competed just like they have their entire careers. Weems punched yet another top-10 performance in the Auburn record books with a 2:06.72 in the women's 800m and Kimeli set the nation's leading time with a 9:41.15 in the women's 3000m steeplechase.
 
For the Tiger jumps squad, it was once again Dontavious Hill and Janaya Jones leading the pack. Hill came just shy of matching his outdoor PR in high jump, clearing 2.21m/7-3 on a clean first attempt, but still managed to clinch a share of the event title with Southern Miss' Corvell Todd. For Jones in long jump, it was a flight that saw the sophomore PR on each of her first three jumps that led to a silver-medal placement with a final mark of 6.13m/20-1.5.
 
UP NEXT
The Tigers trek to their in-state rival for the Crimson Tide Invitational April 22-23 at Sam Bailey Track & Field Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
 
WAR EAGLE INVITATIONAL
Hutsell-Rosen Track
Auburn, Ala.
April 15-16, 2022
 
WOMEN'S 100m
12. Tylar Colbert               11.89*
37. Hope Igbinoghene   12.45
 
WOMEN'S 100m HURDLES
19. Elise Heddens            14.57*
 
WOMEN'S 200m
3. Aalliyah Francis            23.50
46. Hope Igbinoghene   26.15
 
WOMEN'S 400
2. Aalliyah Francis            53.40*
24. Jen Dietrich                 57.21
 
WOMEN'S 400m HURDLES
4. Asia Jinks        1:00.16
23. Morgan Millikan        1:07.62
 
WOMEN'S 800m
1. Presley Weems            2:06.72
42. Presley Miles              2:27.41*
45. Lindsey Granier         2:43.35
 
WOMEN'S 3000m STEEPLECHASE
1. Joyce Kimeli   9:41.15
 
WOMEN'S 5000m
7. Hannah Thuss               17:16.83*
10. Louisa McPherson    17:23.02*
18. GiGi Maddox              17:37.50*
21. Hannah Tarwater      18:06.32
 
WOMEN'S DISCUS
1. Maura Huwalt               53.41m/175-02
3. Jocelynn Budwig          50.12m/164-05
12. Trinity Love                 41.31m/135-06*
 
WOMEN'S HAMMER
1. Madi Malone                69.12m/226-09* (AR)
6. Dani Gregory                56.85m/186-06*
9. Maura Huwalt               51.82m/170-00*
X. Jocelynn Budwig          FOUL
 
WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP
3. Kamiya Dendy              1.72m/5-7.75
 
WOMEN'S JAVELIN
1. Ashley Carter                54.03m/17703*
2. Keira McCarrell             53.69m/176-01
5. Shaniya Holley              47.44m/155-07
 
WOMEN'S LONG JUMP
2. Janaya Jones                 6.13m/20-1.5*
19. Imani Jones                 5.40m/17-8.75
31. Megan Lonneman    5.00m/16-5
 
WOMEN'S POLE VAULT
21. Rhiannon Held           3.47m/11-4.5
 
WOMEN'S SHOT PUT
2. Maura Huwalt               15.84m/51-11.75
21. Trinity Love                 11.35m/37-3*
 
WOMEN'S 4X100m RELAY
5. Jinks, Colbert, Francis, Heddens            3:51.02
 
MEN'S 100m
4. Christopher Grant       10.37
8. Jason Reese                  10.52*
9. Brandon Smiley            10.54
34. Tray Reynolds            11.11*
 
MEN'S 110m HURDLES
12. Alex Spyridonidis      14.70
15. Tray Reynolds            14.94
19. David Edmondson    15.27
21. John Murray               15.42
 
MEN'S 200m
5. Brandon Smiley            21.32
13. Jason Reese                21.54
 
MEN'S 400m HURDLES
14. Luke Roberts              54.39
16. Caden Ciul                    55.08
 
MEN'S 1500m
18. Benson Atkins            3:59.02*
 
MEN'S 5000
17. Mark Foster                14:52.54*
 
MEN'S DISCUS
5. Kyle Moison                  51.54m/169-01
7. Quinten Wynn              50.02m/164-01*
21. Alex Spyridonidis      41.59m/136-05
25. John Murray               38.81m/127-04
27. David Edmondson    30.68m/100-08
X. Ethan Richter                FOUL
 
MEN'S HAMMER
1. Kyle Brown                    68.07m/223-04*
3. Erik Ebel                          65.92m/216-03
5. Kyle Moison                  63.55m/208-06
17. Quinten Wynn           47.83m/156-11*
 
MEN'S HIGH JUMP
1. Dontavious Hill             2.21m/7-3
10. Zach Marinko              2.00m/6-6.75*
10. TJ Funches                   2.00m/6-6.75
 
MEN'S JAVELIN
18. David Edmondson    43.72m/143-05
 
MEN'S POLE VAULT
3. James Courson             5.11m/16-9.25
4. Matthew Asplund       4.96m/16-3.25*
X. John Murray                  NH
 
MEN'S SHOT PUT
5. Ethan Richter                17.14m/56-2.75*
8. Quinten Wynn              15.99m/52-5.50
 
*- Personal Best
AR – Auburn Record